The Kindle app for Android no longer supports in-app purchases of e-books or subscriptions, but there is a workaround for users to buy new books.
Amazon Kindle users can no longer make in-app purchases for books and subscriptions on Android devices, but there’s still a way to deliver books to the app. One of the benefits of buying e-books for Kindle is that any purchased content can be viewed on multiple platforms. The Kindle Store is designed to be used with Amazon’s line of Kindle e-readers and Fire tablets, but it can also be used with third-party devices. The Kindle app is available on iOS and Android, and there are even desktop applications that can be installed on Mac and Windows computers.
The new purchase restriction also applies to Kindle Unlimited subscriptions, which can no longer be paid for within the Android app. Kindle Unlimited subscribers have access to over two million e-book titles with a continued subscription plan that costs $9.99 per month, and any new payments will have to be made on a browser, either using a mobile device or a desktop.
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Users are no longer able to make purchases on the Kindle app for Android as of June 2022, a date that coincided with a deadline for compliance with Google’s updated Play Store guidelines. Like the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store requires apps to use its own billing system to accept in-app payments. This benefits Google, as any purchase made under the Play Store billing system is subject to a 15 percent fee. To avoid paying this fee on any new books purchased in the Kindle app, Amazon decided to remove the ability to make in-app purchases from the Android app entirely. This is not exactly surprising, since the Kindle iOS app doesn’t allow purchases due to the avoidance of a similar App Store requirement.
How To Buy Kindle Books On Android
The Kindle app for Android displays a notification that explains the shift and guides users in the right direction. “To remain in compliance with Google’s updated Play Store policies, readers will no longer be able to buy or rent Kindle books or subscribe to Kindle Unlimited through this app,” a prompt reads. In order to keep using the Kindle app for Android, the company suggests that users make purchases through the Amazon website. This can be done on a computer, but it can also be done on a mobile web browser. It takes a few extra steps to make purchases on Android, but it is still possible.
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To purchase a Kindle e-book on a mobile or desktop browser, open the Kindle Store on the Amazon website and sign in with the same account being used on the Kindle Android app. Search for a book and click on it. On the product page for the book, select the Kindle edition and click on the Buy Now button to immediately purchase the e-book. Users can also use the drop-down menu below the Buy Now button to deliver the e-book to the Kindle app for Android. If the book doesn’t appear in the library, users can click on the Sync button in the app to prompt a download. While this is a bit of a workaround, it ensures that Kindle Android users will still be able to buy and read new books.