Update adds handy new gesture control to your new Kindle

Look out for a software update on your Amazon Kindle which adds an unexpected, but very helpful new gesture control to the system. In the update notes for software version 5.18.1, a new “Double Tap to Page Turn” feature is listed, and rather than applying to the screen, it’s a double tap on the back or side of the device.

Released in March 2025, the software update with the new feature is available for the latest Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite 2024, and Kindle Colorsoft e-readers, but not the Kindle Scribe or older Kindle and Paperwhite models. Amazon’s release notes show although version 5.81.1 will arrive on these Kindles, the new page turn feature is not included.

The feature works with a light tap on the back or sides of your Kindle, turning the page forward in your book, or scrolling down through your library. Unfortunately it’s not a directional feature, so you can’t go back a page or up through the library. While this isn’t ideal, using a tap on the back of your Kindle to turn a page is more preferable than reaching around, or using your other hand, to do so. It’s not quite a physical button, but at least it’s an alternative to tapping the front of the e-reader.

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If you own one of the compatible new Kindle models, how do you check to see if the update has arrived? Go to the Settings menu and then tap Device Options, and select Device Info. Here you’ll be able to check which version of the firmware is installed. If it’s not version 5.18.1, you can either wait for it to arrive, or manually install it. Luckily, manually installing the firmware isn’t difficult if you have access to a computer, because the file is available from Amazon directly.

Download it to your computer, connect your Kindle, transfer the file to it, and disconnect it. Then, navigate back to the Settings page, tap the Menu option in the top right of the screen, and you should see an option marked Update your Kindle. Tap it, and let the Kindle update. Once completed, the feature will show up under the Device Options menu. However, despite updating, it has not done so on our U.K. Kindle Paperwhite 2024, and we’ve contacted Amazon to understand if there are any regional restrictions.

In addition to the double tap feature, the new software version has a “Recap for Books in Series” feature, which as you’d expect shows a brief recap of what has happened in previous books ready for you to read the latest installment. There are also performance improvements and bug fixes.