The latest Kindle update lets you turn pages by double-tapping

Amazon has updated Kindles with a new way to navigate books. While nothing will recapture the tactile pleasure of physical page turn buttons, anyone with a Kindle running Version 5.18.1 of Amazon's software will now be able to double-tap the side or back of their e-reader to turn pages.

"Double Tap to Page Turn" can be turned on in the Settings menu under Device Options. Amazon says it works for more than just turning pages. You can also use double taps to scroll through your Home and Library pages, too. Interestingly, the option doesn't use the touchscreen at all. Good E-Reader speculates Amazon is relying on the accelerometer inside Kindles to detect taps.

Along with the update, Amazon is also adding a feature it calls "Recaps for Books in Series." These are short summaries "for thousands of bestselling English language Kindle books in series you have purchased or borrowed." The company already does things like automatically group books from the same series to make them easier to find, but this should save you the trouble of looking up a summary of A Dance with Dragons before diving into The Winds of Winter — assuming it's ever released.

The 5.18.1 update is rolling out now newer Kindles, like the Kindle Colorsoft, and devices as old as the 10th generation Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite. It will also be available on the last of Amazon's e-readers to have physical buttons, the Kindle Oasis. If you don't see it on your device now, you can manually download the update from Amazon's website and install it yourself.

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