Kindle Scribe users can probably agree that the e-reader has been missing key features that just make sense. Well, Amazon has finally come around.

Amazon has rolled out a Kindle Scribe software update that accounts for some long-overdue features and more. Stick around to learn what they are.

Amazon Releases a Software Update With New Features

woman reading Kindle Oasis in a corner
Image Credit: Amazon

The Kindle Scribe's latest software update, version 5.16.2, is out. Amazon released it on May 22, 2023.

While Amazon has been packing the Kindle Scribe with many updates in 2023, some users felt that the Kindle Scribe has been missing basic but necessary features since it was launched in late November 2022.

There are many reasons you should buy a Kindle e-reader, so if you've been on the fence about it, the new features could convince you to take the plunge and get one.

What’s New in Kindle Scribe?

Kindle Scribe's new features make reading and sharing easier. Let's check them out below.

1. Convert to Text in Export

The Convert to Text in Export feature makes typing a handwritten text to send it via email a thing of the past. It allows you to share handwritten files as typed text in the .txt format. Once that's done, the files can be shared via the sharing options.

Sharing options include 'Convert to text and email' and 'Convert to text and quick send.' The former allows you to share a notebook with up to five recipients, and you can even edit it before exporting. Note, however, that you can only convert files to text for sharing purposes, not to save and read them in Kindle Scribe.

2. Lasso Select Tool

The Lasso Select tool lets you play around with handwritten content and conveniently move things around to your liking by circling it first. You can perform standard editing actions, like cutting, copying, pasting, resizing, and moving content from one writing area to another. Writing areas include PDFs, sticky notes, and notebooks.

3. Write-On Content

This feature allows you to write on specific content bought on Amazon with the 'Write-on Books' or 'On-page writing' labels. Examples include word games, books (specific pages), crossword puzzles, and guided journals.

Kindle Scribe also added a bunch of less notable but helpful PDF-related updates. You can now look up word definitions online and highlight text with a pen or finger. Other improvements include cropping margins, adding text notes, and switching to landscape mode on PDFs sent via Send to Kindle.

Your Kindle Scribe should automatically install the new update, but you can install it yourself from the Kindle Software Updates page.

Kindle Scribe Is Getting Better and Better

Kindle Scribe was only released in November 2022, but Amazon has been steadily packing it with much-needed, helpful features ever since. Some Kindle users might find it worth switching to the Scribe from other trusted Kindle devices.