Amazon has released a new software update for its Kindle devices that brings voice dictation to the latest Kindle Scribe models and makes it easier to add handwritten notes to books and documents.
Update 5.20.1 is available for the third-generation Kindle Scribe and other Kindle devices released after 2024. While the update includes the usual bug fixes and performance improvements, the biggest changes are aimed at making Scribe more useful for note-taking.
One major addition is microphone dictation, which allows Kindle Scribe users to enter text with their voice instead of typing manually. By tapping the microphone icon on the keyboard, users can dictate text while searching. This also works if you’re annotating books and documents or selling notebooks.
It’s a relatively small change, but it can make a difference to anyone who regularly uses Scribe to organize notes or work with documents.
Amazon has also expanded Scribe’s handwriting capabilities. Users can now add handwritten notes to fixed-layout eBooks and personal documents, providing another way to annotate content without changing the original page layout.
The function can be accessed using the notes tool in the writing toolbar, or by selecting text and opening the action menu. However, users must create a notebook to access the tool from the writing toolbox.
For Kindle owners, there is a potentially interesting addition outside of Scribe. Some users have reported that the update includes Bluetooth drivers for the new Kindle Clip page translator.
This could make the update especially important for readers who want to use the new Bluetooth accessory to turn pages without touching their Kindle. However, this remains to be confirmed.
In addition to these additions, Amazon says the update includes general performance improvements, bug fixes, and other improvements.
The new features don’t represent a major overhaul of the Kindle experience. However, they give Scribe owners more flexibility when working with notes and documents.
