The Kindle Click Is the One Accessory Readers Have Been Waiting For

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The Kindle is the world's most ubiquitous e-reader, but that's not the same as being the best. Don't get me wrong: Amazon deserves a large share of the credit for bringing e-books into the mainstream, and over the years, the Kindle has consistently offered a top-tier user experience, thanks to both generally good hardware and its integration into the retailer's ecosystem (for better or worse).

But the company also rarely innovates in the space, waiting until other players like Barnes & Noble and Boox have tested out new features (like temperature-adjustable lighting and color screens, respectively) before adopting them itself. It's also not shy about dictating to customers what they can and can't do with their Kindles, from removing the ability to directly download copies of their e-books to limiting support for third-party accessories.

One such accessory has been maddeningly absent from the Kindle for years, despite the device having the technology in place to support it: a Bluetooth remote control (all Kindles released since 2018 support Bluetooth for connecting wireless headphones, but only wireless headphones).

A few years ago, third-party e-reader remotes became a big thing on BookTok, prompting competitors like Kobo and Boox to release their own versions of the peripherals. But with the Kindle's Bluetooth protocol locked down, Kindle owners were mostly out of luck; their only option a third-party clip-on accessory that attaches to the side of the device and manually taps the display at the press of a remote button—far from ideal, as they can only turn pages in one direction and block a portion of the screen.

But finally, Amazon has seen the light and made its own Bluetooth remote, which it has dubbed the Kindle Click. More importantly, it has opened up the Bluetooth protocol within the Kindle firmware so it can connect to the accessory in the first place—though it will only work on Kindles from 2024 or later. (It pairs well with the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, no pun intended.)

Amazon Kindle Click Bluetooth Page-Turn Remote $34.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $34.99 at Amazon

What's the point of a page-turn remote for an e-reader?

If you've never used one before, it can be a bit confusing to consider why someone would want a remote for their Kindle—why bother fussing with an extra device when you can just tap the screen or press a button? But for certain scenarios, it really does make sense.

Most practically, a remote can allow you to turn pages in circumstances where holding the e-reader itself is less than convenient, as when you're exercising: Holding a Kindle in your hands is tough when you're on an elliptical, and the words can bounce around too much if you're trying to use a spin bike while gulping down a few chapters of Yesteryear. But if you can prop the e-reader onto the machine's handlebars or a nearby surface, you can turn pages easily without missing a step.

Then there's the coziness factor: Reading under a big blanket in winter is one of the coziest activities I can imagine, but if you have to keep your arms outside of the blanket to turn pages on your Kindle, well, that's going to have an impact on how cozy you feel. (This is a real problem!) But what if you could comfortably arrange the device within your line of sight and turn pages while keeping your hands ensconced within your weighted throw? Some readers are willing to spend multiple tens of dollars to achieve this level of coziness.

The Kindle Click does as advertised

How many dollars? In the case of the Kindle Click, around 35 of them (plus tax). Though that may seem like kind of a lot for a simple little remote with two basic functions and four buttons, it's just $5 more than the admittedly much cuter Boox Tappy. Speaking of which, while the new firmware update will also allow the Kindle to support cheaper third-party alternatives, there's no guarantee they will work as well.

So how does the Kindle Click work? Pretty seamlessly: You press and hold one button on the remote to put it in pairing mode. You open up the Settings menu on your 2024 or later Kindle and tap Accessories (you may need to perform a software update, if you aren't seeing that option). You tap Kindle Click in the resulting list to pair it. Once paired, the remote seems to connect to the Kindle automatically if the two devices are nearby and both powered up, provided you keep the latter's Bluetooth functionality turned on; you don't have to manually pair them every time.

That's pretty much it: Once you've opened a book, you can now turn pages with a button press (you can map which of the big grey buttons moves pages forward or back to suit your preferences). The volume-like buttons on the side can be used to adjust the brightness of the front light. You can't use the remote to navigate around the device or open a different book, so choose your reading material carefully before you enter your cocoon.

The Click is not as versatile as it could be

While the Click definitely works as advertised, Amazon could have been a bit more creative with its functionality. The Boox Tappy, for example, can switch between modes so it can be used to jump backward and forward between tracks in an audiobook or scroll pages in a web browser. While the Kindle can't display websites, it definitely supports audiobooks, but you can't use the Click to jump between chapters or adjust the volume while listening to an Audible book; these both seem like no-brainers to me.

And while being able to turn the brightness up or down is nice, why not let the remote control the warmth settings as well, either through enabling different modes (like the Tappy) or via a combination of button presses? I'm not an engineer, so I don't know how complicated it would be to get that to work, but Amazon employs a lot of them, and I bet they could figure it out.