New Kindle app feature-account deletion

[jhowell]

Amazon has released new versions of Kindle for iOS (6.63) and Kindle for PC (1.38.0).

Kindle for iOS adds the dubious feature of being able to delete your Amazon account from a button in the settings menu. This is not deregistration of the app. It is complete deletion of your Amazon account. I don't understand why they think that having that feature in the app is a good idea.



Kindle for PC has no obvious changes, but looking at the code shows it has new features that can be remotely enabled by Amazon, as they often do now for Kindle device features.

PDFs is now Documents
Personal docs and files can now be found in the Documents section of your library.

Read local files with Kindle
You can still import files from this computer to read with Kindle. These files won't sync to your account and are now marked with a 'Local file' badge.

Sync for personal docs
Files added to your library using Send to Kindle will sync reading progress, notes, and highlights to all your devices.

Delete your Amazon Account
This will delete your Amazon account and all Kindle content

You will permanently lose access to your Amazon account and Amazon apps like Prime Video, Comixology, and Audible. Specifically for Kindle, you will lose access to all purchased content, subscriptions, and Kindle data connected to this account.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Kindle for iOS adds the dubious feature of being able to delete your Amazon account from a button in the settings menu. This is not deregistration of the app. It is complete deletion of your Amazon account. I don't understand why they think that having that feature in the app is a good idea.

Maybe it is from the same genius that put reset and restart next to each other on kindles.

[odamizu]

Re: "Sync for personal docs - Files added to your library using Send to Kindle will sync reading progress, notes, and highlights to all your devices" — Is this note for Kindle for iOS or PC/Mac? This has been the case for iOS for years, but it's not working in K4Mac 1.38 (yet?).

ETA: Personal Docs are now available and syncing in Kindle for Mac 1.38.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Re: "Sync for personal docs - Files added to your library using Send to Kindle will sync reading progress, notes, and highlights to all your devices" — Is this note for Kindle for iOS or PC/Mac? This has been the case for iOS for years, but it's not working in K4Mac 1.38 (yet?).

The quoted text is all found within Kindle for PC version 1.38.0.

[jhowell]

I wonder whether the account deletion feature will also appear in the next Kindle firmware release. Account deletion seems like a really strange feature to add. It is going to result in customer dissatisfaction when it is used accidentally.

The only potential benefit I see to Amazon is that this will make people less likely to lend Kindle apps and devices to anyone that they do not completely trust.

[FourOhFour]

I wonder if there's a regulatory or app store rule reason for this. Can you make a new Amazon account in-app? I could see a rule intended to target the jerks that let you sign up for a subscription easily but must call between the hours of 2 and 3 pm on odd Tuesdays to cancel accidentally also targeting free accounts.

[Paperbackstash]

Buttons like that make me nervous

You'll also get some non-tech savvy people who may make some brutal mistakes with that choice.

[Martinoptic]

At least they’ve put it right at the bottom of the setting menu below the sign-out button. But I agree that it would be easy to delete one’s account by accident - especially if they’ve been on the razzle.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Maybe it is from the same genius that put reset and restart next to each other on kindles.

Or Convert All and Clear Notebook beside each other on Sage/Elipsa Advanced Notebook (must check it on the grandchild's iPad as it also has Nebo).

[tomsem]

It is a scary button, for sure. Hopefully it needs 2 factor authentication? But even that wouldn't help much if someone grabs your unlocked phone, opens the Kindle app, and clicks on it, because the code will come to the same device.

I wonder if this is something their legal people are making them do.

[DiapDealer]

My guess is that there would be several hoops to jump through even after clicking the button. The obligatory "Are You Sure?", followed by the need to re-authenticate, and then followed by verification via an Amazon email that this is what you really want to do. Plus there'd probably be a grace period where merely logging back in before it expired would reinstate your account.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

My guess is that there would be several hoops to jump through even after clicking the button. The obligatory "Are You Sure?", followed by the need to re-authenticate, and then followed by verification via an Amazon email that this is what you really want to do. Plus there'd probably be a grace period where merely logging back in before it expired would reinstate your account.

You'd hope so! I'd hope so.

[fduniho]

Originally Posted by jhowell

The only potential benefit I see to Amazon is that this will make people less likely to lend Kindle apps and devices to anyone that they do not completely trust.

That fits with the "feature" to permanently delete a book from a Kindle account. Because of this feature, I will not share my account on anything more recent than a Kindle Touch. If I really wanted to delete my Amazon account, I would do it through the website, and not through the Kindle app.