The Kindle iOS app just added a clever way to jog your memory

While I mainly use my Kindle e-reader for most of my reading, I occasionally rely on the Kindle app on my iPhone when I don’t have my Kindle with me and have some free time. Although reading on my iPhone isn’t as ideal as on my Kindle’s E Ink display, it gets the job done, especially if it’s only for 10 or 15 minutes.

Surprisingly, I recently found out that the Kindle app has several features that Kindle e-readers don’t offer, such as changing page colors, setting reading challenges, and requesting refunds for mistakenly purchased or unwanted books. However, one feature the Kindle iOS app was missing, which the e-readers have, was Kindle Recaps. Thanks to the latest Kindle iOS update, that has changed.

Amazon has recently released a new update for its Kindle app on iOS in the US, which adds Kindle Recaps to it. If you’re a fan of lots of different book series, you might find this particular tool very helpful. What it does is recall the plots and characters of a book in a series. So if you’ve read the first book in a series, but taken a break before the second one, and need help jogging your memory on plot lines and characters, the Kindle Recaps feature will lend you a hand. According to Good E Reader, Kindle Recaps are created using Gen AI and overseen by Amazon moderators, and Amazon states the recaps “accurately reflect book content.”

“Available on both Kindle devices and the Kindle app for iOS, Recaps makes it easier for readers to dive into the next book in their favorite series by providing a quick refresher on storylines and character arcs,” Amazon said in a blog post.

How to use Kindle Recaps

You can find it when you open a book series in your Kindle library

While Kindle Recaps is now launching on the Kindle app for iOS, it first debuted on Kindle e-readers back in April.

To try out Kindle Recaps on your iPhone, make sure you have the latest version of the Kindle app for iOS, which is 7.40.1 or newer. To check if your app is updated, open the App Store and go to the Kindle app’s page. If you have automatic updates enabled, it’s likely already installed, and you’ll see an option to open the app. Otherwise, you might need to manually tap the “Update” button.

Once your Kindle app is up-to-date, simply follow these steps to use Kindle Recaps. These steps work for both the iOS app and your Kindle e-reader.

1. Open your Kindle library.

2. Select a book series you have.

3. If a Kindle Recap is available for it, you’ll see an option near the top of the screen that says “Refresh your memory with recaps for this series.”

4. From there, tap the View Recaps button.

5. Select the book in the series you want a recap of.

6. Accept the warning that it contains spoilers.

7. Enjoy the Kindle Recap.

If you don’t see the option for a Kindle Recap in one of your series of books, it’s likely because that book series doesn’t support the feature. However, Amazon is already working on expanding it.

“Since launch, Recaps has significantly expanded to include thousands of additional best-selling English-language eBooks in series that Kindle readers in the US either purchased or borrowed,” Amazon said.

Although I have some concerns about AI, I think Kindle Recaps is a pretty clever use of it. If you’re like me and tend to start a book series but then set it aside because you move on to something else or need a break, this feature could be quite useful. Amazon describes Kindle Recaps as similar to a “Previously on… segment before a TV show.” If you have a Kindle e-reader or the Kindle app on iOS, and you live in the US, I suggest trying it out and seeing what you think. Since it’s still a relatively new feature, it will probably improve over time.