Kindle Fire Owner's Manual: The ultimate Kindle Fire guide to getting started, advanced user tips, and finding unlimited free books, videos and apps on Amazon and beyond
By Steve Weber
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Finally ... a quick, easy reference to using your Kindle Fire -- to the max!
....................................................................................
About the author: Steve Weber is founding publisher of KindleBuffet.com, which showcases five-star Kindle books currently available free (you may never have to pay for books again!).
....................................................................................
Amazon's Kindle Fire is the handiest tablet available, and is your portal to an infinite universe of education and entertainment. This valuable reference book explains how to quickly set up your Kindle, navigate the touch-screen, buy, rent or stream video, and browse the world's largest library of digital books.
This reference guide demystifies the Kindle and explains in plain English how to master the Kindle basics, plus secret tips, tricks and shortcuts you won't find elsewhere. Each section includes clearly written step-by-step instructions, illustrated with screenshots and menus just like you'll see on your own Kindle screen. You'll see how to:
■ Change your Kindle's setting just the way you want.
■ Charge your Kindle's battery properly and prolong its life.
■ Enjoy an infinite supply of the best books, music and video from Amazon, iTunes or virtually any other source.
■ Use personal and office documents, including word processing files, PDFs, and spreadsheets. Chuck your laptop and PDA, and do everything you want on your Kindle!
■ The easy way to harvest your own content and get it onto your Kindle Fire, including gems you didn't buy at Amazon.
■ How to download free games and educational apps, plus free bonuses from Amazon's Android App Store or other sources.
■ How to download, organize and read your favorite books, magazines and newspapers on the Kindle Fire.
■ How to get current and archived editions of the world's most popular newspapers, magazines and websites streamed to your Kindle--updated constantly, with no fees whatsoever!
■ Use Amazon's free "Cloud" service for unlimited storage of your digital content.
■ Purchase or rent thousands of movies and TV shows, and how to find a gold mine of free video.
■ Find the best free content in the world, downloadable to your Kindle. (You might never have to pay for books, movies or music again--ever!)
■ Use Amazon Prime to stream movies using your home's Internet service.
■ Use your Kindle to send and receive email from Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and virtually any other service.
■ Surf the Web at daredevil speeds using Kindle's built-in Silk Web browser.
■ Show off your own photos and videos on your Kindle, no matter which camera you used.
About the author:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Steve Weber has been writing about Amazon for nearly a decade. He is the founding publisher of KindleBuffet.com, a website and newsletter that features the best free Kindle eBooks currently being offered as free promotions.
Read more from Steve Weber
Kindle Buffet: Find and download the best free books, magazines and newspapers for your Kindle, iPhone, iPad or Android Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5700 Best Kindle Fire Apps: Including the Top 500+ Free Apps! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Plug Your Book! Online Book Marketing for Authors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Kindle Fire Owner's Manual
Related ebooks
Shawnee: The Adventure Continues Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChromebook User Manual: Guide for Chrome OS Apps, Tips & Tricks! Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Kindle Fire HD HDX 8 & 10 Tablet Complete Manual User Guide: Android, Alexa, Specs, Apps, Settings, Features, & More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKindle Fire HD Owner’s Manual Discover the Secrets of Your Tablet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKindle Fire HD 8 & 10 Complete Manual User Guide, Specs, Keyboard with How to Steps, Tips, & Tricks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFind free Kindle books Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kindle Unlimited: What You Must Know Before Purchasing & How to Maximize the Use of Your Kindle Unlimited eBook Subscription Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings100 Best Kindle Fire HD Tips and Tricks to Help You Work More Efficiently Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Find Free e-Books and Free Content for your Kindle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings2018 (40+) Best Free Apps for Kindle Fire Tablets: +Simple Step-by-Step Guide For New Kindle Fire Users Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings50 Best Kindle Fire HD Tips and Tricks To Help You Work More Efficiently Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProfiting From Kindle Made Easy: Kindle Publishing Money, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLearn How to Profit from Kindle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKindle Fire HD For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5All-New Fire 7 User Guide: Newbie to Expert in 2 Hours Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKindle Paperwhite For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKindle Fire HDX For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssential Guide To Kindle Profits: Kindle Publishing Money, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe ePubWealth Program Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ridiculously Simple Guide to Apple Services: A Beginners Guide to Apple Arcade, Apple Card, Apple Music, Apple TV, iCloud Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsiCloud for Beginners: A Ridiculously Simple Guide to Online Storage Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Create Your First Ebook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Guide To Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing For Beginners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsApple TV User Guide: Newbie to Expert in 1 Hour! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKindle Unlimited: The Ultimate Guide That Will Answer All of Your Questions Before You Buy a Kindle Unlimited Subscription Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsE-Reading: Getting the Most Out of Your Kindle or Other E-Book Reader: Location Independent Series, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKindle Create Add-In Beta for Word Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmazon Fire Phone All You Need to Know About the First Ever Smartphone from Amazon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Hardware For You
Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5CompTIA A+ Complete Review Guide: Exam Core 1 220-1001 and Exam Core 2 220-1002 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5iPhone X Hacks, Tips and Tricks: Discover 101 Awesome Tips and Tricks for iPhone XS, XS Max and iPhone X Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5iPhone For Seniors For Dummies: Updated for iPhone 12 models and iOS 14 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Exploring Apple Mac - Ventura Edition: The Illustrated, Practical Guide to Using MacOS Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDancing with Qubits: How quantum computing works and how it can change the world Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5CompTIA A+ Complete Review Guide: Core 1 Exam 220-1101 and Core 2 Exam 220-1102 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Computer Science: A Concise Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Build Your Own PC Do-It-Yourself For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Upgrading and Fixing Computers Do-it-Yourself For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mastering ChatGPT Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsApple Watch Series 4: Your Ultimate Guide to Using the Apple Watch Like A Pro Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5iPhone Photography: A Ridiculously Simple Guide To Taking Photos With Your iPhone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSo you want to build a computer... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Evernote Essentials Guide (Boxed Set): Evernote Guide For Beginners for Organizing Your Life Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Kindle Paperwhite For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRaspberry Pi Cookbook for Python Programmers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWindows 11 For Seniors For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRaspberry Pi Electronics Projects for the Evil Genius Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5iPhone 14 Pro Max User Guide for Beginners and Seniors Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCompTIA A+ Complete Review Guide: Exams 220-901 and 220-902 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Macs For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Macs All-in-One For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsiPhone 12, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Pro Max For Senirs: A Ridiculously Simple Guide to the Next Generation of iPhone and iOS 14 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLinux All-in-One For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5INSTANT PLC Programming with RSLogix 5000 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Kindle Fire Owner's Manual
4 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If you are looking for a quick simple guide to your Kindle Fire this is it. It is filled with simple instructions and photographs to show you how to complete the steps.
Book preview
Kindle Fire Owner's Manual - Steve Weber
Free books, all you can eat!
Introduction
Versus E-ink readers
Versus tablet computers
Amazon Prime
Your head in the Cloud Drive
1 ► FAST START GUIDE TO KINDLE FIRE
Firing Up Your Kindle for the First Time
Turning the Device On/Off
How to navigate the touch-screen
Registering/Setting up the device
Battery charging life
Navigating the Carousel interface
Finding Kindle libraries (Books, Videos, etc.)
Briefly: Free as a bird
Briefly: What the heck is ‘Whispernet’ and ‘Whispersync?’
Briefly: Urgent business opportunities in Nigeria
Clearing Your Browser History
Designating Favorites
The Status Bar and Option Bar
Using a Mini-USB Connection to Transfer Content
Kindle Fire HD: The second generation
X-Ray link to background information
Kindle Fire HDX: The third generation
Mayday, Mayday! Live technical support
Offline video viewing
Kindle FreeTime
2 ► SETTINGS
Guide to Quick Settings
Viewing Your Amazon Account on the Kindle
How to Control Sounds
Adjusting Fonts and Other Appearance-Related Items
Setting up Wi-Fi
Using the Keyboard
3 ► SHOP FOR CONTENT ON THE KINDLE
Searching for content on the newsstand
Browsing and buying books
Kindle Buffet: Free books, all you can eat!
Browsing and Buying Music
Browsing and Buying Video
Briefly: Two ways of buying streaming video
Searching for and Downloading Apps
Briefly: Know your Android
4 ► USING KINDLE FIRE TO SURF THE WEB
Navigating the Web with the Silk Browser
Bookmarking Web Pages
Searching the Web
Browser Options/Settings
Privacy Settings/Options
Viewing email on your Kindle Fire
5 ► HOW TO READ A BOOK (and more), KINDLE STYLE
Using Kindle’s Personal Documents Service
Briefly: Keeping a lid on @Kindle
Using the ‘Send-to-Kindle’ application on your computer
Using the Books ‘Library’
Navigating books and documents
Searching within books
Bookmarking and highlighting
Using Kindle’s New American Oxford Dictionary
6 ► MUSIC TO YOUR EARS VIA KINDLE FIRE
Navigating the music library
Uploading audio files to Cloud
Playing songs
Creating playlists
7 ► VIDEO ON THE KINDLE FIRE
Streaming video versus downloading video
Navigating the Video Library
8 ► VIEWING HOME VIDEO AND PHOTOS
Transferring photos to Kindle
Viewing photos
Viewing photos, working with tools
Transferring home videos and viewing on Kindle
9 ► APPS FOR KINDLE FIRE
Apps for Fun
Utilities
Productivity
Managing apps
Free your Kindle
10 ► FEED YOUR KINDLE WITH WEB CONTENT
Using Calibre with the Kindle Fire EBook Reader
All the news you can eat, and Calibre picks up the check
eBooks, Calibre, and the Kindle
Briefly: For the love of Calibre
Let’s go shopping!
Briefly: The Pirate Code
Exploring Calibre Further
Kindlefeeder
11 ► ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR KINDLE FIRE
The basics
Cases
Speakers and headphones
Stylus
Stands
12 ► OODLES MORE FREE CONTENT FOR YOUR KINDLE
Recognizing illegal content
Public Domain books
Finding free video
Briefly: You’ve got that Zombie feeling
Getting free apps
Downloading apps outside Amazon
Thank You!
Introduction
Amazon’s Kindle Fire is a very affordable tablet computer. It runs on the Android operating system and, because of that, there is a wide variety of applications—called apps
—available for it that expand its potential enormously.
Kindle Fire has a touch-screen interface, which means that there’s no bulky keyboard or mouse to fuss with. The device has a brilliant, full-color seven-inch display, and serves as a fine e-reader, video or music player, web-surfing tool, game machine, and much more. Kindle Fire offers enormous utility for a low price.
Versus E-ink readers
E-ink readers use a particulate substance to form letters that are almost identical—some say even nicer to look at—than real ink on paper. Kindle Fire uses pixels, just like a regular computer screen. E-ink is currently only black and white; with the Kindle Fire you get glorious full color. This makes the Kindle Fire more suitable for multimedia use and for reading full-color publications.
Versus tablet computers
The iPad is what most people think of first when it comes to tablet computers. But compared to the Kindle Fire, the iPad has some real disadvantages.
Its hefty price is the first issue most people have with iPads. They’re quite expensive and, even though they have more bells and whistles than a Kindle Fire, lots of people don’t think the extra features—like a camera—are worth hundreds of dollars more.
Kindle Fire has a default interface that makes it very Amazon-centric, but we’ll learn how to expand its horizon. In fact, your Amazon Kindle Fire can do just about anything that any other device running Android can do, and that’s a lot. If you have an Android phone, adapting to the Kindle Fire should be quite easy.
The Kindle Fire is equipped with a dual-core processor, giving it plenty of speed. And while it does have some limitations, the Kindle Fire also has a lot to offer. A big part of Kindle’s value equation is Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime
You’ll get a free month of membership to Amazon Prime with your Amazon Kindle Fire purchase. This gives you access to some pretty impressive features.
First, Amazon Prime gives you access to a large library of free instant-streaming movies and television shows. It’s similar to the Netflix steaming video service, although Amazon’s video library isn’t as large—yet. If you choose not to renew your Prime membership, you’ll still be able to purchase movies and TV shows from Amazon in the normal fashion.
Second, Prime allows you to borrow Kindle eBooks for free. These come from the Kindle Lending Library, which is included in your Prime membership. Not all books are included in the Lending Library, but many popular books are. If you’re an avid reader, the Kindle Lending Library will pay off for you quite handsomely.
Third, Prime gives you a big shipping discount when you order physical products from Amazon. You’ll get free two-day delivery of many items—and overnight shipping for only $3.99—on any Prime Eligible item.
Your Prime membership will not renew unless you specifically choose to renew it, so don’t worry about surprise fees. If you do choose to renew it, however, you’ll get more bang out of your Kindle bucks, especially where movies and TV shows are concerned.
Your head in the Cloud Drive
You might not have heard about it yet, but as an Amazon customer you have access to a wireless storage system called Amazon Cloud Drive.
It works like a remote personal hard drive, and it really comes in handy when you have a device like the Kindle Fire. You can use it to store and back up your music, video, photos and other documents on Amazon’s secure servers.
Your Cloud Drive comes with 5 gigabytes of free storage, which is enough to hold about 1,000 songs. If you need more storage space, you can get it for a monthly fee.
One important detail: the digital content you buy from Amazon—music, video and eBooks—don’t count against your 5-GB limit. Your purchases are always backed up and available free in the Cloud.
1 ► FAST START GUIDE TO KINDLE FIRE
The Kindle Fire is an advanced eReader with extensive multimedia capabilities. The device utilizes a touch-screen for an input device. It has a 1/8" headphone/speaker jack on the bottom of the device. The wall charger port doubles as a USB connection to your computer.
If you’re familiar with Kindle devices or tablet computers already, the setup process will be easy for you. Verify that your packaging contains your Kindle Fire and a wall socket charger. Remove the device from the plastic cover, plug the appropriate end of the charger cord into the Kindle, and the other end into the wall socket. Charging should take between 3 and 4 hours to complete fully, though this may vary.
Your device will walk you through your initial setup. Provided you have an Amazon account already, this will take less than 5 minutes to complete. The full procedure is detailed below for those not fully familiar with these devices. If at any time you need to access your settings menus, swipe your finger from the top of the screen downward to reach settings such as Volume, Brightness, Wireless, and more. (If you’re using an older non-HD Kindle, click the Gear-shaped icon at the top of the screen to access settings.)
Firing Up Your Kindle for the First Time
The Kindle Fire comes packaged with a wall charger. Carefully remove the device from the packaging. The Kindle’s battery will be partially charged, but it’s best to charge it for at least three hours before using the device. To power up the device:
Insert the power cable into the base of the device.
Plug the other end of the adapter into a wall outlet to begin charging the device.
The Kindle will automatically turn on when you plug it in.
The screen will indicate that it is locked. To unlock the device, slide your finger across the screen from right to left. This finger motion is sometimes called swiping.
Turning the Device On/Off
The power button on your Kindle Fire serves several functions.
To turn your device on or off, press and hold the button until a confirmation window pops up on the screen.
To put the device in sleep mode, press and release the button quickly.
To reboot the device, press and hold the power button for 20 seconds. The device will turn off. Restart your Kindle by pressing the power button again.
NOTE: The illustration above shows the round, illuminated Power Button on the original, non-HD Kindle Fire. This