Amazon is dropping the hammer on this Kindle app ‣ Diverse Daily

Amazon seems to be on a roll with bad news for Kindle users. Earlier this month, the company announced that it will end support for all Kindle models released in 2012 or earlier on May 20, 2026. Now, the company has announced it is discontinuing a popular Kindle service, the Kindle app for PC.

With the latest update to the Kindle app for PC (version 2.9.1), Amazon is alerting users with a pop-up message stating that on June 30, 2026, the app will “no longer be available.”

To replace it, Amazon has revealed it is developing a new app called the Kindle app for Windows 11, which will be available on the Microsoft Store soon and will run only on Windows 11 PCs.

The full pop-up message reads (via MobileRead):

“A new and improved Kindle app for Windows 11 will be available in the Microsoft Store later this month. This app will no longer be available after June 30, 2026.”

Why is Amazon doing this?

The wall around the Kindle ecosystem is only getting taller

If you’re puzzled about why Amazon is suddenly shutting down its Kindle app for PC and replacing it with a new version that’s only available on Windows 11, you’re not alone.

The Kindle app for PC launched in 2009, and since then, it’s been a handy way for Kindle users to download and read any Kindle books they’ve purchased right on their PCs.

With the launch of this new Windows 11 app, most users will just have to download it from the Microsoft Store and log in to read their Kindle books again.

However, it’s unclear what changes Amazon is making to its new app. Given the company’s recent push to further lock down the Kindle ecosystem — including a new uncrackable DRM system on its Kindle e-readers — there’s growing speculation that this new app could be another step in that direction. Specifically, the new Kindle app for Windows 11 could include enhanced security protections that will make any attempt to remove DRM from downloaded books impossible. For years, users have used the Kindle for PC app to download books for DRM removal, and it’s likely that Amazon is scrapping its old app and replacing it with this Windows 11 version to put an end to that for good.

Once the Kindle for PC app is discontinued on June 30, 2026, it’ll no longer be available for download, and Amazon will likely disable its ability to download Kindle e-books altogether. That would mirror what the company did in 2023 when it shut down the older Kindle for Mac app and replaced it with a revamped version available only through Apple’s App Store.

Amazon says the Kindle app for Windows 11 will be available “later this month,” so it should be released on the Microsoft Store before the end of April. Additionally, the old Kindle for PC app is still available, so if you want to download it and check it out before it’s scrapped at the end of June, you can do that too.