A Quiet Farewell: Microsoft Sunsets 'Send to Kindle' in Word

Well, folks, it seems another familiar little feature is heading off into the digital sunset. If you've ever relied on the 'Send to Kindle' add-in directly within Microsoft Word to beam your documents straight to your Amazon e-reader, get ready for a small but noticeable shift in your workflow. Microsoft has quietly announced that this handy integration will be officially retired in August 2024.

It’s one of those things, isn't it? A feature that just was there, always available in the ribbon for when you needed it. For many, it provided a straightforward path to getting articles, drafts, or notes from their desktop onto their Kindle device for a more comfortable reading experience. But alas, all good things sometimes come to an end, especially in the fast-paced world of software development.

So, why the change? Microsoft's reasoning, as often is the case with these kinds of decisions, boils down to usage. They've indicated that the 'Send to Kindle' add-in simply wasn't seeing enough action to justify its continued maintenance and development. And, you know, when you think about it, it makes sense from a business perspective. Why keep resources tied up in a feature that only a small segment of users actively engages with?

Come August 2024, after a scheduled update, you'll find that the 'Send to Kindle' option will have vanished from your Word ribbon. This applies to various versions of Word, including those in Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and even Word 2016. Essentially, if you're using a modern version of Word and had this add-in, it's going bye-bye.

Now, before you panic and wonder how you're ever going to get that important report onto your Kindle for your morning commute, let's talk alternatives. Thankfully, Amazon itself offers some perfectly viable, and arguably more robust, options. The most straightforward is Amazon's dedicated 'Send to Kindle' desktop application. It's a free download, works like a charm, and lets you drag-and-drop documents or right-click to send them. Plus, there's a web-based version if you prefer not to install extra software.

And let's not forget the old faithful: email. Every Kindle device has a unique email address assigned to it. You can simply attach your Word document (or PDF, or most other common file types) to an email and send it to your Kindle's address. Just make sure the sending email address is approved in your Amazon account settings, and you're good to go. It’s surprisingly effective and, dare I say, quite elegant in its simplicity.

Ultimately, while saying goodbye to a familiar tool can be a little bittersweet, this isn't a showstopper. It's more of a nudge to adapt to slightly different, but equally effective, methods already provided by Amazon. So, take a moment to adjust your routine, download that desktop app if you haven't already, and keep enjoying your documents on your Kindle. Change, after all, is the only constant in tech, right?