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Updated: Kindle for iOS Updated – Now Safe to Install

kindle itunes logoAmazon released a new update for their Kindle app for iPad and iPhone yesterday but they don’t want you to install it. In fact, no one thinks you should install the v3.6.1 update: not me, not Amazon customer service, and especially not the couple dozen early adopters who are having issues.

Update: Amazon has fixed the issue in the v3.6.2 update. I installed it and it works fine.

I think this is the only time I have can recall having seen a change notice which mentions solely:

Note: There is a known issue with this update. If you are an existing Kindle for iOS user, we recommend you do not install this update at this time.

Amazon is not being alarmist here; there are early reports that this update is screwing with device registration, causing users to lose downloaded samples, purchased ebooks, and app settings, all because the updated app forces them to re-register their iThing as a new device.

Andrys Basten was the first to notice the numerous complaints in the Kindle Support Forums. As of 9am there are 17 complaints on Amazon’s website as well as another 193 (mostly negative) reviews in iTunes. Nearly all of the reviews are reporting the same issue, with varying degrees of detail:

I updated via App store upgrades to 3.6.1 on an iPhone 5. This version of the application did not preserve the device registration, and I was forced to re-register the device. I had book samples, which I use for my queue of new books to purchase, on the device. These were lost.

and

Exact same issue with 3.6.1. The upgrade made me re-register the iPhone as a new device and I lost a number of SAMPLE books – which is how I evaluate prior to purchase. I also had to re-download numerous books from Cloud to Device. I can live with the latter, but the former has not only caused me to lose a potential shopping list, it has also cost Amazon (and authors) revenue as I have no way to recover the Samples and no written record of what they were.

iTunes

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Comments


Igor Borski February 27, 2013 um 10:10 am

No way to withdraw an update?

Now that’s strange if there is such a limitation in AppStore.


Sarah Lee February 27, 2013 um 12:29 pm

what about the update to 3.6.2 on my iPad that showed up this morning? is it ok?

Nate Hoffelder February 27, 2013 um 1:24 pm

I think the new update fixed the problem.

I installed it and it is working fine for me.


Shawn E. Bell February 27, 2013 um 5:53 pm

Yep, it was awesome: I updated my Kindle app last night, and it promptly nuked everything I had. MOST everything was saved in the Cloud, and all I had to do was re-download stuff, but:

1. I did look every place in every book I’d read.

2. I lost every document that I had.

3. I lost every sample I’d downloaded that was 'on my list' of what to buy.

I kinda miss the documents and the samples, since I have no idea what they were, and there’s no way to retrieve a record of samples downloaded. That is the part that sucks the most; the samples. See, I’m That Guy. The one who will download a few dozen samples, read them, delete the ones I’ll never buy, and save the others as a reminder that those are the books I’m buying in my next batch. Then, when I’m done with the the books I’m reading, I delete them (they’re still on the Cloud, but the app doesn’t tell me which books I’ve read and which I haven’t. Having thousands of books … well, I’m sure you see the issue with figuring out which to reload onto my iPad; I can’t!). Once they’re deleted, I whip out my trusty credit card and buy all the samples that are still on my iPad.

Now, though, it looks like I’m screwed as far as my next batch goes. And I STILL haven’t figured out which books I haven’t read yet.

Of all the things I’ve lost, I think I miss my iPad Kindle library the most…


Harvey March 5, 2013 um 12:29 pm

imagine when the cloud does this to your critical business / financial info / data. sure you will be able to retrieve but at what cost. Unintended consequences for sure but consequences non-the-less.


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