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Silk Web Browser Updated With New Look

Amazon’s Fire tablet weren’t the only tech to get a refresh today; the retailer has also released a new version of its Silk web browser for Fire tablets.

Update: Amazon officially released a new version of Silk in early December.

There’s been no announcement from Amazon, but earlier today Fire owners on MobileRead and elsewhere started reporting a radical new look for the Silk web browser. The black and dark gray color scheme is gone, and in its place you’ll find a new white and light blue-gray theme.

It looks like this:

new silk browser 1The Fire Phone has not received the update, but given that it already had a very different interface that is to be expected.

I have not had a chance to use the new Silk much and report on the differences, but Amazon says that they’ve made it more convenient to add and find bookmarks. The new version of Silk also better supports having multiple tabs open at once.

I think the second new feature could refer to the way that tabs now scroll off the left and right edges of the screen. I do believe that’s new, although I can’t confirm that first hand (I never had very many tabs open in Silk).

Have you found anything new?

What do you think of the change?

Edit: Many readers are unhappy with the change, but alas Amazon has nor provided a reversion option. Have you considered one of the alternative browsers? Firefox, Opera, and Dolphin can all be installed on the Fire tablet.

 

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Comments


fjtorres September 17, 2015 um 6:09 pm

I’d rather they improved speed and stability.
Especially under low storage space conditions.
As is it is as bad as Chrome.


Verticallabret September 18, 2015 um 1:44 pm

Can no longer maintain what links show on home screen, shows a hodgepodge of recent links. I do like that bookmarks are easier to find. The full screen features is great for the things it recognizes as a video. No longer remembers to keep pages in desktop view and toggles on mobile view when I leave the page.


Dianne Hendrigan September 18, 2015 um 8:41 pm

The new update is horrible. How can I get the old one? I cannot use this, it’s awful.

Nate Hoffelder September 18, 2015 um 9:41 pm

It is very different, I agree. And I’m not sure it’s better.

Paddy Ennis March 9, 2016 um 11:19 am

Agree 100%!It is slower on my favourite website and seems to freeze or take ages to change pages. Given the choice I would go back to the previous setup.


Neil September 19, 2015 um 2:03 pm

The former layout of Silk was excellent, because its black background with white text fitted and complimented the whole Kindle Fire hdx design in a most stylish manner. The white & grey text layout seems rough and basic and does not look pretty at all. It makes me want to search for other Kindle-friendly browsers that pay more attention to aesthetic. Whatever the functionality improvement, I chose Kindle Fire hdx for its stylish and refined looks. Silk’s new update is not an improvement.
Bookmarks are maybe a bit more accessible, but I liked the full colour mini-icons of my favourite pages. Listen to your customers, Amazon/Kindle, or they will find better substitute browsers.


Barbara September 19, 2015 um 3:39 pm

ALL MY TABS ARE GONE!!! GRRRRRRRRR NO IMPROVEMENT :o((


Merk September 19, 2015 um 11:41 pm

OMG, Save to Reading Listing button has dissappeared…How can I Save it?

Nate Hoffelder September 20, 2015 um 12:32 am

I don’t know. I can’t find the option either.


Cecilia September 21, 2015 um 11:43 pm

I hate this new update. I am finding it incredibly hard to save images just to send one to my friend. I have to go into the actual page where the image is, and even then when I try to save it from there it doesn’t show up in my saved photos. If anyone else is having this problem and/or knows how to fix it, please help me. And this problem just came with the update.

James March 1, 2016 um 4:33 pm

I’m having a similar problem. When I got the updated I was excited to see what it’d be like. Truly disappointed with the photo albums. I went to my downloads and saw that have of my picture didn’t show up or were covered by an x. Every time I 're download the picture OR download new ones, they also will be deleted I am annoyed by this and would like Amazon to fix this.


Bryan September 22, 2015 um 6:51 pm

Yes, it seems they removed the feature where you could save an image from a website by "long touching" it and then selecting Save Image from the pop up menu. Very aggravating.

Nate Hoffelder September 22, 2015 um 7:09 pm

I see an option for "download image". Is that the same thing?


Timothy Wilhoit September 22, 2015 um 8:06 pm

"I see an option for “download image”. Is that the same thing?"

Yes, it works the same as "save image."


Dude September 24, 2015 um 7:24 am

What happened to "Find in Page" in the 3dot pop up menu where Share is?? How can you remove such an important feature?? Other than this, it seems like a faster stable upgrade with better video playback.

Nate Hoffelder September 24, 2015 um 7:36 am

It’s gone, darn it.

Why is Amazon making this browser so much less useful than before?


Greg tutmarc September 24, 2015 um 2:25 pm

I hate the new silk update…..my formerly very stable kindle has now become a nuisance as it freezes all time and the only way to fix it is with a reboot which never was needed previously ……is there a way to go back to the old version? This new one is not worth the hassle and was obviously not well tested before it was forced on all of us


Cathy September 24, 2015 um 4:54 pm

Is there a way to set bookmarks to display by title (like they used to)? I find it terribly annoying to select this option every time. I much prefer the old Silk version. Please don’t be like Microsoft – new versions annually so our operating systems quickly become obsolete.


Cathy September 24, 2015 um 4:57 pm

I also agree with Greg. Since the update, my Kindle HDX freezes and must be re-booted multiple times during each use.


Mona September 24, 2015 um 6:37 pm

I want to add my name to those who hate the new silk update. Please reset pronto.


Kj September 25, 2015 um 9:30 pm

There used to be a left AND a right arrow on the right hand side of screen.

What happened to the right arrow?!!!!

I do not like the change or the new look. I want the option of undoing it.


Jo Hutchings September 26, 2015 um 4:22 am

I can’t find the full screen option have they done away with it or hidden it somewhere, also have to keep reversing to desktop as everything comes up mobile now. I hate the new version and want the old one back. Seriously thinking of ditching Kindle now and getting something else.

Nate Hoffelder September 26, 2015 um 7:54 am

The full screen mode is just one of the features that disappeared, alas.


Cheryl Aghabekian September 27, 2015 um 9:25 pm

I too hate the new Silk browser. Now my Kindle HDX freezes up and web pages are slow to load. This is not an improvement!


Denise September 29, 2015 um 10:26 am

I despise the new update also, I have never had my kindle freeze up constantly until the new update, I have maydayed twice, they only do a refresh…, then the problem continues… I asked if I could get their update removed, they said they could not remove it…from a former lover of kindle, now thinking of Apple iPad, with reader app….help, if anyone can tell me how to remove the update?


Jerry Braho September 30, 2015 um 3:50 am

I hate the update. It looks like I will now get rid of my kindle fire and maybe get an iPad.


allan September 30, 2015 um 8:26 pm

ta talked to amazon via mayday re my kindle fire hdx they took away the reader but they are going to return it he said it will be improved he could not give me back the old browser the bookmark thing is worse its a downgrade not an upgrade to me can someone tell me what is IMPROVED


allan September 30, 2015 um 8:29 pm

I am considering getting the 10 inch fire now not so much


Neo October 5, 2015 um 7:04 pm

I don’t know why everyone hates the new update. I personally love the new look of silk. Not to mention how much faster it is now. I also don’t know all these reports of freezing. My kindle never froze once since the update, but from the sound to it a majority of them are. Well for those of you with freezing problems, I would recommend just getting a new kindle. And if that doesn’t fix it, just get a new tablet altogether. I don’t know how to help you with that one.


Lynnneez October 8, 2015 um 3:46 am

I also haven’t experienced any freezing, but I immediately noticed how much faster the new browser is. It’s very minimal, which is keeping with current aesthetics so tech sites love the update. The only serious issues I see with it are lack of "find in page" and reader view. Those two are key features and I can’t understand why they would ever remove them.


Bill October 8, 2015 um 8:33 pm

Not to just march along with everyone else and say I hate this version. But I can’t help myself. I hate this version.


Pauk October 9, 2015 um 10:04 pm

I dont like the new update. Its missing to many features, like save to reading list, i cant find image search, going straight to mobile sites even though i’m requesting desktop sites. Its definitly a downgrade. I cant see any improvement in speed and the layout looks so basic and tacky


Anthony October 16, 2015 um 1:46 am

I loved it…but then it was accidentally deleted.. now it’s back to pre update status. 🙁

Nate Hoffelder October 16, 2015 um 7:43 am

How did that happen, I wonder?


Stephanie November 4, 2015 um 1:33 am

I can’t stand the fact that there is no more full screen, I use full screen to read a lot and now it really bothers me to see other open tabs at the top of the screen while I’m trying to read something online.


Nick November 21, 2015 um 5:43 pm

Silk browser update sucks…
Just a piece of crap my kindle freezes so many times.
I think i will just get rid of my amazon kilndle


Jim December 18, 2015 um 5:09 pm

New update looks terrible, can we have the old look back? Haven’t got to the point of it freezing yet but the previous comments are hardly inspiring. Can’t see why they would change the aesthetic so drastically, just looks depressing now.


Tara December 19, 2015 um 9:36 am

I just received the "new" update this morning. I can’t believe my open tabs are gone. They were there. Now they’re gone that quickly. I remember better with what pages I need to go back and visit with open tabs rather than the Bookmarks page. Next year, I’m seriously thinking of getting an iPad Mini after this. When they need to have updates (ex. tumblr), they don’t. If I see the tumblr app with grandpa telling me this app is old and needs to be updated one more time, I’m gonna scream. Yet, Amazon goes and do updates that isn’t the best, and nobody really wants.


Rufus the Dog December 19, 2015 um 9:59 am

Well…. this is shit… seems change for change sake – I work with software guys who will change things just because – A bit like never finishing a work of art


Bobby Q Smith December 19, 2015 um 10:42 am

Hey"Rufus the Dog"… don’t you reckon another thing that goes in these (common sense) morons head that causes these unnecessary upgrades is their "because we can attitude". Bezos probably figures that if some don’t like…. tuff shisky


Rhazya December 19, 2015 um 11:18 am

The new icon for Silk is hideous. I’d say the speed increased a hair for me, however I have a rather old Kindle Fire HD.


Hannah December 19, 2015 um 3:01 pm

I hate the new update! It seems way harder to use than the last, and all of my downloads have become out of order.


Gabe Fortress December 19, 2015 um 3:23 pm

Youtube vids r messed up they have a fuzzy image and a static area on the far right


Lettie December 19, 2015 um 4:39 pm

I have just had silk browser update and it horrendous. I feel as though my Kindle Fire has been ruined. I can’t watch videos they keep stopping or not loading. I can’t send emails to trash without opening them. I am really disappointed.


Fofo December 19, 2015 um 11:34 pm

ALL OF MY BOOKMARKS WERE DELETED. I am devastated. I had some very important things bookmarked an I can no longer find them.
There is also no full screen.
This version is painful for me to look at
Next time before updating, could you please ask! I love the previous version
Please help


Jim December 19, 2015 um 11:37 pm

Downloaded files aren’t sorted by date/time or anything else I can see; I have to scroll though th list until I find what I just downloaded. That’s the worst thing for me, but I prefer the old 'look' and there was NO advance notice (I don’t read the Amazon blog every morning…).
This sort of thing makes me feel my next tablet will not be an Amazon product.


Tobias December 20, 2015 um 7:53 am

Hello amazon tell me how to get the old kindle browser back, specially the way face book showed up in the android mode and not this desk top mode, please I want my face book showing up like before, how can I undo it.


Autism Mommy and Amazing Son December 20, 2015 um 1:00 pm

My 9 yr old son has Autism. His favorite tablet for research has been his Kindle. With the stupid changes made to silk…menu icon and functions gone or difficult to navigate, no automatic google account sign in, grey and white colors making it harder to see or needing to eat up battery by modifying brightness, ugly icon that looks like a failed 'Safeway' idea, no warning especially considering 'change' can be very hard on some very amazing people and finally, no option to change it back if we liked the other version better. Not even in the app store searching browsers.
In this case it’s not if the bike works don’t fix it. with the Silk Browser changes it’s if the bike works, destroy it.
Hey Amazon, perhaps you shoul use real customers like those commenting here, those who buy Prime, those who are loyal, etc…to test major changes?
Why take away options to CHOOSE WHICH SILK VERSION WE PREFER?


pat December 20, 2015 um 5:31 pm

New silk is crap


Bill December 20, 2015 um 9:58 pm

I will no longer use Amazon fire kindle. The new silk browser is so so bad. It would be easier to throw the kindle in the trash than use it. So goodbye kindle that I used to love it is a useless desk weight now. What idiot decided this update should be fired after beating.


Steve December 21, 2015 um 2:43 am

Update has reduced my kindle to a crawl. Other apps no longer work since upgrade and it freezes constantly


Jelly December 21, 2015 um 10:06 am

Can no longer access my work website – just a blank screen comes up. What am I to do?

Nate Hoffelder December 21, 2015 um 10:44 am

First, reboot the tablet, and try Silk again. The clear its cache and stored data.

If that doesn’t help, you’ll have to install another browser. Amazon doesn’t make that easy.


Jan December 21, 2015 um 12:35 pm

My Kindle has just been taken over my aliens! What are they doing? I just bought myself iPad Air which is far superior, but also still use Kindle because I have, or should I say, "had" great fondness for it, till now! Hate new Silk update forced upon me, so sadly, will no longer use the Kindle I loved. IPad Air, way to go.


Simon Woodall December 22, 2015 um 1:37 pm

Why "fix" things when they ain’t broke. My kindle was a gift and I’ve loved using it (as it was) ever since. If you don’t provide the option to revert back to the original silk browser I think I’ll go buy a different tablet altogether.


Kathryn December 22, 2015 um 3:54 pm

I hate it! Keeps freezing, never had any problems before!


Prudence December 22, 2015 um 7:25 pm

My Kindle Fire won’t play Facebook you tube videos and sometimes freezers. The old browser didn’t have lose issues.


Sandra December 28, 2015 um 2:10 pm

Since silk browser update. No longer have download folder. Lost all downloads for past few years. I loved my kindle, but now will have to consider a different tablet. Such a shame.


Jan December 29, 2015 um 4:45 am

I hate the new update, I can no longer use the search the web feature at the top of the screen because it just freezes since the update. Anyone else having this problem?


Sam February 16, 2016 um 5:34 pm

I’ve used the old version until now and it was going pretty well until the update. I mainly use silk for youtube and now the full screen button doesn’t work…. I’m not sure that it’s my kindle or its the update… it’s now 2016 13th February… any clue?


Don February 17, 2016 um 12:11 am

Who was the genius who decided to change the keyboard, and to move the back space key from the right side to the center? Hate it!

Nate Hoffelder February 17, 2016 um 10:17 am

No clue, but a lot of us aren’t happy about it.


Blackie5 February 17, 2016 um 6:29 pm

It seems that most here haven’t heard of a browser from Google called Chrome.

It works much better than Silk


Mary Ash February 18, 2016 um 4:05 am

The new Silk update is bloody awful I hate it on mine the page has gone small spread it out and you cant see most of page its not improved it Its gone from GOOD to PATHETIC


Geoff February 18, 2016 um 7:43 am

Hate the new format for silk


Richard Johnson February 20, 2016 um 10:24 am

I hate the new Silk. Amazon/Kindel should offer an option to re-install the old version. Starting to think I should have bought an ipad.


Fia February 20, 2016 um 7:59 pm

I seriously hate this new Silk !!! The gray color just depresses me,now who ever thought of this must have been having a bad day,very gloomy. I WANT MY OLD SILK BACK PLEASE !!!!!


PersonII February 21, 2016 um 8:57 pm

I have found a way to go back to the old browser. From the app store, download ES File Explorer. On the left, press Library, then App. Scroll to find Silk Browser, and long press it and press uninstall. It will revert to the original version.

Nate Hoffelder February 21, 2016 um 8:58 pm

Thanks for the tip!

Edit: That didn’t work for me on my $50 Fire tablet, but it did wipe my history. Caveat emptor.


Shawn forbes February 28, 2016 um 1:24 pm

I agree hate it,, it freezes up, I git no right arrow such stinks,, please go back to regular version,,,


Rick March 9, 2016 um 6:49 am

Another update nobody likes, how can I sign up for their focus groups. Missing the mark drastically. Took me days and still trying to utilize as I once did. Took care of some OS issues, my kindle still turns itself on after shutdown,killing battery.
Customer service a joke.


Sofia March 11, 2016 um 10:43 pm

I hate the new look,seriously this gray is depressing !!!
And my bookmarks had color pictures,which I loved and was easier to find recipes I’d saved. How can I get my older version of silk back ???


Leah Holloway March 17, 2016 um 7:45 pm

horrible!!!! is there NO other option? Time to throw out the kindle fire????? Why don’t they ask the CUSTOMER what they want????"'


Holly April 5, 2016 um 3:00 am

I regret that I found this post so late, as I would have loved to be the first to complain. I used my Kindle a lot more for online before they crippled Silk. Bookmarks may be easier to add, but I’m lucky if I can get the list to load, any searches, including just a history list rarely respond the first 3 times. The browser has become so inept and annoying that I have simply left selections "in the cart" even when notified as such by email. It has me back to just using my Kindle fire for reading while I listen to my child’s constant lament that the browser on hers "KEEPS FREEZING AND IT DIED AGAIN!!!" Toss – Thump.


Gary May 2, 2016 um 11:02 am

I want to use my Kindle to browse but Silk is the worst. Crashes constantly. I hate it. I hate Amazon because they won’t fix it. I know they can they just won’t.
I like my Kindle for everything except browsing. I tell everyone not to buy a Kindle because the browser is so bad. Great reader but dont but it to browse.


EffSilkNow January 19, 2017 um 10:56 am

Too much shxt to list thats effed up now. Pretty much everything. When the older version was completely perfect. And never had problems with anything since 2011 when I first started using it. You tube videos now say your browser does not support any formats. Only plays certain you tube videos instead of all of them. History lists the same website 5 10 15 times in the same minute with no title to tell if youre deleting the right website. No check and delete in the History. Just delete. So I keep accidently deleting websites I don’t want to. No image preview for downloads and bookmarks. I used the image of the site its a lot faster to see if it was the right site to pull up or delete. No paste and go. No non fullscreen mode. I never use full screen too much trouble scrolling the whole page instead of just reading most or the whole page at one time. An ANNOYING magnifying window pops up now whenever you try and move the cursor to delete a letter instead of the cursor just moving to that spot. This annoying bubble also pops up instead of opening your You Tube notifications window now. It might take 10 or more tries for it to finally go the eff away. The address bar and tabs at the top also annoyingly disappears when you scroll up the page now so you can forget about quickly going from window to window like I used to. No reading view. I didnt use that, but whoever did its gone. No forward and back button on the right. Just back button. The home screen annoying lists trending online instead of just popping up my most visted pages. They have a recommend now that tracks the pages your browsing. Won’t download a lot of files that my FireFox browser had no problem downloading. I couldn’t even download the Dolphin browser to use instead of the new crappy silk browser if I didn’t luckily already have an old version of Firefox on my kindle as back up. Horrible bright white color with no option for any other background like every other normal browser has. Once it freezes no more "Wait or Close" every single time. You have to totally turn off the kindle and do a hard reboot now. It did pop up two times out of the 15 times it crashed and froze so I guess they didnt get rid of it but doesnt work perfect like it did. And way more freezes. Slower page loads. Videos on some websites do not go to fullscreen like they used to. The you tube video browser is different. Never seen a version like that before. And its of course worse not better. Thats just what I found since the first hour using it I’m pretty sure there’s more problems I don’t even know about yet. Mine just "updated" this week. And because of all of the downgrades that are totally pissing me off everytime I use it, now if I can’t find a link to download the older version, I’m getting rid of it after using it everyday for 6/7 years. Pretty much everything that was perfect and made the silk browser great has now been taking away or messed up. I swear I want to head butt these people who keep doing these downgrades to stuff that don’t need to be changed and calling them upgrades. I guess these people need jobs and get paid to piss everybody off with their always horrible changes.


Richard Hart January 23, 2017 um 9:29 am

Please add my name to those who hate the new silk browser, no helpful


EffSilkNow March 9, 2017 um 2:41 am

I always wanna head butt these idiot techies that are paid to update everything that was perfect before they messed with it to a downgrade. Everything you can think of that was fine and great either doesn’t work now, can’t find it or is a pain in the azz. Too much of a long list to list. Butone of the main things is really pissing me off is how all videos on every website played on the perfect older browser. You tube videos play and videos ob sites I always watch won’t play now either. It now says video format is not supported. Downloading dolphin helped some you tube videos but other sites just wont play at all no matter what browser I use. Some are on paid sites that worked fine before Amazon stole the older browser off of my device. So they pretty much stole money out of my pocket. This might not get posted if I throw up all the cuss words I wanna put up.


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