Amazon adds Ask this Book feature to Kindle app: What it is and how it works

Amazon Kindle

Amazon is adding a new feature to Kindle that aims to make reading smoother and less confusing, especially when books get dense or complicated. Called Ask this Book, the feature lets readers ask questions about what they are reading without leaving the page or breaking their flow.

The idea is simple. While reading a book on the Kindle iOS app in the US, you can highlight any passage and ask a question about it. Kindle then gives you a clear answer based only on what you have read so far. This means no spoilers and no accidental reveals about future chapters.

So what kind of questions can you ask? Quite a few. If you are unsure about a character’s role, confused about a relationship, or want clarity on a plot detail or theme, Ask this Book steps in like a quiet reading companion. It explains things in context, helping you move forward instead of pausing to search online or flipping pages back.

Amazon says the feature works on thousands of popular English language Kindle books. It is currently limited to the Kindle app on iPhones and iPads in the US. Support for Kindle devices and Android phones is expected to arrive next year.

Using Ask this Book is straightforward. As you read, you can highlight a sentence or paragraph and tap the Ask this Book option from the menu. Kindle also suggests common questions you might want to ask, but you can type your own as well. If you still feel unsure, you can ask follow-up questions and continue the conversation, all while staying on the same page.

One important detail is how Amazon is handling spoilers. The feature only uses information up to your current reading position. If a character’s secret is revealed later in the book, Ask this Book will not mention it early. This makes the feature useful even for mystery novels or long fantasy series where surprises matter.

Ask this Book is part of a broader push by Amazon to make Kindle more helpful, especially for readers who pick up books after a break. Recently, Amazon also introduced Recaps, a feature that works like a short refresher before a new season of a TV show. Recaps helps readers quickly remember key storylines and characters in book series they already own or have borrowed.

For now, Ask this Book is a US only feature on iOS. But if it rolls out more widely, it could become a handy tool for readers who love getting lost in books, but occasionally need a little help finding their way back.