Kindle Android app adds handwriting, Apple users wait
The update brings stylus-based handwritten notes and active canvas to Android only, with no word yet on an iPad or iPhone version
Amazon has added handwriting and stylus support to the Kindle app for Android, Good e-Reader reported, letting users write handwritten notes, sticky notes, and active canvas notes directly on supported devices such as Galaxy Tab and Onyx Boox products.
The update makes book text automatically flow around handwritten notes, a behavior the outlet compared to the Kindle Scribe experience, and offers a choice of pen styles, sizes, and colors. The outlet reported the rollout appears exclusive to Android tablets and phones, with the feature not yet available on Apple devices such as the iPad or iPhone.
The outlet said the update builds on recent additions of text underlining and outlines, and reported that early user feedback has praised the feature for letting readers review, annotate, and color-code text without a dedicated e-ink device.
If you read and mark up books on an Android phone or tablet, Amazon just handed you a reason to put the stray notebook down. Handwritten notes that flow around the text, color-coded pens, sticky notes — that's a real step toward treating the app like a Scribe, not just a reading window. My one flag: this is Android-exclusive for now, so don't go looking for it on your iPad this week. Try it if you've got a supported stylus device, and judge it on your own workflow rather than the hype.
From the Coral Wire edition of Wed, Oct 28 2026 · Coral Index 38/100 (Headwinds)