Amazon often pushes out firmware updates and activates new features at a later date. Various Kindle models such as the Paperwhite, Oasis and the entry-level Kindle can now display ebook cover art on the lock screen when the e-reader sleeps. This is the type of feature that people have been asking for over a decade and one of the main reasons people end up jailbreaking their Kindle.
If your Kindle is running the 5.13.5 firmware, you’re in luck. This update makes your device eligible to display book covers on the e-reader. What covers will it display? Early reports suggest it will show the ebook you are currently reading, whether it’s purchased from Amazon or sideloaded.
Activating the cover art feature on your Kindle is a simple process. Just click on the settings menu and device options. Look for a new field called ‘display cover’ and ensure it is checkmarked. If you have the 5.13.5 firmware and don’t see the option yet, a simple restart of your Kindle should do the trick.
Will the ebook cover artwork with people who own the Special Offers Edition of the Kindle? This program allows you to buy a new e-reader and save money, and Amazon displays adverts on the home screen and lock screen. It remains to be seen whether the cover art on the sleep screen will work on these models or if you have to pay $20 to remove Special Offers.
Amazon is slowly pushing the cover art update to international markets first; at the time of publication, people in India, Mexico, and other countries have verified it is working. It is only a matter of time before the feature is available in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. I recommend checking your e-reader daily and dropping a comment below if you have book covers functionality enabled and what country you live in.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.