Can You Use an Amazon Fire Tablet as a Kindle?

Amazon Fire tablets—formerly known as Kindle Fire tablets—are distinctly different than Kindle e-readers. However, when it comes to reading, both will get the job done. We’ll show you how to use your Fire tablet like a Kindle.

Amazon Fire vs. Kindle

Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers are two very different products. The Fire Tablets have full-color touchscreens and they run Android under a heavy skin. They have an app store, web browser, and things you’d expect on a device similar to an iPad. (You can even install Google Play and use it instead of Amazon’s app store.)

Kindle e-readers, however, feature “e-ink” displays, some of which also support touch. These displays only show black and white colors, making them ideal for reading. There’s no app store or anything like that. It’s a device made entirely for reading books.

But can you use an Amazon Fire tablet like you would use a Kindle e-reader? Yes, you can.

An Inexpensive Tablet

Amazon Fire 7 Tablet

Amazon’s Fire Tablets are inexpensive tablets you can also read Kindle books on. However, you won’t get an e-ink screen, as you will with a classic e-ink Kindle.

How to Use an Amazon Fire Tablet as a Kindle

While a Fire tablet may not be as focused on reading as a Kindle, it’s still very easy to read on one. Amazon includes a “Kindle” app by default and its front-and-center on the home screen.

The Kindle app syncs with your Amazon account, so any books you’ve checked out from a library or you’ve purchased from Amazon will appear in your library.

Once you’re in a book, tap the center of the display to bring up the menu. Select the “Aa” icon to adjust the text.

If you also own a Kindle e-reader, your progress in books will be synced across devices. So you can read on your Fire tablet and then switch over to the Kindle without losing your place.

That’s really all there is to it. The LED display on a Fire tablet won’t be as easy on your eyes as an e-ink Kindle, but it does work as an e-reader too. The same Kindle app that you can use on the Fire tablet is also available on iPhone, iPad, and Android.