Amazon Finally Added a Long-Needed Feature to the Kindle

Amazon is now letting Kindle owners access multiple accounts on a single device.

On Friday, Amazon rolled out a software update that includes “Family Library,” a feature that will allow two adults and up to four children to share content on one Kindle. The adults can decide whether they want to share all or just a portion of their books with other users tied to a device, and each adult can separately make annotations and bookmarks in the same e-book.

The software update also includes Word Wise, a dictionary tool that automatically places definitions above difficult words within a book to help children and English language learners become better readers. Kindle owners will also have access to Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, an all-you-can-read subscription program aimed at kids that starts at $2.99 per month. Improved search capabilities and tighter integration with the online book club website Goodreads are also included.

See the Factories Where Amazon Can Move 426 Items a Second

Employees collect merchandise ordered by customers for shipment from the Amazon.com distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona, Nov. 26, 2012.

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A worker collects order items at the Fulfilment Centre for online retail giant Amazon in Peterborough, central England, on Nov. 28, 2013.

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Merchandise sits on shelves before shipment at the Amazon.com Inc. distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona, Nov. 26, 2012.

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An employee packs merchandise for shipment at the Amazon.com Inc. fulfillment center in Phoenix, Arizona, Dec. 2, 2013.

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A picture shows the Fulfilment Centre for online retail giant Amazon in Peterborough, central England, on November 28, 2013, ahead of Cyber Monday on December 2nd, expected to be one of the busiest online shopping days of the year.

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An employee packs orders in the Fulfilment Centre for online retail giant Amazon in Peterborough, central England, on November 28, 2013, ahead of Cyber Monday on December 2nd, expected to be one of the busiest online shopping days of the year.

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Employee Maria Miller loads boxes onto a conveyer belt for shipping at the Amazon.com Inc. distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012.

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Interior view of the hall of a logistics center of the online shopping company Amazon, taken on March 26, 2014 in Leipzig, eastern Germany.

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Packages sit in regional delivery dividers ahead of distribution at the Amazon.co.uk Marston Gate 'Fulfillment Center,' the U.K. site of Amazon.com Inc. in Ridgmont, United Kingdom, Dec. 3, 2012.

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The new update is available for the new $79 Kindle, the Kindle Voyage and the most recent Kindle Paperwhite. Users can wait for their Kindles to update automatically in the next few weeks or download the new software directly here.

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