Kindle E-Readers are packed with features designed with voracious readers in mind. Perhaps my favorite is Kindle notes and highlights. I read almost exclusively non-fiction because I’m constantly seeking to understand the human condition, challenge existing beliefs, and find better ways of doing things. Of course, I enjoy the simple pleasure of reading—it’s my favorite part of the day when I get to sit and read quietly. But I’m also trying to get something out of it. This means I’m constantly taking and reviewing notes.
Kindle notes and highlights are an efficient way to extract the key learnings from any book. I actually prefer my Kindle notes and highlights than classic pen and paper, because it’s all in one slim device, and for some of the reasons we’ll explore in this article.
This feature came as a pleasant surprise to me after using my Kindle for the first time. Amazon doesn’t do a good job of calling this out as an attractive feature, and how to take notes on your Kindle is not apparent, so I wanted to write a quick how-to guide for taking Kindle notes and highlights.
On September 28, 2022, note-taking with Kindle took a giant leap forward with the release of their new writing tablet-e-reader hybrid: Kindle Scribe. Check out our article Kindle Scribe: The All-New Kindle Writing Tablet for a peak at its features and a comparison with another established writing tablet on the market.
How to take Kindle notes and highlights
Kindle highlights
As you’re reading, when you want to make a note or highlight, simply long press on the section you’d like to note. Highlight the text by dragging the highlight field, just like you would on a mobile phone. Then, you can select Highlight, which saves that passage for review later.
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Kindle note
By selecting the text in the way just described, you can also select Note. This opens a keyboard interface where you can type your notes. The notes will be saved in association with the text you highlighted.
How to export Kindle notes and highlights in four easy steps
Step 1
Within the book you’re reading, tap anywhere on the upper portion of the screen to reveal the menu. Tap the 3-dot menu in the top right corner. Select Notes & Highlights.
Step 2
Select Export Notes.
Step 3
You’ll be reminded that the notes will be emailed to the email address on your Amazon account. Select Send.
Step 4
Go to your email inbox and you’ll have received your Amazon Kindle notes. You can choose between a PDF or Word format to review all the notes you’ve taken for the book you had selected to export. The PDF version of the Kindle notes and highlights looks like this:
Other great Kindle notes and highlights features
Popular Highlights
The Popular Highlights feature is incredibly useful for doing deep research into a book. Popular Highlights are a collection of the ideas of a given book most highlighted by other Kindle users. This is great to get new perspectives, look for salient points you may have missed, or for getting a quick overview of a book’s most important ideas.
How to find the popular highlights on Kindle
I’ve chosen to demonstrate the popular highlights how-to using the Kindle app on my mobile phone, but you can also access popular highlights directly from your Kindle.
Step 1
Within the book you’re reading, tap anywhere on the screen to reveal the menu. Tap the 3-dot menu in the top right corner. Select Popular Highlights.
Step 2
That’s it! You’ll see a list of the most highlighted sections of the book by other Kindle users. You can also see the number of times it was highlighted.
Once you tap on a popular highlight, you’ll be taken to that section of the book.
I hope this article helped you unlock even more potential for research and study using a Kindle device. For further exploration of interesting Kindle features, check out our article Kindle FAQ & 8 Reasons I Love My Kindle.
If you’re looking to buy a Kindle, click here to navigate to Amazon to learn more about each model.