Skip recap? Amazon’s new AI-powered Kindle Recaps helps readers catch up on book series

Amazon‘s new Kindle Recaps feature uses AI to help readers quickly catch up on book series, providing summaries similar to TV‘s “previously on” segments. This solution addresses common reading pain points like forgetting plot details or needing a refresher when returning to a series after a long break, expanding Amazon’s growing portfolio of AI-powered entertainment tools that streamline content consumption experiences.

The big picture: Amazon is rolling out “Recaps,” an AI-generated feature for Kindle devices that provides short summaries of previous books in a series, helping readers catch up before starting a new installment.

• The company confirmed to TechCrunch that these summaries are produced using generative AI technology.
• Amazon compared the functionality to the “Previously on…” segments that appear before TV episodes to refresh viewers’ memories.

Availability and access: The feature is currently limited to physical Kindle devices with plans to expand to iOS “shortly,” though no timeline was provided for Android.

• Users need to install the latest Kindle software updates or wait for an over-the-air update scheduled for deployment within the next few weeks.
• To access Recaps, readers can look for the “View Recaps” button on series pages in their Kindle Library or within the three-dot menu of series groupings.

Content coverage: Amazon hasn’t released a comprehensive list of supported titles but indicates the feature covers “best-selling English-language book series.”

• The recaps are available across multiple genres including epic fantasy and mystery thrillers.
• Both “trending titles and longtime favorites” are included in the rollout.

Part of a broader strategy: This release extends Amazon’s AI-powered recap initiatives that began on other platforms last year.

• In November, Amazon introduced X-Ray Recaps for Fire TV customers, generating text summaries of episodes and seasons.
• The TV recap feature is powered by Amazon Bedrock models and custom AI models trained on Amazon SageMaker.
• At launch, X-Ray Recaps supported Amazon MGM Studios originals like “Daisy Jones & the Six,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and “The Boys.”