I've been covering Android and other mobile technology for close to ten years now, with a specific interest in phone accessories, e-readers, and what makes each individual phone different from another. I delight in looking at the phone market from as many angles as possible, and while my opinions may be odd, at times, they're always from the heart as much as the head.
I have a background in the mobile accessories world, which explains my odd enthusiasm for cases and things that clip onto smartphones.
The new Amazon Alexa tablets look great. They're the premium tablets Amazon has been building towards for a while now, and they show everything Amazon has learned over the decades of Fire tablets.
But sometimes you want to kick back and relax with a good book. That's where the Alexa tablet's Kindle Mode comes in, turning your tablet into the perfect reading device.
Sounds great — but you don't need an Alexa tablet to get this experience. You can set a similar mode up really easily on a Samsung Galaxy Tab device, in a few minutes.
Kindle Mode is a great feature that can be replicated in minutes
No need to buy a new tablet for it
Amazon sells great tablets, but they do tend to get eclipsed by the juggernaut that is the Kindle e-reader. It can be hard for another product to escape that shadow, and to its credit, Amazon has tried. Instead, it's leveraged the Kindle to help sell its Alexa tablet.
The new Alexa tablets are strong, premium products that show Amazon's device-building at its best, but they're also capable reading tools.
With a single tap of Kindle Mode, your Alexa tablet morphs into an e-reader, launching the Kindle app and tweaking the display settings for an easy reading experience.
Since it's not much more than changing the screen settings, this sort of feature is easy to replicate using Samsung's Modes and Routines tool. Then, all you do is add a way to quickly trigger the mode from your home screen, like on the Alexa tablets.
Building the Mode
You can mix-and-match as you like
You might assume that remaking a feature like Kindle Mode would require downloading an app, or something similar — but if you have a Samsung device, that's not true. Instead, you can use Samsung's Modes and Routines tool to build it how you like.
This tutorial focuses on doing this with a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet, but you can do this with any Samsung device running One UI 5 and later. There's no reason why you can't do this on a Samsung phone, and if you want to, you absolutely should.
Here's how to set up the basic Faux-Kindle Mode.
- Open the Settings app and tap Modes and Routines.
- Scroll to the bottom of the list and tap Add mode.
- Name it and choose a fitting icon.
That's the mode made. On the next screen, you'll fill in what happens when you start that mode. You can do a lot here, but the simplest start is the best place to begin.
- Under Choose what this mode does, tap Other actions.
- Select Open an app or do an app action.
- Find the Kindle app listing, and choose Open Kindle.
Now, when the mode is turned on, it'll automatically open your Kindle app. Unfortunately, we can't make it open your latest read, but it will open the Kindle app.
This is just the bare basics, though; you can pile on a lot more to help your reading time. Here are a few options.
Under Stay focused, you can turn on Do not disturb mode, and/or Restrict app usage to only the Kindle app, so you can't get distracted as easily.
The Other actions section also has several great options to pick from.
- Grayscale changes your screen to monochrome, removing all color and mimicking a basic Kindle. A good way to shift into a reading mindset.
- Eye comfort shield and Dark mode can also do the same.
- Power saving saves a bit of energy, which is especially helpful since the display will be on a lot.
- The various volume options can make sure you don't get distracted by notifications if you aren't using Do not disturb.
- You could have your tablet Play music, either through the built-in media player or through an app like Spotify, in the Open an app or do an app action menu. If you have a relaxing or reading playlist, this is perfect.
Feel free to play with this menu and see what you like. When you're done, we'll add the mode to your screen, so you can start it easily.
Adding the mode to your home screen
Pretend it's just another app
You can access this Mode through the Modes button in your quick settings area in the notifications shade, but it's easier (and more like Kindle Mode on the Alexa tablet) to have itas an icon on your home screen.
- Long-press on your home screen, and then select Widgets.
- Scroll down to Modes and Routines, then select Single mode > Add.
- Choose your Kindle mode on the next screen, and it'll be added to your home screen.
Now, when you want to launch your Kindle mode, tap the widget, and it'll open the Kindle app and trigger any other actions you placed on it.
Modes and Routines is a fun way to add new utility
Have a good play with it
Modes and Routines is a drastically underrated feature on Samsung phones. In a few minutes, you'll see how powerful it is, letting you change a lot of your device in a single tap.
You could leave it at setting up this Kindle Mode, and that's great. But there's much more to explore here, if you want to take the dive. We know of a bunch of boring tasks you can automate using Modes and Routines, and again, they won't take up much of your time to check out.