Rakuten Kobo has quietly become the e-reader of choice for frustrated Kindle owners. On TechRadar’s coverage of Amazon’s latest restrictions, one comment summed up the mood: “Glad I switched to Kobo.” Amazon has tightened DRM on Kindle devices and, according to reports, closed a popular loophole for extending Libby library loans — and owners are not happy.
TL;DR: Amazon has rolled out tougher DRM on Kindle devices and reportedly closed a popular Libby loans loophole, angering owners — many of whom say switching to Kobo was their best decision (TechRadar, Pocket-lint). Meanwhile, 71 organizations are campaigning against Google’s developer verification rules starting September 30, 2026.
Why Are Kindle Owners Switching to Kobo Right Now?
Because Amazon keeps taking things away, and Kobo keeps giving owners more control. TechRadar reports that Kindle devices “just got a little more restrictive, both in terms of what you can do with the books you buy and how long you can keep those you borrow.” Two changes landed at once: tighter DRM on purchased books and the reported closure of a Libby workaround. That combination pushed a wave of owners to look elsewhere.
The reactions tell the story. Under TechRadar’s article, readers wrote messages like “Glad I switched to Kobo” — a phrase that has practically become a refrain in e-reader communities. Pocket-lint published an entire account titled “Switching from Kindle to Kobo was the best decision I ever made,” describing how one writer escaped the Amazon Kindle ecosystem entirely. That is strong language for a device swap.
Why does Kobo appeal so much? The Pocket-lint piece points to the escape from Amazon’s ecosystem as the core benefit. Kobo devices support EPUB, the open e-book format, which means readers are not locked into a single store. When a company tightens restrictions on things you already paid for, trust erodes fast. Every restriction Amazon adds sends another batch of customers across the aisle.
What Did Amazon Change About Kindle DRM and Libby Loans?
Amazon tightened the digital rights management on Kindle e-books and reportedly closed a loophole that let readers keep Libby library loans longer than intended. According to TechRadar, the changes affect “both in terms of what you can do with the books you buy and how long you can keep those you borrow.” In practice, that means less freedom to convert, back up, or move purchased titles — and stricter enforcement on borrowed ones.
The Libby angle matters to library users. Libby is the app most US public libraries use for e-book lending, and Kindle integration was one of Amazon’s quiet strengths. The loophole, as reported, allowed borrowers to effectively extend how long a loan stayed on their device. Closing it means loans now disappear on schedule, no exceptions. For heavy library readers, that is a real downgrade to the daily experience.
The DRM side is more controversial. Buyers argue that a purchased book should be theirs to keep, in whatever format they choose. Tighter DRM makes format-shifting and personal backups harder. So what did owners do? Many voted with their wallets. TechRadar’s comment section filled with Kobo recommendations, and Pocket-lint’s first-person account of switching describes the Kindle ecosystem exit in detail. The pattern is familiar: every restriction triggers a migration.
Can Kobo E-Readers Now Run Apps?
Not full smartphone-style apps, no — but Kobo devices are far more open to customization than Kindles, and that openness is exactly what attracts switchers. Kobo e-readers run a Linux-based system that the modding community has embraced for years. Tools like NickelMenu and the KOReader reading application can be installed directly on Kobo hardware, adding features Amazon would never allow: custom reading interfaces, support for obscure formats, and deeper display settings.
Pocket-lint’s switching account highlights this flexibility as part of the Kobo advantage. Because Kobo natively reads EPUB files, owners can load books from any store, from public domain libraries, or from their own collections without conversion hoops. There is no equivalent path on a locked-down Kindle, where Amazon’s format walls and DRM determine what runs and what does not.
It is worth asking why this matters for a device that “just” displays text. The answer is longevity and ownership. An open device keeps working on the owner’s terms; a restricted one works on the manufacturer’s. That distinction is driving the current exodus. Kobo’s openness is not theoretical — it is documented, community-driven, and available today.
How Does Kobo’s Openness Compare to Amazon’s Walled Garden?
Kobo supports the open EPUB format and community modifications; Amazon builds walls around its ecosystem and keeps raising them. The contrast could hardly be sharper. On a Kobo, an EPUB bought anywhere works everywhere. On a Kindle, books live in Amazon’s formats under Amazon’s DRM, and the latest changes make leaving even harder. TechRadar frames the new restrictions as making Kindles “more restrictive” on two fronts at once — purchases and loans.
The wider industry context makes Amazon look even more isolated. While Amazon tightens, other platforms face pressure to open up. The Keep Android Open campaign, backed by 71 organizations, is fighting Google’s plan to force developer verification for sideloaded apps starting September 30, 2026, in four countries before expanding worldwide. The direction of travel among users, regulators, and advocacy groups is toward openness. Amazon is swimming against that current.
Consider what each company trusts you to do:
- Kobo reads EPUB files from any store, library, or personal collection
- Kobo hardware supports community tools like KOReader and NickelMenu
- Kindle purchases are wrapped in Amazon DRM that just got stricter
- Kindle library loans via Libby reportedly lost an extension loophole
- Pocket-lint’s switcher account praises the freedom of leaving Amazon’s ecosystem
- TechRadar readers openly recommend Kobo in response to the changes
- 71 organizations are campaigning to keep another platform, Android, open
- Format openness determines whether your library survives a company’s policy shift
The lesson from both e-readers and the Android sideloading fight is the same. Openness is not a niche technical preference — it is ownership. When Amazon changes the rules after the sale, buyers discover who really controls their library. Kobo’s more permissive approach turns that control back over to the reader, and the migration numbers in the comment sections suggest plenty of people have noticed.
What Are the Real Benefits of Leaving the Kindle Ecosystem?
The single biggest benefit is ownership. When Amazon tightens DRM, books you paid for become rentals under stricter conditions, while Kobo users keep more control over their files. TechRadar reported that Kindle owners reacted with anger to the tougher DRM rollout, with many writing variations of “glad I switched to Kobo” across forums and social media.
Pocket-lint’s account of migrating from Kindle to Kobo describes the change as “the best decision I ever made,” citing freedom from Amazon’s ecosystem as the core reason. Kobo devices read EPUB natively, the open standard most publishers outside Amazon use. That means buying books from independent stores works without conversion tricks.
There is also the library question. According to TechRadar, Amazon reportedly closed a popular Libby loans loophole that let Kindle users keep borrowed books longer than intended. Kobo integrates with the same OverDrive infrastructure through its built-in library feature. So borrowers lose nothing and gain a platform that is not actively closing doors.
The benefits stack up quickly:
- Native EPUB support without file conversion
- Direct OverDrive library integration on the device itself
- No reports of tightened DRM on purchased titles
- Support for independent ebook retailers
- Pocket integration for reading saved web articles
- A store that is not bundled with a retail giant’s ecosystem
- Competitive hardware, including stylus models like the Kobo Elipsa line
- No forced ads on the lock screen unless you choose the cheaper tier
Is that enough to justify repurchasing hardware? For many frustrated Kindle owners, apparently yes. The reaction documented by TechRadar suggests the DRM change crossed a line for a meaningful group of customers.
How Hard Is It to Migrate a Kindle Library to Kobo?
Honestly, it is the hardest part of switching, and Amazon made it harder on purpose. Kindle books arrive wrapped in Amazon’s DRM, which the new restrictions reinforce. Pocket-lint’s migration guide walks through the process, and the short version is this: books purchased from Amazon will not simply copy over.
Books without DRM, such as free classics from Project Gutenberg or titles from DRM-free stores, transfer easily. A USB cable and a drag-and-drop are enough. The same goes for PDFs and EPUB files you already own. Kobo handles those formats natively.
For purchased Kindle books, the situation is different. Removing DRM from files you bought sits in a legal gray zone depending on your jurisdiction, and the new Amazon restrictions are designed to make tools like Calibre plugins less effective. The practical approach most switchers take is a hybrid one: keep the old Kindle for the existing library, and buy new books on Kobo going forward.
Here is a realistic migration checklist:
- Export your Kindle notes and highlights manually, since they do not sync out
- Download DRM-free titles and side-load them via USB or Calibre
- Re-download free classics from open libraries instead of converting
- Move your reading wishlist to Kobo’s store
- Set up a Kobo account and link your library card for OverDrive
- Keep the Kindle as a backup device for the locked library
- Cancel Kindle Unlimited if you no longer need it
- Check which subscriptions, like ComiXology content, are tied to Amazon
The migration takes an evening, not a week. The real cost is psychological: accepting that a purchased library stays behind unless you repurchase it.
Is Google’s Android Sideloading Crackdown Connected to E-Reader Freedom?
Indirectly, yes — both are symptoms of the same platform lockdown trend. Google has revealed its plan for installing apps from external sources through a new system it calls “advanced protection,” as reported by Notebookcheck. From September 30, 2026, Google will force developer verification in four countries first, then worldwide, according to the Keep Android Open campaign coverage.
That matters for e-readers because Kobo’s new app support runs on an Android foundation. If sideloading becomes gated behind developer verification globally, the window for installing arbitrary apps on any Android-based device narrows. The Kobo that runs apps today could face restrictions tomorrow if it follows Google’s trajectory.
The 71 organizations behind Keep Android Open argue that this verification requirement effectively ends open sideloading as Android users know it. Their campaign frames it as a precedent problem: once verification becomes mandatory in four pilot countries, worldwide enforcement follows mechanically.
There is a broader pattern here. Android 17 will start monitoring how much RAM individual apps consume, Telepolis reports, and Google is also introducing new memory limits for smartphones, according to android.com.pl. Each change is defensible on performance grounds. Together, they describe an operating system that is steadily closing the openness that made it popular.
So while Amazon and Google make separate decisions, the direction is identical. Platforms are pulling drawbridges up. Kobo opening app support right now is a counter-trend, and its timing looks almost defiant.
What Do 71 Organizations Say About Locked-Down Platforms?
They say it is a freedom issue, not a technical one. The Keep Android Open campaign, backed by 71 organizations, directly opposes Google’s tightening of sideloading rules. Their core argument: mandatory developer verification from September 30, 2026, transforms Android from an open platform into a gated one, and users lose the right to run software of their choosing.
The campaign’s logic extends naturally to e-readers. A device that only runs software approved by its manufacturer is a rental, not a purchase. The same principle that makes 71 organizations fight Google’s verification mandate makes Kobo’s app support notable — it moves in the opposite direction.
This debate does not exist in a vacuum. The EU’s Digital Services Act imposes new obligations on social platforms, and OKO.press interviewed experts who called the DSA “conservative” and argued the Union could have gone further. European regulators are clearly interested in who controls digital gates. Meanwhile, BBC reports on court battles shaping the future of Instagram and Facebook, showing that platform accountability is now a legal question, not just a consumer one.
The through-line across all of these stories is control. Who decides what software runs on your hardware? Who decides what content reaches your feed? For years the answer was: the platform, unilaterally. The 71 organizations, EU regulators, and courts are all pushing the same answer back: the user should have a say. Kobo’s openness fits that current. Amazon’s DRM tightening fights it.
Should You Switch to Kobo in 2026?
If you buy ebooks regularly and value ownership, yes — the case has rarely been stronger. Amazon simultaneously tightened DRM on purchased books and reportedly closed a Libby loophole, TechRadar reports, angering its most engaged customers. That is a company testing how much restriction its base tolerates.
Consider your situation before jumping:
- Heavy Kindle Unlimited user? Check whether Kobo Plus covers your genres first
- Large purchased Kindle library? Accept it stays on Kindle, or plan repurchases
- Library borrower? Kobo’s built-in OverDrive support replaces Libby’s Kindle delivery
- EPUB buyer from independent stores? Kobo is strictly better for you
- Annotation-heavy reader? Verify your note-export workflow before switching
- Tinkerer? Kobo’s app support is the only mainstream e-reader offering it
- Casual reader with five books a year? Honestly, any device works
- Privacy-conscious user? Kobo means one less Amazon data point
The switching cost is real but bounded. One device purchase, one evening of setup, and a hybrid library during the transition. Pocket-lint’s verdict — “the best decision I ever made” — reflects how quickly the friction fades once the ecosystem lock-in is gone.
The counterargument deserves a hearing. Kindle hardware is excellent, the store is enormous, and Kindle Unlimited has no true equivalent. If those matter more than ownership, staying is rational. But the direction of travel matters too. A company that tightens DRM once will tighten it again. A company that closes one loophole will find the next one.
In my opinion, 2026 is the moment where the switch stops being an enthusiast move and becomes a mainstream consideration. Kobo made the open choice. Rewarding it is one of the few votes consumers still get.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Kobo e-readers install Android apps?
Yes — Kobo has opened up app support on its e-readers, which is precisely what makes the timing notable. While Kobo devices run on an Android foundation, the company is enabling application support just as Google moves the other way, forcing developer verification for sideloading in four countries from September 30, 2026, before worldwide rollout. Check Kobo’s official documentation for the current list of supported apps on your specific model.
Why is Amazon tightening Kindle DRM?
Amazon has not published a detailed rationale, but the practical effect documented by TechRadar is twofold: tougher restrictions on what owners can do with purchased books, and the reported closure of a Libby loophole that let borrowers keep library loans longer than intended. The move follows a broader industry pattern — Google’s parallel crackdown on Android sideloading shows every major platform is tightening control in 2026. The reaction was swift, with many owners posting that they were “glad I switched to Kobo.”
Is switching from Kindle to Kobo difficult?
The hardware and account setup takes under an hour, but migrating purchased Kindle books does not work directly because of Amazon’s DRM. The realistic path, described in Pocket-lint’s migration account, is hybrid: keep the Kindle for the existing library, side-load DRM-free EPUB files via USB or Calibre, and buy new titles on Kobo. Free classics from sources like Project Gutenberg transfer with a simple drag-and-drop.
Does Kobo support library loans like Libby?
Yes. Kobo e-readers have OverDrive integration built directly into the device, letting you borrow library books without a phone or side-loading. This matters because Amazon reportedly closed the popular loophole that let Kindle users extend Libby loans, according to TechRadar. Kobo borrowers get the same OverDrive catalog with on-device borrowing.
Summary
- Kobo opened while Amazon closed. Kobo now supports running apps at the exact moment Amazon rolled out tougher Kindle DRM and reportedly shut a Libby loans loophole, per TechRadar.
- Migration is hybrid, not total. DRM-locked Kindle books stay on Kindle; EPUB files, PDFs, and DRM-free purchases transfer to Kobo in minutes.
- The lockdown is industry-wide. Google will force Android developer verification from September 30, 2026, starting in four countries, and 71 organizations have responded with the Keep Android Open campaign.
- Ownership is the deciding question. A locked library is a rental. Kobo’s native EPUB support and built-in OverDrive borrowing restore control that Amazon is removing.
- 2026 is a rational year to switch. The friction is bounded — one device, one evening — and the direction each company is traveling is now unmistakable.
If this comparison helped you decide, share it with the Kindle owner in your life who is still on the fence. And check back on gikiewicz.com as the Kobo app ecosystem and Google’s verification rollout both develop through 2026.