Kindle App Now Includes AI Assistant for Character and Plot Questions

Amazon has added a new feature to its Kindle app on iOS that uses artificial intelligence to answer questions about the book you're reading, the company has announced.

kindle ask this book ios
Available in the U.S. only, "Ask This Book" is described as an "expert reading assistant" that allows users to highlight any passage in what they are reading and ask questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements. The feature's answers are spoiler-free, revealing information only up to the current reading position. The in-book chatbot is available in books by default, and authors cannot opt out.

"The feature uses technology, including AI, to provide instant, spoiler-free answers to customers' questions about what they're reading," Amazon told PubLunch. "Ask this Book provides short answers based on factual information about the book which are accessible only to readers who have purchased or borrowed the book and are non-shareable and non-copyable."

With the latest Kindle app update installed, readers in the U.S. can find the feature in the in-book menu, or simply highlight any passage and tap "Ask" in the contextual pop-up menu.

Ask This Book is currently limited to English-language books. Amazon plans to add the feature to Kindle devices and Android OS next year.

Tag: Amazon

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...

Top Rated Comments

justanotherdave Avatar
15 hours ago at 07:23 am
So what's the point of even reading the book anymore when you can Cole's Notes the whole thing?

What a useless idea.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DavidLeblond Avatar
15 hours ago at 07:40 am
I'm not a frequent reader, I will read in bursts when I go on vacation and then here and there when I'm at home. So yeah, there are times where I sometimes think "wait, am I supposed to know this character?" because they were introduced early in the book that I actually read 2 months ago. There IS a feature on the current Kindle where it will show you the page where the character was first introduced, but ... yeah, I don't hate this idea.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
It’s always something Avatar
15 hours ago at 07:37 am
Authors and publishers can’t opt out, and you can’t turn it off, but you *can* delete the Kindle app ?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
needsomecoffee Avatar
14 hours ago at 08:14 am
Part way into "Murder in Paradise" by Ann Cleeves (one of her earlier books - I have read most of the later ones). Reading it on my Kindle. Sarah and Jim move to the small Scotish island of Kinness. Then a parade of characters comes at the reader so fast, it is hard to keep track of them all. Some islanders, some "outsiders". Sorta getting a handle on it (two main families I believe), but would welcome this feature to help get a better mental picture of who is who. So while I would likely not use this much, when in a situation such as Cleeves has written, it would be welcome. People always assume the worst re: AI. It has its place imho. HTH, NSC.

ps: I read a lot, and think I am pretty OK at it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Line_Noise Avatar
15 hours ago at 07:27 am
"What are you reading for?"
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whirlpoolbread Avatar
14 hours ago at 08:13 am

So what's the point of even reading the book anymore when you can Cole's Notes the whole thing?

What a useless idea.
Even worse, they allow you to highlight a word and get a definition. People don’t have to buy a dictionary anymore. /s

Seriously, the point is to get context on something in a book. For example Dune is a difficult read, having to flip to the glossary to figure out what things meant. Ulysses was notorious for being stream of conscious writing and many require reading aides or guides. Some may think that’s part of the reading experience or that since they enjoyed the toil, others should as well. For me it’s about helping the reader understand the book better.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)