Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
I’ve recently set up a new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which means it’s time for me to grumble once again about an ancient feature that still irks me: Popular Highlights. There’s a difference between deciding what matters in a book and having it pointed out for you. Popular Highlights is one of the more intrusive examples of the latter, and it’s the first setting I turn off every time I set up a new e-reader.
Do you like Kindle's Popular Highlights feature? 4 votes Yes! 25 % No, but I have it enabled anyway. 25 % No, I disable it. 25 % I am indifferent. 25 %
How Popular Highlights changes how you read
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
Popular Highlights is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The feature automatically tracks passages that Kindle readers have consistently highlighted. Once enough people mark the same section, Kindle underlines it for everyone, along with a count showing how many readers have done so. In theory, the idea is to draw attention to passages that resonate widely. For me, the underlines act more like distracting markups. Every time I come across one, I feel like I’ve bought a secondhand textbook someone went to town on with a highlighter.
Popular Highlights make my Kindle reads feel like pre-owned books.
For starters, the underlines pull me out of the book. Instead of staying in the plot, I wonder why so many people thought a sentence was especially profound. And if I don’t find it worthy, I’m left wondering what I missed. Underlines also create hierarchy. Once a line is visually emphasized, it’s hard not to read it differently.
I start giving extra weight to moments simply because other people flagged them first, a subtle slide into groupthink that can range from misplaced emphasis to outright spoilers. In fiction, especially, that shift can flatten pacing or straight up ruin a plot twist. In other words, they’re a lot like the first time I saw The Sixth Sense with my brother, who said, “Did you see he got shot and then they never showed the hospital?” immediately after the opening scene.
I may sound particular, but I’m not alone. Even after years of integration, Popular Highlights keeps surfacing as a point of discussion. A recent Reddit thread about the feature picked up renewed attention earlier this week, with many users focusing on how the feature subtly alters their reading experience.
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