Why can’t I buy Kindle ebooks on my iphone?
Q I’ve recently bought a Kindle ebook reader. If I log into my Amazon account via my Windows PC I can buy ebooks and have them automatically sent to my Kindle, as well of course as just buying them via the Kindle itself. However, I noticed the other day that while shopping in the Amazon app on my iphone I wasn’t able to buy an ebook I was browsing. What I mean is, there was just no ‘Buy Now’ button. Back on the PC, for the exact same ebook, there was no problem. This seems to be the case for all ebooks, so what’s the problem here, and what’s the fix? Nelly Slater
A The problem here is Apple’s desire for revenue and the fact that it takes a massive chunk of the sale price of any ‘digital’ goods purchased through apps on its IOS and ipados platforms. Put simply, it’s too much of a cut for many companies to stomach, so Amazon has made a strategic decision to not sell digital items through its iphone app. Note that Apple’s policy does not apply to physical goods sold through iphone apps, which is why Amazon is happy to sell you almost anything else via its IOS and ipados app.
There’s no ‘fix’ as such, unless Apple relents or otherwise reduces its cut to a level that would satisfy the Amazons of this world. Actually, it’s likely that might soon happen: back in April, Amazon’s Prime Video app for IOS and ipados ( www.snipca.com/34566) suddenly and unexpectedly began allowing digital purchases of movies and TV shows. There’s been no formal comment from either firm about the terms but it seems that, for Prime Video in-app purchases at least, the two have cut a deal that works for both sides.
In the meantime, there is one very easy workaround – and that’s to not use the Amazon app. Instead, just log on to the Amazon website in the normal way, using the Safari web browser on your iphone. The browser is a gateway to the outside world, so to speak, and it therefore bypasses Apple’s ability to police purchases that take place in IOS/IPADOS apps.
So, fire up Safari, visit www.amazon. co.uk, log in as normal and then when you browse an ebook, the Buy Now button will duly appear.