I don’t know about you, but when I’m curled up with a particularly good Kindle book, I’m not terribly interested in seeing the most “popular” highlights on a given page.

Maybe the Kindle’s popular highlights feature (which underlines oft-highlighted passages from other Kindle readers) comes in handy when you’re trying to skim a dense non-fiction book or if you’re cramming for a test; personally, though, I’d rather discover hidden gems in a novel on my own rather than have them pointed out to me.

Luckily, you can turn off “popular” highlights in just a few clicks, taps or swipes.

Here’s the trick…

On a old-style, non-touch Kindle reader:

  • Go to the Home screen, click the Menu key, then select Settings.
  • Turn to page 3, then switch Popular Highlights to “off.”
Kindle for iPad popular highlight settings

You can hide “popular” highlights on a Kindle reader or app (such as the one for iPad) in just a few taps.

On a newer, touch-enabled Kindle reader (such as the Kindle Touch & Paperwhite):

  • Go to the Home screen, then tap the Menu button in the top-right corner of the display.
  • Tap Settings, Reading Options, then switch Popular Highlights to “off.”

On a Kindle Fire:

  • Tap the middle of the screen, then tap Settings, More Options.
  • Switch the Popular Highlights setting to “off.”

On the Kindle app for iPhone/iPad:

  • Tap the Home button in the top-left corner of the screen, then tap the Settings icon (the one that looks like a gear) in the bottom-right corner.
  • Scroll all the way down to the bottom, tap Other, then switch Popular Highlights to “off.”

Note: The Kindle app for Android doesn’t seem to have a setting for Popular Highlights, nor does it appear to display them—or at least, not that I can see.

Still have questions? Post them in the comments below, or send me an email.

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