What changed in book apps in 2025 and 2026?
The biggest changes: Amazon launched Kindle Recaps and Story So Far in April 2025 and Ask this Book in December 2025, launched a cheaper Audible Standard plan at $8.99 in March 2026, and renamed Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+ on 22 October 2026 at an unchanged $11.99. Spotify took audiobooks to more than 180 markets in October 2026. Kobo and StoryGraph began syncing reading progress in May 2026. Magic Bookmark launched in the US in August 2026 and added audiobooks on 27 October 2026. Every entry below is dated and sourced.
Why keep a changes log?
Because prices and plans change faster than reviews are rewritten, and a reader comparing apps needs to know which facts are new. Each row gives the date of the change, what changed, and what it means for a reader, with a link to our page about it. When we correct one of our own figures, that goes in the log too.
How do we decide what goes in?
A change goes in if it alters what a reader pays, what they keep, or what an app can do for them, and if we can date it from the company's own announcement, help page, store listing or a dated news report. Rumors and unannounced tests do not.
| Date | Company | What changed | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Apr 2025 | Amazon | Kindle Recaps announced: series refreshers, and Story So Far for the current book | Free spoiler-free recaps inside Kindle ebooks in the US |
| Dec 2025 | Amazon | Ask this Book on the Kindle iOS app in the US | Plot and character questions answered without spoilers, Kindle ebooks only |
| 3 Mar 2026 | Audible | Standard plan at $8.99 a month, one title a month to listen to while subscribed | A cheaper Audible, but titles do not stay after you cancel |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Amazon | Magazines count toward the Kindle Unlimited 20-title limit | Fewer slots for books if you also read magazines |
| 19 May 2026 | Kobo and StoryGraph | Reading progress sync between Kobo and StoryGraph | Kobo readers can log progress without typing it in |
| 20 Aug 2026 | Yomu | Magic Bookmark 1.0.1, first US App Store release | A recap, cast list and chat that stop at your page, for supported titles on iPhone |
| 7 Oct 2026 | Spotify | Audiobooks expand to more than 180 markets | Included audiobook hours reach far more Premium subscribers |
| 21 Oct 2026 | Yomu | Magic Bookmark 1.1: a flow for finishing a book and moving to the next | Series readers can roll straight into the next book |
| 22 Oct 2026 | Amazon | Kindle Unlimited renamed Kindle+, price unchanged at $11.99 | Same deal, new name, more audiobooks |
| 27 Oct 2026 | Yomu | Magic Bookmark 1.1.1 adds audiobook support | Type the last phrase you heard to get a recap |
| 3 Nov 2026 | Best Book Apps | Corrected Libro.fm to $14.99 a month and Kobo Plus Read & Listen to $9.99 after checks on their sites | Our earlier $16.99 and $12.99 figures were wrong; scores unchanged |
Questions readers actually ask
- When did Kindle Unlimited become Kindle+?
- On 22 October 2026. The US price stayed $11.99 a month and the 20-title borrowing limit stayed the same.
- When did Audible launch its Standard plan?
- In March 2026, at $8.99 a month for one title a month that you can listen to while you stay subscribed.
- When did Magic Bookmark add audiobooks?
- In version 1.1.1, released on 27 October 2026 on the US App Store.
Sources
- Amazon: Kindle Recaps, Story So Far and Ask this Book (updated July 2026)
- Good e-Reader: Ask this Book is available on the Kindle app for iOS (14 December 2025)
- TechCrunch: Audible launches a cheaper Standard subscription plan (3 March 2026)
- Amazon: Kindle+ subscription, your questions answered (updated 22 October 2026)
- Good e-Reader: Rakuten Kobo and StoryGraph team up (19 May 2026)
- Spotify Newsroom: Audiobooks on Spotify are going global (7 October 2026)
- Magic Bookmark: Book Recaps on the US App Store, version history (checked 2026-11-03)
- Libro.fm: membership plans (checked 2026-11-03)
- Kobo: Kobo Plus plans (checked 2026-11-03)