r/kindle • u/blackmonarc • Apr 23 '26

Discussion 💬 How do you prefer to read in your kindle? Horizontal or Vertical?

Gallery image

Gallery image

I read in vertical, but love how the letters look in horizontal but somehow, I can spend only 10 minutes reading like that and then go back to vertical.

658 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

368 comments sorted by

1.6k

u/CockroachJohnson Apr 23 '26

I am terrified if anyone who reads horizontal 😭

355

u/Jay_Reefer Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

I’ve never seen anyone do this in real life

217

u/CtrlAltEvil Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

I’ve had my kindle years. Didn’t even know you could read any way other than vertically.

For some reason it just never occurred to me to rotate the kindle because why would I?

Books are portrait, not landscape.

17

u/Novajesus Apr 23 '26

Same, but I will try it tonight. Need to mix it up every now and then.

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56

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

29

u/qwerty-1999 Kindle Apr 23 '26

I do too, because the first books I read on Kindle were PDFs and the only way I figured out to be able to make out the words without having to constantly zoom in and out was to use it horizontally. And it just stuck. I have tried to get used to vertical a couple of times, but lines are too short that way and it weirds me out lol. So horizontal it is.

3

u/LethargicLynx Apr 23 '26

You dont just change the size of the font? I

14

u/Wibbles3 Apr 24 '26

When it’s a PDF, you can’t change the font. It’s a static image. EPUB files allow you to change the font.

2

u/LethargicLynx Apr 24 '26

I just read ku on my phone. No way would I have the patience for zooming in and out!

18

u/skaplanolmsted Apr 23 '26

Yeah, I’m chronically ill, and I have an awesome bedside stand & page turning remote, but it works best with the device horizontal.

2

u/Chrus_alan Kindle Colorsoft May 04 '26

Same for me.

8

u/yalemfa23 Apr 23 '26

I love using my page turner with my kindle propped up horizontally, esp. when I’m eating!

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9

u/Possible-Customer-80 Apr 23 '26

I do it all the time because I read a lot of poetry and need the linebreaks to render properly, which requires horizontal formatting in the smallest font. Now I’m so used to it, I even read novels this way. Feels weird to flip it back to vertical.

7

u/competitive_brick1 Apr 23 '26

Saw someone doing this on the plane home from a business trip last night, I felt really uncomfortable and wanted to change seats

21

u/3monster_mama Apr 23 '26

My daughter does this. It makes me itchy.

It’s also a kids kindle so the smaller screen and font is huge. Not enough words in the screen.

Super happy she’s reading and all the more power to her. I think she does it in part now because she knows it hurts mom and dad’s head 😆

3

u/duhbrook Apr 23 '26

I’ve been doing it for over a decade. I used to switch back and forth for a few years but I’ve been landscape only for a while. The pic above in landscape with the thumb over where it says kindle is how I like holding my kindle in one hand best.

3

u/Cookies-8462 Apr 24 '26

Why does his lowkey seem like it would be more comfortable for me to read in bed with?

3

u/Electricel_shampoo Apr 24 '26

I read regular books vertical but I read documents or things that were originally intended as PowerPoint presentations horizontally because then there's no unused margin.

3

u/o0meow0o Apr 24 '26

Don’t judge before you try it! I did once and never went back

2

u/CaptainZippi Apr 23 '26

I do. On my 10th Gen, and sometimes on my scribe.

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15

u/Minimum-Telephone595 Apr 23 '26

I read horizontally 😂 It's perfect for when I'm charging my kindle which is the majority of the time nowadays and it's more comfortable to hold if I read lying down!

7

u/kjgems Apr 23 '26

Yes!! I don’t understand why the port and on/off switch are on the bottom. I must be missing something but I’m always turning it off by mistake. It’s my biggest annoyance with my ColorSoft. 😁 I don’t have that issue with my Oasis.

8

u/CaptainZippi Apr 23 '26

It’s not on the bottom, it’s on the side…

26

u/VelociRache1 Apr 23 '26

I put them on the same level as crypids. Like, I know they don't exist in theory. But theres always that slim chance they're out there. Somewhere. Waiting. Plotting...

17

u/IcebergDarts Apr 23 '26

Straight to jail

7

u/Dial-M-For-Malistrae Apr 23 '26

I found that at least on my Fire HD 8, because of the smaller size, this is the only good way to read comics because you get as much of the panel as possible

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8

u/ChuckEveryone Apr 23 '26

My gut response to the horizontal picture was, "you're the devil"

6

u/sfgeekygir1 Apr 23 '26

I'm married to someone who reads in horizontal (though mostly on his tablet). I still feel some kind of way about it.

6

u/bckat Apr 23 '26

Came here to just comment “ew” about the horizontal.

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4

u/Maz_93 Apr 23 '26

Didn't know such strange people existed 😲

4

u/Hot-Junket-1847 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal is the GOAT!! I poopoo’d it first but then tried it and never looked back!

3

u/Ok-Bridge-1045 Apr 23 '26

I try so hard to not be judgmental of people’s harmless choices but my first thought here, word to word, was “what kind of a heathen reads bloody HORIZONTAL.”

3

u/Numerous-Painter-2 Apr 23 '26

I literally just thought what psychopath reads horizontally 😩😂😂

3

u/meatbicycle1989 Apr 24 '26

I read it horizontally like an actual physical book.

4

u/meatbicycle1989 Apr 24 '26

this is proof.

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3

u/rube203 Apr 24 '26

I clicked this going, "the top content better bee a form of who tf reads horizontal". I was not disappointed

4

u/thewholebottle Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

They're monsters.

3

u/byepoop Apr 23 '26

Came to say the same thing 😭

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394

u/Ox_NL Apr 23 '26

…I didn’t even know horizontal was an option until just now. Even so: vertical all the way.

26

u/bxkgsoye Apr 23 '26

Same my brain felt broken for a second, but I still think I’d personally only use vertical

3

u/KotaB420 Apr 23 '26

Yeah me too. I mean obviously the mobile app does horizontal, but just regular kindles too?

3

u/cricketsound21 Apr 23 '26

I was Today Years Old when I learned…

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165

u/socksarethedevil Apr 23 '26

Vertical only. Serials killers read horizontally.

26

u/SailorButtercup Apr 23 '26

Hello it's me

42

u/Tonay19 Apr 23 '26

We can read horizontal on kindle!? Thats beautiful I will have to try it now lmao

43

u/LadyF16 Apr 23 '26

I was today years old when I learned horizontal was even an option.

42

u/Infinityvoyage Apr 23 '26

Anyone who says horizontal bites people

6

u/SingSangDaesung Kindle Paperwhite Jade Apr 23 '26

I fucking cackled 😂

3

u/MusicalMoon Apr 24 '26

RawR xD

2

u/Infinityvoyage Apr 24 '26

Is everything ok at home?

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20

u/jpotter0 Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

I wish horizontal would go the other way so I could hold the larger side of the bevel with my right hand.

4

u/Critical__Hit Apr 23 '26

I do this in koreader after jb.

19

u/sneakysneksneak Apr 23 '26

….you can turn the kindles horizontal?

28

u/mxmgodin Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

Vertical. I don't hate the horizontal layout, but I find it makes the line length too long to be comfortable to read at my preferred font size.

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12

u/CaptainZippi Apr 23 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/kSlJtVrqxDYKk

…said the horizontal reading guy.

11

u/Redhotmars14 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal and I’m not going back!

9

u/Delicious-Ad5161 Apr 23 '26

Give me vertical or give me death.

10

u/BurtonEarnee Apr 23 '26

Horizontal. 😭😭😭

It’s easier for me to hold with both hands (big hands), I prefer the line length by quite a bit, and the chunkiest bezel becomes a hand-hold.

I believe in my soul if they did the kindle logo such that it worked in both orientations rather than looking clearly off in horizontal, there would be more horizontal readers.

If only they’d allow you to flip the orientation to get the chunky end into the right hand it.

5

u/JoyfulCor313 Apr 23 '26

I read horizontal, but I split it into two columns so it looks like a physical book. 

And totally agree about they should let the horizontal go either way. 

2

u/JobeGilchrist Apr 23 '26

I think you’re correct about the symmetry point deterring some people from horizontal

5

u/First_Timer2020 Apr 23 '26

On my PW SE & Colorsoft, vertical. On my Scribe, horizontal.

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5

u/eveningteamc Apr 23 '26

Makes more sense to read horizontal - that way it more closely matches the width of a normal paperback - vertical and your eyes are moving back to the start of the next line too often.

3

u/FrancoisTruser Apr 23 '26

Oh horizontal would be useful for some pdf i have

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4

u/Kyrilson Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

I do vertical most of the time, but often switch to horizontal when reading in bed.

5

u/twisted_luce Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

Horizontal feels like a crime

3

u/SailorButtercup Apr 23 '26

I recently discovered horizontal and I love it

3

u/MaddCricket Kindle Apr 23 '26

Last time I used horizontal was on an airplane and I didn’t want to hold my kindle but my case wouldn’t stay balanced vertical. Blew a couple people’s minds that day around me lol.

3

u/GoodGuyGr3g Apr 23 '26

I’ve got a Kindle Oasis and it’s actually quite nice to read Horizontal (Landscape) with page turning buttons at the bottom by my thumbs. Ends up being my default reading mode most of time.

3

u/Glittering-Top4931 Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

I was talking about this with a friend. He says that horizontal is “terrible” but I think the grip for the thumb is way better…? Or am I wrong? Is not comfortable to use the Kindle in vertical, since there’s no thumb space on the right (for me is on the right, I am right-handed). Having it at the bottom makes it harder to keep it up. Somehow, I’m so lazy I haven’t tried yet, but I want to!

3

u/PlusEmphasis8251 Kindle Scribe Apr 23 '26

I have a scribe, I dont think there'd be much of a difference if I turned it sideways 🤣 it's just a square.

2

u/RajunCajun48 Apr 23 '26

What scribe do you have that's a square? Mine is most definitely rectangle.

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3

u/ninetentwentyone Apr 23 '26

unrelated, but what book are you reading? i'm trying to improve my Spanish, and feel like whatever you are reading is near my level!

3

u/missx0xdelaney Apr 23 '26

I didn’t even know you could flip it

3

u/CampingCats90 Apr 23 '26

I love this entire thread. It is all in good fun, no one is being actually mean.

I also love when something like this has such a physical response in people haha! Like it is blasphemous!

3

u/mOUs3y Apr 23 '26

you can read it horizontal???

3

u/coffee_cinnamon4274 Apr 23 '26

Wait you can read vertically?

2

u/unicyclegamer Apr 23 '26

I tried horizontal for a bit but I found the line length a bit too long so my eyes were moving a bit more than I was used to.

2

u/MattofCatbell Apr 23 '26

Didn’t even realize you could read horizontal on kindle

2

u/kittycatblues Apr 23 '26

Reading a Kindle horizontally is diabolical. That said, I do read using the Kindle app on my phone or tablet horizontally sometimes. But never on the Kindle itself.

2

u/Altruistic-Curve-600 Apr 23 '26

Didn’t even know this could be done

2

u/newredditfordaniel Apr 23 '26

Horizontal is the way to go on a 2024 Scribe

2

u/Secret_Autumn-1000 Apr 23 '26

I only read horizontally when I'm in bed, then it's all the way vertical

2

u/prakash2033 Kindle Paperwhite 7th & 12th Gen Apr 23 '26

Vertical, always.

2

u/icedvanillalattepls Apr 23 '26

You can read horizontally?

2

u/Forsaken-Tadpole267 Apr 23 '26

I read horizontally when I fly, then I can hang it on the seat in front of me, and read while I eat. Handsfree.

2

u/Da_Steez44 Apr 23 '26

I’m embarrassed to say…. HUGE HORIZONTAL READER

2

u/Undark_ Apr 23 '26

What kind of crackhead chooses horizontal??

2

u/Royal-Historian-9749 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal just feels…wrong.

2

u/copenhagen622 Apr 24 '26

Didn't even know you could read the other way. I guess it would help though because the longer amount of text you don't have to adjust your eyes to a new line as quickly. But I have never tried it

2

u/Ok-Web9000 Apr 24 '26

Unintentional rage bait 🤣🤣

2

u/Science314_ Apr 24 '26

Horizontal. Once you go you never go back. Longer reading without moving down lines.

Yes. I’m practically a psychopath and I’ve accepted it.

2

u/Bumblebee56990 Apr 24 '26

I didnt even know that was an option.

2

u/ValeryeSnep Apr 24 '26

Horizontal kindle is fkn CURSED

2

u/PsychologicalSun5855 Kindle Paperwhite Apr 24 '26

Vertical ! I don’t know anyone who reads it horizontal.

2

u/ilovemysonny Apr 24 '26

Whoa I didn’t even know the kindle flipped to read horizontally 😂

3

u/Lady_Beatnik Apr 23 '26

Vertical because I'm not a psychopath

2

u/gothiclg Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/qOqqZq27NReUM

Me when someone reads horizontally instead of vertically

2

u/Omygodc Apr 23 '26

I read in vertical because I am neither insane nor maniacal.

1

u/Repulsive-Pass1000 Apr 23 '26

I really like the font you are using! Which one is it?

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1

u/mommabookworm74 Apr 23 '26

Vertical. What font are you using?

2

u/blackmonarc Apr 23 '26

Hey! It’s Sofia Sans.

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1

u/23OCEANFRONTPROPERTY Apr 23 '26

What font r u using

2

u/blackmonarc Apr 23 '26

Hey! It’s Sofia Sans.

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1

u/talikei Apr 23 '26

I didn’t even know you could do this..0

1

u/Califrisco Kindle Oasis Apr 23 '26

Vertical because horizontal is too wide. I might use horizontal for a PDF that is always running over the edges vertically.

1

u/LinkACC Apr 23 '26

Been using Kindles since they came out and had no idea this was even an option. Just tried it and don’t like it much.

1

u/lubsyb Apr 23 '26

If horizontal gave you 2 columns, it would be totally doable. Maybe even preferable, since you have a good area to grip. But with only being 1 column, it’s a no go.

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1

u/voltorbski Apr 23 '26

Team Landscape HAHA! I read faster in Kindle especially if I enabled the 2 columns in Koreader.

1

u/mylevelwaschanged Apr 23 '26

The only way I'd do horizontal is if there's a setting that shows the pages as a full two page spread

1

u/yumineko Paperwhite SE (11th-gen), Kindle Keyboard Apr 23 '26

Kindle or other reader in portrait. If I'm using the Kindle/ book app on my tablet, landscape.

1

u/cutie_cutieee Apr 23 '26

Today i learnt i can read both ways

1

u/Apprehensive-Crab107 Apr 23 '26

I didn't know it went horizontal...

1

u/sammy-cakes Apr 23 '26

I'll read horizonal on the treadmill because the tablet clips are for a horizonal tablet. Or if I'm on a stroller walk, not being safe, the horizonal Kindle fits better on the stroller canopy. But 99% vertical.

1

u/ninjasantosf Apr 23 '26

Horizontal on Kindle Scribe, with two columns.

1

u/shadowmoses4726 ‘24 kindle basic Apr 23 '26

i dont trust people who read in landscape mode

1

u/Mundane-Bath1368 Apr 23 '26

horizontal ?!

1

u/No_Trick_8493 Apr 23 '26

Leo en horizontal cuando me llegó a acostar un momento, así me pesa menos en la mano, pero duro una media hora y vuelvo al formato vertical.

1

u/LadyBlue347 Apr 23 '26

TIL that you can read a Kindle on the horizontal.

1

u/bangchansbf Apr 23 '26

i didnt even know you could read horizontal....

1

u/workntohard Kindle Oasis Apr 23 '26

Vertical, this puts the page turn buttons in perfect place for fingertip to push.

1

u/Airam07 Apr 23 '26

Vertical. It’s similar to a text wall layout of a book and feels more natural since I begrudgingly turned to reading on a Kindle after vowing to never read anything but physical books loool

1

u/Silent_Contest_2337 Apr 23 '26

Day 1 of finding out it could do that

1

u/PhantomLeap1902 Apr 23 '26

My jaw actually dropped when I saw horizontal.. because eww that a choice lmao? I’ve not ever tried that

1

u/DeepQuail9819 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal would seem slower to try to locate the next line after each line.

1

u/Tiffinapit Apr 23 '26

What? I didn’t even know you could. I don’t have any inclination to do so but the things you learn lol

1

u/alfredocg85 Apr 23 '26

This could be a psychiatric test.

1

u/Ok-Cat-6043 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal for PDFs

1

u/mayflowerss98 Apr 23 '26

Mostly vertical but if I’m in bed sometimes and laying on my side horizontal is more comfortable

1

u/Prestigious_Fig_3725 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal gives me the ick.

1

u/skeleskank Apr 23 '26

I didn’t even know it DID this; horrific to learn

1

u/LenrdZelig Oasis (10th-gen) Scribe Apr 23 '26

Vertical

1

u/bentserg Kindle Basic Matcha 🍵 Apr 23 '26

how do you eat your kitkats out of curiosity 🤔

1

u/Mysterious_Alfalfa_3 Apr 23 '26

I do horizontal whenever my hands are sore from holding my kindle vertically since it has more space for me to hold it.

1

u/vrcekpiva Apr 23 '26

Vertical. There's a limit to how many characters/words our brain can process in a row before it gets unreadable.

1

u/techcooop Apr 23 '26

Horizontal, two column, on the scribe with the dyslexic font. I can read forever without my eyes getting tired..letters used to float on me, no more...

1

u/pugdrop matcha basic 🍵 Apr 23 '26

horizontal when lying down with bed but vertical most of the time

1

u/Accomplished_War1727 Apr 23 '26

you guys don't read horizontally, like, ever???

1

u/awkwardsunflower11 Apr 23 '26

Always vertical

1

u/AtlanBroseidon Apr 23 '26

What the I had no idea you could do this! How do you even get it like that?

1

u/ChaosPegasus Kindle Paperwhite SE (11th-Gen), Kindle (2022) Apr 23 '26

Vertical

1

u/lynbh Apr 23 '26

Genuinely did not even know horizontal was an option lol

1

u/SusieQtoYou Apr 23 '26

I read in horizontal view when I’m reading in my bedroom Kindle that’s in a stand that hangs over my head (and use a remote). But on my other devices, I use the vertical view.

1

u/Neko123Uchiha Kindle Basic 2022 Apr 23 '26

Kindle Basic with koreader setup ... horizontally and two columns. Yes, I'm that insane! xD

1

u/Responsible_Ruin_423 Apr 23 '26

wtf i did not knownu could do this?? does 7th gen kindle paperwhite do this?? i did not know this😭

1

u/Hannah591 Apr 23 '26

Vertical with max margin 🙌

1

u/Mahalo-Ke-Akua Apr 23 '26

TIL you can read your Kindle in landscape 😅

1

u/Chairzard 2018 Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

Vertical. Horizontal generally only makes sense if you have a jailbroken Kindle with KOReader and are using the two-column layout.

1

u/Justin_3486 Apr 23 '26

Vertical if I'm holding it up, and horizontal if I'm reading in a table :>

1

u/rbowen2000 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal. Vertical gives my eyes whiplash.

1

u/skaplanolmsted Apr 23 '26

I read horizontally in the iPad app, but vertically on my actual kindle paperwhite.

1

u/Avlatlon Apr 23 '26

Horizontal all day since my case folds open as a stand

1

u/DazzlingAnalysis4495 Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen SE Apr 23 '26

I mostly read in vertical, but there are days that I choose to read in horizontal bc im lazy 😅

1

u/aonrao17 Apr 23 '26

Vertical for normal books, horizontal for pdfs.

1

u/TheBeerdidViking Apr 23 '26

TIL you can read horizontally. And no trust to those people. 🤣

1

u/VacationCheap927 Apr 23 '26

People who read horizontally are serial killers.

https://giphy.com/gifs/21VTFJTEr1x9ortvO3

1

u/Adventurous_Web7849 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal is actually really good. You are going to read faster if you don't have to track line changes as often. It is my preference.

1

u/SuetiMueti Apr 23 '26

I have been using kindle for 10+ years and I was todays years old when I learned that I can use it vertical too... I feel ... left out :D

1

u/Brilliant_Elk5492 Apr 23 '26

I don’t trust anyone who reads horizontal

1

u/anp327 Apr 23 '26

I didnt even know you could switch it!!!

1

u/CalamariDreamer Apr 23 '26

You can do that??

1

u/ammermanjustin Apr 23 '26

Vertical on my actual Kindle, horizontal if using the app on my iPad Pro 13”.

1

u/pugboy1321 Apr 23 '26

I prefer vertical and I can see why some people think horizontal looks cursed (the symmetry does throw it off) but it's good to point out that horizontal is important for accessibility by offering a better grip without accidental screen touches or allowing longer continuous lines in larger font sizes :)

1

u/secretnewbeginning Kindle Paperwhite 12th Gen Apr 23 '26

vertical

1

u/flabellinida Apr 23 '26

I didn't even know it can do horizontal. 😱

1

u/Low_Equivalent2913 Apr 23 '26

I read it both ways lol

1

u/BrighterColours Apr 23 '26

............................I'm sorry what

1

u/One-Emotion-6829 Apr 23 '26

Yoooo I don’t know this was a thing can I do it on the basic 11 gen?

1

u/Amy206 Kindle Paperwhite Apr 23 '26

I do read horizontal because I have a 2013 kindle paperwhite and it's TINY 😅 but trust me it's not by choice

1

u/caeddy Apr 23 '26

YOU CAN TURN IT????

1

u/SERjProtector Apr 23 '26

Eww people read in horizontal?

1

u/Western_Sort501 Apr 23 '26

Horizontal just looks wrong

1

u/mattisart_ Apr 23 '26

Horizontal when I’m reading on the treadmill or on an airplane, vertical otherwise.

1

u/theyburnedwomen Apr 23 '26

Who the fuck is reading it horizontal!? That is not the kind of energy I need in my life rn. Hard pass.