Tip #49: Kindle Backup versus Synchronize

Kindles come with a couple of sync options: annotations back up and synchronize

What's the difference?
With annotations backup, the notes, bookmarks and highlights you make will be backed up by Amazon and stored. You can turn this option on and off within the Kindle.
From Home page, Menu > Settings, scroll to Annotations Backup and toggle the Turn On/ Turn Off option with your 5-way.

Synchronizing
If you've ever been reading a Kindle book and selected Menu, you may have seen "Sync to the Furthest Page Read".  That means your most recent page will be saved to any other device on which you have a Kindle application: computer, iPhone, another Kindle etc.
That's great if you read a Kindle at home and on your other device when you are out and about. Your last page read and your notes etc will be available. Same thing if you buy a new Kindle.... everything can be synchronized over and be an almost seamless transition.

A time when you may not want this option might be if you share an Amazon account with someone else. I share my account with a family member who also has a Kindle. So when she opens a book I have already read, it opens at the end and includes any notes I have made on that book. Sometimes I make a lot of them.

This feature can also be turned off but that's done within  your Amazon Manage your Kindle page. At the very bottom of that page is a link: Manage Kindle Device Synchronization where you can turn it off.
At this page is a note:

You should turn synchronization off only if:

• You and someone else are reading the same book, AND
• The Kindles are registered to a single account