Amazon seems to be on a feature discontinuation spree with Chime, Inspire, Kindle books downloads, and Android Appstore being shelved

Amazon’s been swinging the discontinuation scythe lately, chopping down a trio of features and tweaking how we “own” e-books. From communication tools to TikTok wannabes and good old Kindle downloads and backups, the retail giant’s making some bold moves. Let’s dive into this whirlwind of farewells.

Imagine hosting a meeting on Amazon Chime, feeling all corporate-chic. Savor it — Amazon’s killing it. Per the official blog post, Chime — your go-to for meetings, chats, and calls — stopped taking new customers on February 19, 2025 and shuts down February 20, 2026. Existing Team or Enterprise users can ride it out until then, but after? No more Zoom-rivaling glory. Amazon’s pointing folks to AWS Wickr or partners like Zoom and Slack. Need help bailing? AWS Support’s your lifeline. The Chime SDK lives on, thankfully.

Inspire, Amazon’s TikTok-esque feed for shoppable videos, is kaput. Launched in 2022, it let influencers flaunt products, but a TechCrunch-confirmed spokesperson said it’s not what customers want in2025. Maybe it’s the $25-per-video deal that flopped in 2023, or Amazon’s Instagram and Snap tie-ins from November 2023. Either way, Rufus, the AI shopping pal, and a quirky redirect-to-other-brands feature are stealing the spotlight. So long, short-form dreams.

Kindle fans, brace yourselves: from February 26, 2025, you can’t download books to your PC and USB them over. This old-school move was gold for backups or converting to EPUB for non-Kindle readers. Amazon’s nudging you to Wi-Fi, maybe to thwart DRM-stripping.

Furthermore, California’s AB 2426 law has Amazon fessing up: e-books are licenses, not yours. Listings now scream it — same deal as always, just clearer. Valve beat Amazon to the punch on Steam, but now it’s official: that $15 digital read isn’t truly owned.

Amazon’s discontinuation spree has also claimed another scalp. The company dropped a bombshell: starting August 20, 2025, the Amazon Appstore for Android devices is toast. Yep, that quirky alternative to Google Play is bowing out, leaving us Android fans blinking in disbelief. As of today, February 20, 2025, Amazon Coins — those virtual coins you’ve been saving for app steals — are off the purchase menu, too.

Come August, apps you’ve nabbed from the Appstore might turn into digital duds — Amazon’s waving a cheeky “no guarantees” flag on their functionality. Don’t worry, Fire TV and Fire Tablet users; your Appstore isn’t going anywhere. But for Android diehards, it’s time to pivot — or at least hoard some nostalgia. Got leftover Coins? Spend ‘em by August 20, 2025, or Amazon promises a refund for any you’ve bought that are still kicking around post-deadline.

Amazon’s not solo in this purge. Apple axed 15 products in 2024 — like the MacBook Air M1. Meta ditched the Quest 3 128GB late last year, but at least they replaced it with the Quest 3S. Google killed Podcasts, Bard, Nest Secure, VPN by Google One, and more in 2024 alone. But as of 2025, Amazon’s hogging the discontinuation stage.

It’s clear Amazon’s trimming the fat — Chime’s out for bigger bets, Inspire’s toast for social media wins, and Kindle’s locked tighter. It’s strategy meets survival: ditch flops, curb piracy, and nod to laws. For us? Swap meeting apps, scroll Instagram for deals, and pray your Wi-Fi’s solid. Rufus and AI goodies hint at what’s next. Other giants are chilling — for now. Grab popcorn; this tech drama’s just warming up.

NOTE: The article has been updated with Android Appstore news.