Compatibility
Which browsers and operating systems can read a Kindle directly, which need the file picked by hand, and what has actually been tested on hardware.
There are two routes into Book2Deck, and only the first one depends on your setup:
- Direct USB — the page talks to the Kindle itself. Needs WebUSB, so a desktop Chromium browser, and an operating system that will let go of the device.
- Manual file — you hand over
vocab.dbyourself. Works in every modern browser, including Safari, Firefox and mobile ones.
Both produce the same cards.
By operating system
| System | Direct USB | Picking the file by hand |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Works. Confirmed on a Kindle Scribe. | Awkward: macOS has no MTP support, so you need Send to Kindle USB File Manager, OpenMTP or Android File Transfer first. |
| Windows | Expected to fail. The MTP stack belongs to the kernel and does not release the interface to a browser. | Easy: the Kindle appears in Explorer as a portable device. |
| Linux | Works under conditions: the device must not already be mounted by gvfs, and you need access to the USB node. | Straightforward in most desktops. |
| ChromeOS | Untested. We make no claim. | Straightforward. |
The two failures look different on purpose. If another program holds the device, Book2Deck says so and the fix is to close it. If the operating system holds it, the message points you at the manual route instead — retrying would never help.
By browser
Direct reading needs WebUSB, which exists in desktop Chrome, Edge and other Chromium-based browsers. Safari and Firefox do not implement it, and no mobile browser does — including Chrome on Android. On those, use the manual file route.
The page checks this before you press anything and tells you which routes are available, rather than failing at the first click.
Tested on hardware
| Device | System | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kindle Scribe (2022), 32 GB | macOS 26, Apple Silicon, Chrome | Read, parsed and exported. 2749 lookups across 131 books. |
That is one confirmed configuration, and we would rather say so than imply a matrix we have not filled in. Kindles from before 2024 mount as ordinary USB drives instead of MTP devices; direct reading does not apply to them, and it is not needed — the file is right there in your file manager.
If your device works, or does not, the troubleshooting page explains what the diagnostic report contains and what it deliberately leaves out.
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