What is Loc on Kindle? [Everything You Need to Know!]

If you have a Kindle, you’ve probably noticed a feature called Kindle Loc. This is a really cool feature that is available on all Kindle devices. 

Kindle Loc replaces page numbers on Kindles. Loc stands for Location and saves your place when reading. Kindle Loc has other features in addition to saving your page. It also measures your reading speed and the percentage of the book you’ve read.

In this article, I’ll explain what Kindle Loc is and how it works. I’ll also explain if you can still view page numbers with Kindle Loc, and if it syncs with other devices. Let’s get started! 

What Is Loc on Kindle?

Loc, also called the location, on a Kindle determines where you are in your e-book. Because e-books allow you to change the font, size, and so forth, you cannot accurately determine your reading location with a page number. This is because the page number will constantly change based on the font and size settings. 

Kindle Loc takes the place of traditional page numbers so that you can easily pinpoint where you were in a book. For example, let’s say you were on page 102 in Arial 12-point font. The Kindle Loc was at 77. Now, let’s say you switch to Times New Roman 10-point font. Suddenly, page 102 is significantly different from what you were reading.

However, in our example, the Kindle Loc will still be at 77. If you went to Loc 77, you would be right back where you’d left off, but you’d be on a completely different page.

Kindle Loc is really useful in that no matter where you are in the book, you can always find your location. 

Another feature of Kindle Loc is that it tracks exactly how much of the book you’ve read in percentages. This allows you to accurately determine how much more of the book you have until reaching the end. This is especially nice if you’re reading for school or you need to complete a certain amount of a book every day. 

How Does Kindle Loc Work? 

This section will talk about how Kindle determines where you are in a book. Kindle Loc is set up so that each location in the book is about twenty-five words. This is fixed, and it doesn’t change when the font size or type changes. The only way the location changes is when you move pages or scroll further down if you are using the vertical scrolling feature. 

As you read the book or move through the pages, you’ll notice that the location changes with you. The location may not be entirely accurate if you have an especially small font on your Kindle, but typically it will read an almost exact amount. 

Kindle Loc has a system to determine the exact location, just like anything else. Here’s how it works: 

The Kindle uses a technology known as an absolute position system which, in turn, uses named locations that will change with every 150 bytes of data (which contain a certain number of characters). If you’re interested in the science behind this, Kindle Loc uses a formula: floor(bytes/150) + 1. 

This formula includes the HTML data which is the text you read on your Kindle device. 

Can You Still View Page Numbers With Kindle Loc?

If you want more than just the location settings that Kindle provides, and you’d rather know the actual page number, you can view it. However, you may notice that the page numbers stay the same through about four or five different “page turns.” 

You can view the full number of pages in the book or the estimated page number where you currently are through your settings. Follow the following instructions to view this information: 

1. Tap the center of your screen.
2. Tap Go-To.
3. The page number will appear.

This will show you both your current page number and current Kindle Loc location. In this way, you can tie the two together in addition to knowing just one or the other. 

You can also view the page numbers in the app and on your Kindle (the page number is at the bottom lefthand corner of the screen). It will also display the location information. 

As a note, you will need to tap on the font section at the top of the page before viewing this. Afterward, you should be able to view the page number, location number, and percentage of the book which you’ve read. 

How To Change From Location to Page Numbers on a Kindle?

If you want your Kindle to show the actual page numbers at the bottom of the screen instead of the location, this is possible through your settings. It’s important to recognize, however, that this isn’t going to be as accurate as the location from the Kindle. 

Follow the steps below to get your Kindle to show the page numbers instead of the location: 

1. On your Kindle, tap on the book you are currently reading.
2. Tap the top part of your screen. 
3. Tap the font selector, which looks like Aa. 
4. Tap More. 
5. Tap Location in Book. 
6. Tap Page in Book. 

This will change the auto settings to show page numbers rather than the Kindle Loc. 

While this setting will enable your Kindle to show page numbers, the page numbers are not necessarily true to the physical book. This is partly because the pages are smaller on the Kindle than in the physical book. This is why, as I mentioned earlier, the page number may stay the same through four or five different “page turns.” 

How High Does the Location Go on a Kindle? 

Kindle locations go from one all the way up to ten thousand. No matter how long your book is, it’s nearly guaranteed to be included in Kindle Loc. 

You can also select any location to go to in this range simply by typing in the location number or scrolling to find it. This can be enormously useful, but it can be difficult to remember your location exactly. This is why it’s useful to also bookmark your page where you are. 

Does Kindle Loc Sync With Other Devices?

One of the main benefits of using the Kindle Loc system is that it allows all your e-books to sync. For example, suppose you own a Kindle Paperwhite and also enjoy reading your content on your computer and the app on your phone. In that case, you will automatically see the location sync to other devices, no matter what device you are reading on. 

What this means is that you can start a book on your computer, pick it back up later on your phone in the afternoon, and finish the chapter on your Kindle Paperwhite while heading to bed. 

This feature is one of the best features of Kindle Loc because it gives you the freedom to move around and still keep up with exactly where you are in your e-books. 

In addition to the location syncing, the Kindle Loc system also syncs all of your highlights and the notes you’ve made along the way. This means that whatever you decide to add to your book will follow you. This is especially useful when it comes to reading school books or other books you may want to keep up with.