Calibre 8.6 released with enhanced database restore speed & AZW3 default format for Kindle

Calibre 8.6 delivers several changes aimed at both performance and usability. Most notably, restoring the database is now much faster than before, with performance improvements measured at an order of magnitude. This change will benefit users who manage large e-book libraries or frequently move their data.

Addressing account controls, a new option in the content server user preferences lets administrators prevent user accounts from modifying their own passwords via the web interface. This addition may interest those deploying Calibre's server features in shared or multi-user environments.

Following these core improvements, new interface tweaks provide greater flexibility when managing complex libraries. The series sort value can now be shown in the Tag browser through a preference setting, helping readers track series in a preferred order. Users working with authors and items will also find new Search “not in” and Filter “not in” buttons that allow exclusions, supporting more tailored organization.

While adjusting for device output, the Welcome wizard has shifted the default Kindle output from MOBI to AZW3, better reflecting current Kindle standards. Calibre 8.6 also delivers multiple bug fixes, an additional news source, and updates to several existing feeds.