If you’ve been using a trusty Kindle device for the past 15 years, this week might be tough for some of you.
In case you hadn’t heard, Amazon announced recently that it is ending support for many older Kindle models on May 20. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop using the device entirely, but it does mean you need to be prepared for what comes next. Here is all the info you need for the old Kindle shutdown this week, including what you can still do with the device once it happens.
Durobo’s Krono e-reader is the perfect palm-sized e-reader — and a great Kindle and Kobo alternative
Amazon Kindle shutdown: What you can still do
For starters, it would be good to know exactly which devices are being affected this week:
-
Kindle (1st generation)
-
Kindle (2nd generation)
-
Kindle DX
-
Kindle DX Graphite
-
Kindle Keyboard
-
Kindle 4
-
Kindle Touch
-
Kindle 5
-
Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation)
-
Kindle Fire (1st generation)
-
Kindle Fire (2nd generation)
-
Kindle Fire HD 7
-
Kindle Fire HD 8.9
In other words, basically every Kindle released before 2013 is included in the list. As I said, this will mostly apply to people who have been hanging onto the same device for a decade and a half.
Mashable Light Speed
Anyway, let’s talk about what “ending support” means in this context. According to Amazon, all of the Kindle models listed above “will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store.” They’ll still turn on, and you can still use them to read books already installed on the device, but you will no longer be able to purchase or download new ones directly from the Kindle Store.
As for what you can do from here, there are a few options. Your first option is to just download as many books as you possibly can on the device in advance of this coming Wednesday, and live with the fact that those are the only books you can have on that particular Kindle.
Some users are finding ways to sideload books or jailbreak their devices, according to PCMag, though it’s important to note that doing so almost certainly violates Amazon’s terms of service.
If none of those options sound particularly appealing, your last and best bet will be to check out our list of the best e-readers of 2026 so far and purchase a new one. Spending money on a new e-reader isn’t especially fun, but Amazon has sorta backed old Kindle owners into a corner here.
