Amazon is preparing to end support for Kindle devices released before 2012 — cutting them off from the Kindle Store and making them virtually unable to load any new content. The company set a cutoff date for May 20, 2026.
Amazon sent an email to customers this week announcing it would end support for the devices, according to screenshots of the message posted to social media and Reddit from customers, and confirmed by Amazon. According to the message, Kindle e-readers and tablets released in 2012 or earlier will lose access to Kindle Store functions after the deadline. That means affected devices will no longer be able to buy, borrow, or download new books directly.
After May 20, users will only be able to use their devices to read content that’s already downloaded. Once an older device is deregistered or reset to factory settings, it cannot be re-registered after May 20.
Amazon’s list of impacted models includes the original Kindle (1st and 2nd generation), Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4 and 5, Kindle Touch, and the first-generation Kindle Paperwhite.
“These models have been supported for at least 14 years — some as long as 18 years — but technology has come a long way in that time, and these devices will no longer be supported moving forward,” Jesse Carr, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement to TechCrunch. “We are notifying those still actively using them and offering promotions to help with the transition to newer devices.”
Users can continue to access their libraries through newer devices, the Kindle mobile app, or Kindle for Web, the Amazon spokesperson said.
Several longtime users voiced frustrations about the move to end support for older Kindles, many of which are in excellent condition and have not seen any operational degradation. On Reddit, multiple u …