18 Things You Can No Longer Do on an Unsupported Kindle

Amazon has discontinued support for Kindle e-readers manufactured before 2012 effective May 20, 2026. The retailer’s decision to stop supporting devices at least 14 years old should not be surprising, as mobile devices routinely reach the end of their lifespan well before 14 years. Still, users of now-unsupported models may be frustrated to learn that the functionality of their devices has been significantly limited. In fact, many key features have stopped working.

Which models were affected? The following Kindle e-readers are no longer supported: Kindle 1st generation, Kindle 2nd generation, Kindle DX, Kindle DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5, Kindle Paperwhite 1st generation. Additionally, several Kindle Fire tablets lost Kindle eBook functionality after the shutdown: Kindle Fire 1st generation, Kindle Fire 2nd generation, Kindle Fire HD 7, Kindle Fire HD 8.9.

The list of features no longer available on older Kindle devices includes actions like factory resets and downloading previously purchased content. The following list covers most scenarios in which an old, unsupported Kindle device will not perform as expected.

The following list describes what is no longer possible on older, unsupported Kindles. Some may seem obvious, while others may only impact users as they attempt to perform specific tasks.

1. Register a Kindle with an Amazon account.
2. Re-register an old Kindle after a factory reset.
3. Re-register an old Kindle after deregistering it.
4. Access Amazon servers.
5. Access cloud-based libraries.
6. Go to the Kindle Store.
7. Go to Kindle Unlimited.
8. Buy new Kindle books.
9. Borrow new Kindle books.
10. Download new Kindle books.
11. Download existing Kindle books that have been purchased in the past but not downloaded.
12. Download Kindle books and transfer them via USB (feature was removed in 2025).
13. Use the Send to Kindle feature.
14. Use Libby’s Send to Kindle feature.
15. Sync reading progress and other eBook data across devices.
16. Back up Kindle data.
17. Restore data from backups.
18. Receive new software and security updates.

Although older Kindle readers and tablets can no longer connect to Amazon servers or other e-book sources to access new content, they can still be useful. Users can still read all Kindle books purchased and downloaded before May 20. Additionally, affected Kindles still support sideloading of compatible files and access to personal files.

Other features not related to reading Amazon books will also continue to work on older devices. Kindle Fire tablets can still be used as Android tablets, although older devices may not work as well as newer tablets. Amazon users can also continue reading their Kindle books elsewhere, including on new Kindle readers and the Kindle app, available on iPhone, iPad, Android devices and Mac. The Kindle app for PC is discontinued.

If you’re in the market for a new device, Amazon’s Fire line offers a variety of models with great features, including five cool things you probably didn’t know Amazon Fire tablets could do.