Some of these local solutions will address common problems for many Kindle owners, not just those affected by Amazon’s hard shutdown. You can breathe new life into your device, whether it’s ten years old, five years old, or even if you bought it last year.
If you have a Kindle that Amazon no longer supports, make sure you don’t unsubscribe or perform a factory reset. Amazon has warned that you won’t be able to re-register an unsupported device, which will render it completely unusable. But as long as your Kindle still works, it’s definitely worth trying these four things before tossing it in the recycling bin.
Sideloading Books on Your Kindle
The process is actually quite simple. Connect your Kindle to a computer via USB and drop any EPUB, MOBI, or PDF file into your Kindle’s “documents” folder, usually located in Kindle > Internal Storage > Documents. You can even use a third-party solution like Caliber to manage your library, convert files to different types, and send books directly to your Kindle without having to delve into file directories yourself.
If you’re using a Kindle that can still connect to Amazon’s online services, there’s an easier way to download: the official Send to Kindle page. From there, you can drag and drop PDF, EPUB, and a wide variety of other file types to add to your Kindle’s library. This service makes it easy to move books between devices. If you’re running out of storage space on your old Kindle, try this workaround before deciding to upgrade to a newer model with more gigabytes.
Manage your Kindle’s storage space.
The best way to free up storage space on your Kindle is to archive books you’re not actively reading. However, Kindle does not have a native archiving feature. Amazon’s intended method for managing your library is to delete books from your device and re-download them from your account’s Kindle Library if you want to re-read them later. If you want to take archiving into your own hands, you can back up books that aren’t covered by digital rights management (DRM) policies to iCloud or other cloud storage alternatives.
Extend the battery life of your Kindle.
A study conducted at the University of New South Wales found that a smartphone’s Wi-Fi functionality consumes around 5 milliwatts for 120 seconds when the device is idle. That’s about the same amount of energy used by a powerful laser pointer. It’s even more important to turn off Wi-Fi if you’re using a Kindle for which Amazon has cut off online support. If those old Kindles have Wi-Fi turned on, they’re wasting power trying to access services they can’t access at all anymore.
Another way to keep your Kindle disconnected from Wi-Fi is to put it in airplane mode. This will turn off all wireless transmission functions on your device, which can go a long way in saving power. This is just one of the benefits of keeping your Kindle in airplane mode; it will help you avoid battery-consuming Wi-Fi features and improve your Kindle experience in other ways.
Change settings to improve your Kindle’s performance
The first thing you may need to try is turning off Page Refresh in Settings > Reading Options. By default, Kindle devices refresh the screen every time you turn the page to avoid ghosting. If you turn off page refresh, you may briefly notice a slight “ghosting” of words from the previous page, but that might be a compromise you’re willing to make if it improves the Kindle’s performance.
If your Kindle supports page turn animations, turning them off is another way to improve performance while reading. Go to Display Settings (the “Aa” button in your device’s drop-down menu) and navigate to “More.” In this menu, you can turn the page-turn animation on or off. Turning off these animations will result in faster transitions, making your reading experience feel as modern as if you had purchased a completely new model.
