4 Things You Need to Try Before Replacing Your Old Kindle

As of May 20, 2026, Amazon will no longer support older Kindle models released before 2013. This has introduced a whole host of issues for people with these older models: loss of access to the Kindle Store, poor performance, the possibility of bricking the device, and more. Does this mean you should finally give up and buy a new e-reader? Not quite; There are several things you should try before replacing your old Kindle.

Some of these local solutions will solve common problems for a large number of 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 is no longer supported by Amazon, 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, rendering 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 is the process of adding content to a device from somewhere other than the official store. Once Amazon stops supporting older Kindle models, sideloading becomes the only way to add more books to the device. Other companies, like Apple, have made it difficult or impossible to download content to their devices. However, it is still entirely possible to download books on all Kindle models. There are many underrated places to get free Kindle ebooks, so sideloading can benefit any user.

The process is actually quite simple. Simply 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.

One thing that could be slowing down your old Kindle is your huge collection of e-books. A device’s storage is not just the space where it saves files; it is also the space that the operating system uses for various tasks. Many applications generate temporary files containing the data needed to run the application’s current workload. If the device has limited storage space, the system cannot generate as many temporary files at once, which may slow down some functions.

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 of managing your library is to simply delete books from your device and re-download them from your account’s Kindle Library if you want to re-read them in the future. 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.

Kindles use lithium-ion batteries which inevitably degrade over time, so it’s worth getting a little more out of them by making a few changes to the way you use your device. Reducing screen brightness and avoiding overloading your device are a few simple habits that can help. However, one of the most important changes you can make is to turn off Wi-Fi when not in use.

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 simply put it in airplane mode. This will disable 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; This will help you avoid battery-consuming Wi-Fi features and improve your Kindle experience in other new ways.

Do you feel like your old Kindle is stuttering and no longer turns pages as easily? This is a natural result of aging hardware and Amazon’s lack of software updates for existing devices. Before replacing it with a new e-reader, you can change a few settings that might speed up your Kindle just enough.

The first thing you may need to try is turning off Page Refresh by going to Settings > Reading Options > Page Refresh. 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 enable or disable the page turn animation. Disabling these animations will result in a faster transition that can make your reading experience as modern as if you had purchased a completely new model.