Amazon has made a significant announcement regarding its older Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire devices. Starting on May 20, 2026, all Kindle and Kindle Fire models released in 2012 and earlier will lose access to the Kindle Store. This means that users of these devices will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content.
According to Amazon spokesperson Jackie Burke, users will still have the ability to read books that are already downloaded to their devices. They can also access their accounts and Kindle purchases through the Kindle mobile app, Kindle for Web, and newer devices. However, if users choose to deregister their older devices or perform a factory reset, they will not be able to re-register them after the May deadline.
The list of devices affected by this decision includes some of the earliest models in the Kindle lineup, dating back to the original Kindle released in 2007. The complete list of affected devices is as follows:
- Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
- Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010)
- Kindle Keyboard (2010)
- Kindle 4 (2011)
- Kindle Touch (2011)
- Kindle 5 (2012)
- Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012)
- Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011)
- Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012)
- Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
- Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)
Amazon plans to notify users of these older devices via email before the May 20 cutoff, providing details on what capabilities their devices will retain. Notably, while pre-2012 Kindle Fire devices will face the same restrictions regarding books, other apps and Amazon services available on these devices will remain unaffected.
For users who have been using these older Kindle devices for years, Amazon is offering an incentive to upgrade to newer hardware. Customers will receive a 20% discount on new Kindle devices, along with a $20 ebook credit that will be credited to their accounts after they upgrade. This offer will be valid until June 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT. Users can access their previous purchases on new devices as long as they log in with the same account they have used for the past 14 years or more.
This decision follows a similar move made by Amazon in 2016, when users of several Kindle e-reader models from 2012 and earlier were required to update their device software to maintain access to the Kindle Store. However, a decade later, it appears that the time has finally come for these older models to be retired from service.
As the technology landscape evolves, Amazon's decision to phase out support for these older devices underscores a broader trend in the tech industry where companies streamline their services to focus on newer, more advanced technologies. Users are encouraged to take advantage of the upgrade opportunities before the impending deadline.
Source: The Verge News