Overview
- Amazon, which began emailing customers Tuesday, will block Kindle Store purchases, borrows, and downloads on devices from 2012 or earlier starting May 20, 2026.
- Books already on these devices will still open, but any factory reset or deregistration after the deadline will stop the device from ever being set up again.
- The cutoff covers early e‑readers back to the 2007 Kindle and first‑gen Paperwhite, plus 2011–2012 Kindle Fires, though other apps on those tablets will keep working.
- To ease the switch, Amazon is giving eligible owners 20% off select new Kindles and an e‑book credit that runs through June 20, and full libraries remain reachable in the Kindle apps and on the web.
- Amazon says roughly 3% of users are affected, and the decision has prompted complaints about e‑waste and forced upgrades after years of phased limits such as a 2016 update requirement and the 2021 3G shutdown.