Amazon is preparing to end support for Kindle devices released before 2012 — cutting them off from the Kindle Store and making them virtually unable to load any new content. The company set a cutoff date set for May 20, 2026.
Amazon sent an email to customers this week announcing it would end support for the devices, according to screenshots of the message posted to social media and Reddit from customers, and confirmed by Amazon. According to the message, Kindle e-readers and tablets released in 2012 or earlier will lose access to Kindle Store functions after the deadline. That means affected devices will no longer be able to buy, borrow, or download new books directly.
After May 20, users will only be able to use their devices to read content that’s already downloaded. Once an older device is deregistered or reset to factory settings, it cannot be re-registered after May 20.
Amazon’s list of impacted models includes the original Kindle (1st and 2nd generation), Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4 and 5, Kindle Touch, and the first-generation Kindle Paperwhite.
“These models have been supported for at least 14 years — some as long as 18 years — but technology has come a long way in that time, and these devices will no longer be supported moving forward,” Jesse Carr, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement to TechCrunch. “We are notifying those still actively using them and offering promotions to help with the transition to newer devices.”
Users can continue to access their libraries through newer devices, the Kindle mobile app, or Kindle for Web, the Amazon spokesperson said.
Several longtime users voiced frustrations about the move to end support for older Kindles, many of which are in excellent condition and have not seen any operational degradation. On Reddit, multiple users said they still rely on these older devices and see no reason to replace them. For some, it felt like another example of tech companies discontinuing support for perfectly functional products, pushing customers toward upgrades while contributing to growing electronic waste. One example of this is Google, which ended support for its older Nest thermostats in 2025. According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), global e-waste is estimated to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, a 32% jump from 2022.
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One Reddit user wrote, “I’ve had my Kindle for years, but it still works perfectly and continues to serve me well. How wasteful is it to make a product practically unusable in order to force people to buy a newer model.”
For some, the change meant it might be time to get an alternative e-ink reader, like the Boox Palma or Vivlio e-reader.
The decision to essentially kill older Kindle devices isn’t entirely unexpected, as Amazon has gradually reduced support for its legacy devices. In 2016, the company required Kindle e-reader models from 2012 and earlier to install updates just to maintain access to the Kindle Store, an early sign that long-term support for these devices would eventually come to an end.
