Amazon is withdrawing support for Kindle devices starting in 2012 or earlier. What to do now

That Kindle you’ve been holding onto for 15 years now has an expiration date, as Amazon will end support for Kindle models from 2012 or earlier on May 20. An Australian Kindle user first reported the change before Amazon He confirmed the news to PCMag It said it would soon send an email to users in the US.

Books you’ve already downloaded to your Kindle won’t disappear after next month, but you won’t be able to connect to the network to buy, borrow, or download new books.

If you still have a book you want to finish reading on one of these devices, make sure you don’t unenroll or factory reset the device. In the email shared by Australian user on RedditAmazon says that if you unenroll or reset the device, you won’t be able to re-enroll the device or use it at all afterward.

“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,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNET. “We are actively notifying those who are still using them and offering promotions to help with the transition to newer devices.”

Switch devices

Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 or earlier will lose the ability to download books after May 20. The devices that will be affected are:

• Kindle: 1st generation (2007), Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010), Kindle Keyboard (2010), Kindle 4 (2011), Kindle Touch (2011), Kindle 5 (2012), and Kindle Paperwhite 1st generation (2012)

• Kindle Fire tablets: Kindle Fire 1st generation (2011), Kindle Fire 2nd generation (2012), Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012), Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)

The first generation model of the Kindle was released in 2007, and e-readers have improved quite a bit in the time since then. Amazon Engadget said Less than 3% of its users are still using these old devices.

In the email to customers, the company said users will still be able to access their Kindle library and Kindle Store using the Android, iOS, or desktop app. You can still read and download books using the Kindle app on your phone or computer.

Consumers should be able to maintain and use their products longer, Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Right to Repair Campaign from the consumer advocacy group PIRG, told CNET. “We’ve gotten rid of too many electronic devices that we should be able to repair or upgrade,” Proctor said.

If losing this service seems like a good time to move on from the Kindle world, there are other e-reader options. caliber It is a free and open source eBook manager that offers a range of features, such as reading and organizing eBooks from multiple sources, as well as downloading news articles and websites. Amazon even offers a Recycling service For old devices.

If you’re looking for a newer Kindle model or a different reading tablet, check out CNET’s list of The best e-readers of the year.