GoKawiilZDNET
This article was originally published in early 2025 in response to news that Amazon was restricting the ability to download Kindle files to your computer. Now, we're learning about an even more challenging restriction:
As of May 20, 2026, users of all Kindle devices released before 2013 will be completely cut off from the Kindle ecosystem. You will not be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store.
Also: Amazon is ending support for 8 Kindle models next month: Is yours on the list?
In response to this unprecedented and draconian restriction, we're updating this article. Because while you may not be able to access the Kindle ecosystem, you can use your pre-2013 Kindle devices with e-books going into the future. This article will show you how.
Other articles in this series
For some users of older Kindles, the ability to download files was the only way to move Kindle files onto their devices. The first- and second-generation Kindles, as well as the Kindle DX, could only wirelessly transfer data via the now-obsolete 3G cellular networks. The only other way to move Kindle books was via a USB connection to a computer.
Kindle devices appeal to many people. When everything works, they're great. But Amazon is becoming increasingly finicky, both in the formats it supports and in the freedom to manage your own books.
Kindle books use their own formats, most of the time with embedded DRM. However, there are oh-so-many e-books available online, both for purchase and for free, that are not specifically tied to the Kindle ecosystem and your Amazon account.
Also: Want free ebooks? These 10 sites offer thousands of options
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