As I posted about earlier, I really like the screen on the new 12th gen Kindle Paperwhite, but I stupidly bought the ad-supported version, so now I have to either put up with the ads or fork over another $20 to Amazon to get rid of them.
Having already paid the fee several times on previous Kindles, I have no interest in doing that again because it’s non-transferable and it’ll just be wasted money if I decided to upgrade to the Signature Edition at some point, and since Amazon’s customer service will no longer remove the ads for free, I was looking for other ways to avoid the lockscreen ads.
As it turns out, there are a couple of ways to avoid ever seeing lockscreen ads on ad-supported Kindles, but there are some drawbacks with each method.
Option #1
The first way is to use the Screen Off option that I posted about several years back.
When you want to turn off your Kindle you simply hold down the power button for approximately 6 seconds, then select the Screen Off option. Then your Kindle will show a blank screen instead of an advertisement.
The benefit with this method is it eliminates the requirement to swipe the screen when you turn your Kindle back on: It will just go back to where you left off like an ad-free Kindle.
Option #2
Another way to avoid advertisements on ad-supported Kindles is to use Kids Mode.
When using Kids Mode, Kindles show random screensavers on the off screen instead of advertisements.
You can set up a kids profile from the main the settings menu on Kindles, and then add books from your library to a kid’s profile.
The main downside with using Kids Mode is it only supports books from Amazon. You can’t add sideloaded books to a kid’s profile, and can’t add books borrowed from the library either.
Another downside is you still have to swipe the screen to turn Kindles on when using Kids Mode on an ad-supported Kindle, even though that requirement doesn’t exist on ad-free Kindles when using Kids Mode.
Wrap Up
Amazon got rid of screensaver ads entirely on the Kindle Scribe and Signature Edition models, but they’re still an annoying part of buying cheaper Kindles. Some people don’t mind the ads, and other people can’t stand them.
Amazon is the only company that does this kind of thing. Other companies don’t treat their reading devices like billboard advertisements when they’re turned off. There was a time when Kindles were priced lower than competing products because of the ads, but that is no longer the case. Amazon keeps raising the prices of Kindles, and yet they still want an extra $20 to get rid of the ads. Count me out on that.
I hate ads on the Kindle. It’s bad enough that the Kindle storefront keeps pushing the same books for months. Books I have no interest in but there’s no option to say “I dislike this title.” I purchased a Kids bundle of the 2021 Paperwhite because it was ad-free and the included cover. Such a shame that it is no longer the deal it once was.
Yeah, I wish there was a “Don’t Show This Recommendation Again” option.
If at least the ads were relevant. I mostly read horror, sci-fi and fantasy… And Kindle keeps recommending some stupid romance books. It’s just ridiculous. And it’s the reason why I actually paid to remove them (plus the swipe gesture). I didn’t want to have my Kindle with some cheesy half-naked men and women on screensaver for people to see it and think that’s what I read 😂😂😂
You can avoid this by going into your account and shifting through all the choices in suggestions and advertising. I never get romance covers in the suggested offerings.
No ads on any Kindle in Canada!
Nor in Mexico purchased devices.
I don’t mind the ads but I would like the option to set what book ads I’ll see. I’m not going to read any of the romance novels that pop up but occasionally I’ll pick up a scifi or fantasy book that I see as an ad.
Like Alasdair, I purchased a Kids bundle of the 2021 Paperwhite because it was ad-free and the included cover. I then proceeded to spend more money on a vertical flip cover, which IMO is the handiest. So no swiping, I go right back to where I left off in my read when the case opens. I’m perfectly happy with this model; I won’t be replacing it until it fails or I break it. And at that time, hopefully in the distant future, I will make a decision on ads. Oddly enough, I AM the romance reader, but asked to have the ads removed because they kept showing me ads for books I had already purchased!
My case: WALNEW Flip Case for 6.8″ Kindle Paperwhite 11th Generation 2021 and Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition – Two Hand Straps and Vertical Multi-Viewing Stand Cover with Auto Wake/Sleep, Black
You CAN sideload books onto a Kid’s account, it’s just cumbersome. You have to upload them to an adult account (yours) and then use the parental dashboard web site (or new Amazon Kids+ parents app), select the child profile, press the gear icon in the upper right corner for settings, scroll down to the “Additional Content” section, select “Add Content >” and then you can toggle “on” any books from your adult account that you want, including any Send-to-Kindle sideloaded titles. I know some people take umbrage with using “sideloaded” in this way, as they consider copying via USB the only way that’s truly sideloaded, and not going through Amazon’s servers, but do you want to pick nits or do you want to read books?
Thanks for the tip, except when I go to that website as described I’m not seeing any Send-to-Kindle content on the list, but library ebooks do show up there for adding to a profile, unlike the onboard Kindle UI, so that’s a plus.