Amazon has started sending out emails across various regions to customers with older Kindles saying they are ending support for all Kindles released in 2012 and earlier on May 20th, 2026.
This is going to affect a lot of people considering that includes all 1st through 5th gen Kindles. Amazon dropped support for the first two Kindles a long time ago, but now they’re adding several more models to the unsupported list.
Here’s the full list of Kindles that are getting the axe:
- Kindle 1st Generation
- Kindle 2nd Generation
- Kindle DX
- Kindle DX Graphite
- Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation)
- Kindle 4
- Kindle Touch
- Kindle 5
- Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation
If you’re unsure which model you have, you can check this Identify Your Kindle page at Amazon.
What Does This Mean?
Basically, you’ll still be able to use these older Kindles to read books already downloaded to them as long as you keep them registered to your Amazon account, but you will no longer be able to download new ebooks to them as of May 20th, 2026, and the onboard store will no longer be accessible.
You’ll still be able to sideload ebooks onto these older Kindles via USB, but moving forward that will be the only way to get ebooks onto them. Send-to-Kindle won’t be supported anymore either.
These older Kindles will also lose the ability to register them to an Amazon account after the cutoff date. This is likely to cause problems on the used market when people won’t know that they can no longer register these older models.
Discount on New Kindles
Amazon is giving customers with older Kindles registered to their account the option to upgrade to a newer Kindle with a 20% off code and an ebook credit. Check your email for the discount code, but not everybody has received one yet. This offer is valid through June 20th, 2026.
Will unsupported Kindles continue to be eligible past June 20, 2026 for the 20% off when traded in for a new Kindle? That’s likely one of the important questions.
I think they already stopped accepting some of the older models a long time ago, but I could be wrong (I don’t have any of these older models anymore to check). People would be better off using the 20% offer they’re giving to customers with older Kindles now because then you’d at least get to keep the older one and still use it for sideloading.
Execute Order 66
Got my email for my Kindle Touch. Not interested in a new Kindle since I only used it to download my books, DeDRM them, and convert to epub.
I really wish Amazon would make the Kindle Keyboard again with updated color hardware and software. I just love the look of that thing. Lol.