I think I may have stumbled on a way to avoid getting software updates on Kindles: just don’t register them.
Back in February I had to factory reset my 12th gen Kindle Paperwhite after I intentionally activated a bug that made it go haywire, and then I decided to keep it unregistered for a while to see how Kindles work when they aren’t tied to Amazon.
I learned some interesting things, like the fact unregistered Kindles show book covers on the lockscreen, even on ad-supported models. And most of the main reading features work like normal; you just have to put up with a nag screen asking you to sign in whenever you go to the library view.
One thing I find particularly interesting is my unregistered Kindle hasn’t automatically installed any software updates since it’s been unregistered. It’s still running software version 5.18.6 that was released over 6 months ago. Amazon has released four or five updates since then, and this Kindle hasn’t installed any of them.
It’s been connected to WiFi since I set it up, and I even plugged it in to charge a couple times to see if that would trigger an update, but so far it hasn’t gotten any updates at all. Meanwhile my basic Kindle has been sitting in the closet unused all year, and it has automatically updated multiple times.
Has anyone else that’s using an unregistered Kindle noticed this? Sometimes Kindles take forever to auto update so I’m not sure if that’s the case here, or if unregistered Kindles really are exempt from getting software updates.
Some people go through great lengths to keep their Kindle from updating, from jailbreaking it to filling up all the storage space so there’s not enough room for updates to download. For people that just want to sideload and not use Amazon’s services, keeping your Kindle unregistered might be worth considering.
I wasn’t really sure you could use modern Kindles without registering them. I’ve seen a bunch of comments online from people saying you have sign in with an Amazon account to use newer Kindles, but that is not true at all. The initial setup makes it seem like you have to sign in, but if you restart your Kindle at that point, it’ll boot up without having to sign in.
Apparently using a Kindle in an unregistered state is another way to avoid getting unwanted software updates.
I’m a fan of software updates, on any of my devices. Mainly for security reasons. But I also like the changes they can provide. So I would never do that.
Features, certainly. But what sort of security risks are you considering for Kindle Ereaders that are mitigated by software updates?
Except, of course, the whole point of de-registering the Kindle is so it does not connect to the outside world and– even if it does — it stores no personal information about you.
So there’s no security risk, whatsoever.
With most electronic devices,, updates are almost always a good thing; save for bugs which wreck havoc: Lookin’ at you, Kobo, Microsoft, Apple.
BUT there are brands which (A) offer updates not only rife with bugs but (B) are FREQUENTLY designed mostly to take away features that users had in the prior version and (C) don’t let you return back to that prior version, after the update and (D) conduct OTA updates, without permission, for those who leave their wifi enabled.
Lookin’ at you, Amazon. This is why disabling updates is such a welcome feature, among the savvy.
BTW, I’m pretty sure that jailbreaking the Kindle (Winterbreak, at least) also disables drive-by updates because I accidentally left my Kindle’s wifi enabled, after that jailbreak (for a considerable period) and never got the infamous Update of Death to 5.18. This was before I de-registered it.
In any event, if you want to keep Amazon OUT of your Kindle — almost like the good old days of Kindle before Amazon started their ecosystem crap — de-registering it is a very good thing; I’ll be forever grateful to this site for telling me about it.
Meanwhile, I hate software updates BECAUSE of the changes they can provide.
Modern software development places little value on continuity of use, and I am sick to death of having to completely relearn how to use a program because a random update means they moved every feature and changed all the abstract icons out. Up is down, right is left, grass is blue and sky is green.
You don’t mention if restart the kindle to not sign in you have a nag continually telling you about cloud sync!