Amazon Discontinues Support for Older Kindle Models, Users Express Outrage

Fri Apr 10 2026 01:48:08 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Amazon has announced it will end support for older Kindle devices released in 2012 and earlier, igniting frustration among users who feel their functioning devices are being rendered obsolete.

Amazon's decision to cease support for older Kindle models, including the Kindle Touch and various Kindle Fire tablets, has provoked backlash from users who have depended on these devices for years. Effective May 20, 2026, these users will lose access to updates and new content from the Kindle Store. Critics highlight concerns over e-waste and the usability of still-functioning devices, while Amazon offers transition discounts to newer models.

Amazon has told owners it will soon stop supporting older Kindle models - a move which has left some users outraged.

In emails from the tech giant, affected users were thanked for being a longtime Kindle customer but told devices released during or before 2012 would no longer receive updates from 20 May.

The move will mean owners of older Kindles, including its earliest models such as the Kindle Touch and some Kindle Fire tablets, will be unable to download new e-books.

Amazon said it has supported affected models for years and their active users have been offered discounts to help transition to newer devices, but some have criticised it for making up to two million devices obsolete.

I have a Kindle Touch that I've had since 2013, it works great, I bought a book on it a few months ago, and suddenly it's obsolete, one user wrote in a post tagging Amazon.

Another frustrated user described the Kindle as probably one of the most low-tech devices ever made and queried why Amazon was discontinuing its support for it. A Kindle is a text device! There is no need for updates.

Devices affected

In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson said: Starting May 20, 2026, customers using Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 and earlier will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store.

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 moving forward.

The affected Kindle models include:

Kindle: 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 Gen (2011), Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012), Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012), Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012)

Users will still be able to read e-books they have already downloaded, and their accounts and their Kindle Library will remain accessible on its mobile and desktop app. However, Amazon also warned that performing a factory reset on affected Kindles will make them unusable.

Kay Aaronricks, a Kindle owner, expressed concern about potentially losing full use of her 14-year-old device, noting, It does show how much of a part that Kindle plays in my life. She appreciates the convenience it offers, saying, I love paper books like anyone does, but the Kindle is more practical.

E-waste concerns

Tech analyst Paolo Pescatore described Amazon's decision as understandable from a security and support perspective, but acknowledged the frustration it would cause users with still-functional devices. He explained that older models aren't equipped to handle newer services, turning them into limited offline tools.

Ugo Vallauri from the Restart Project remarked that while companies often stress the benefits of new devices, it raises issues when millions of still-functioning products become obsolete. Vallauri indicated that the change could lead to an estimated 2 million devices rendered obsolete, contributing significantly to e-waste concerns.