Amazon Will End Store Support for Pre-2013 Kindles and Fire Tablets in 2026

Amazon is preparing to phase out key services for some of its oldest Kindle e-readers and Fire tablets, warning customers that devices released in 2012 or earlier will lose access to new content from May 20, 2026.

According to emails Amazon has sent to affected users, owners of these legacy models will still be able to read books already downloaded to their devices. However, they will no longer be able to purchase, borrow or download additional titles after the cut-off date. The change applies to both Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets from that era.

Amazon says the following Kindle e-readers are in scope for the change:

• The original Kindle
• Kindle 2
• Kindle DX
• Kindle Keyboard
• Kindle 4
• Kindle Touch
• Kindle 5
• First-generation Kindle Paperwhite

These devices, along with Kindle Fire tablets released in 2012 or earlier, will effectively be cut off from Amazon’s digital bookstore in 2026. Users will not be able to:

• Buy new Kindle books directly on the device
• Borrow titles (for example, through services that rely on Amazon’s Kindle delivery)
• Download any new content from the Kindle Store to the device

Content already stored locally will remain accessible for reading. But Amazon is drawing a hard line around deeper maintenance actions. If one of these older devices runs into a problem that can only be fixed by a factory reset, performing that reset will render it unusable. Deregistering the device from a user’s Amazon account will also make it non-functional.

For Kindle Fire tablets from before 2013, the change is slightly narrower: users will lose the ability to purchase or download content (such as books) from Amazon, but Amazon says other services on those tablets will continue to work.

In a statement shared with Engadget, Amazon pointed to the long lifespan of these first-generation Kindle devices as part of its reasoning for ending support. The company said the models in question have been supported for at least 14 years, with some receiving support for as long as 18 years, and noted that “technology has come a long way in that time.”

Amazon also told Engadget that the change affects about 3 percent of its current users. Those customers are being nudged toward newer hardware, with Amazon offering promotional incentives in the notification emails. Affected users receive a promo code for 20 percent off select Kindle devices, plus ebook credits if they buy a new model by June 20. In the emails, Amazon pitches its current lineup as offering improvements in areas like screen quality, performance and accessibility, while assuring customers that their full Kindle library and the Kindle Store will remain available on newer devices.

While the company is ending store connectivity and certain account functions for this small slice of its user base, it is not remotely disabling the devices altogether. As long as owners avoid deregistering or factory resetting, existing downloaded books should remain readable beyond May 20, 2026.