Quick context before the detail: your older kindle might become useless after may 20 sits at the intersection of a few real-world decisions most readers face at some point. Here is a clear summary of what is going on, and why it matters.
It’s not unusual for tech companies to drop certain features or types of support for aging tech. Netflix dropped support for older devices recently itself. At a certain point, the older hardware just can’t run modern software. But, typically, the old device is still functional. It just won’t be able to do some of the things that newer models can do.
But the latest news from Amazon looks like it could be a bigger deal than that. In May, anyone with a Kindle built before 2013 will no longer have access to the Kindle Store, Kindle Unlimited or the “send to Kindle” service — potentially rendering the device all but useless.
Here’s a look at what support is going away, what it means for how you use your pre-2013 Kindle and whether or not you’re going to have to upgrade.
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Which Kindle features are going away and which devices are affected?
as reported by a customer service page on Amazon, the tech giant will end support next month for the following devices:
- 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
On May 20, anyone with one of those devices will no longer be able to buy, borrow or download new books from the Kindle Store or Kindle Unlimited.
You also won’t be able to buy or borrow books through the Kindle Store on another device and then use “send to Kindle” to transfer them to your device.
Anything currently downloaded to your device will stay there after the May 20 cutoff date. And you’ll still be able to buy and access books in your Kindle library from other devices.
Can you keep using your older Kindle anyway?
Without the ability to get new books directly through your older Kindle or use “send to Kindle” to transfer them from another device, it’s possible those with older devices might be left with no way at all to get new books onto their Kindle.
as reported by an Ars Technica article from last year, Amazon discontinued the “download & transfer via USB” feature for all Kindles regardless of age in February 2025. The feature was originally intended for customers with older Kindles that weren’t Wi-Fi enabled to download books from the Kindle Store to their computer and then transfer them to their device via USB.
If that feature truly is gone for all devices, you will have no way to get a new book onto your older device after “send to Kindle” disappears. You should test this out before the May 20 deadline to see if you are still able to transfer books via USB from another device over to your Kindle.
If you can’t, your older Kindle will only be usable for personal files that you can download and transfer. That can include PDFs, ePub files and other compatible formats that you download from elsewhere on the web, but likely excludes a lot of copyright-protected eBooks.
Should you buy a new Kindle?
Given how limited the functionality of your older Kindle will likely become next month, you might be better off replacing it. The good news is, if you have a device this old, you could upgrade to a newer but still used Kindle rather than springing for the latest (and priciest) model.
You might want to upgrade to something a few years newer than what you have, though. It’s possible that Amazon will continue dropping support for older models as the years go by.
Upgrading from a 2012 to a 2013 model might only buy you a couple more years of device support. But upgrading from a 2012 to, say, a 2020 Kindle will likely buy you a lot more time before you’re forced to upgrade again — and you’re still taking advantage of used pricing.
What about Libby or similar library apps?
If you use Libby to borrow ebooks from your library, you’ve likely been enjoying the convenience of the “send to Kindle” feature in the app. So far, it seems like you’ll lose that ability to send the books you borrow to your Kindle.
In this case, you will most likely need to upgrade to a newer Kindle or another ereader to maintain access to your borrowed ebooks.
If Libby is your main source of ebooks, consider a Kobo ereader. Many of the newer models come with built-in OverDrive support (the classic version of Libby) so you can browse and borrow library books directly from your ereader.
You can also install the Libby app directly on the Amazon Fire tablet (or any tablet that runs on Android or iOS), though you won’t have the e-ink screen or the distraction-free experience of an ereader.
