As of May 16, 2026, Amazon has officially ended support for all first- and second-generation Kindle devices, including Kindle Fire tablets, the Kindle Touch, and the 9.7-inch Kindle DX, along with any devices released in 2012 or earlier.Users can still access books they previously downloaded and can sideload additional content via USB from sources like Project Gutenberg.DRM-free ebooks are also available through other online stores such as ebook.com and Smashwords, or via public-domain repositories like Standard Ebooks, which can be converted for Kindle with tools like Calibre.Without official support, many older Kindles have not received firmware updates for over a decade, losing direct access to the Kindle Store.

Some users are choosing to jailbreak their devices to add features such as custom screensavers, epub support, or alternative software, while others repurpose their Kindles as digital photo frames or dashboards.However, jailbreaking may violate Amazon’s terms of service and carries technical risks, including potential device failure.Experts suggest that users research compatibility carefully before attempting it.

Alternatively, donating old Kindles to libraries or using Amazon’s recycling program is recommended for those not interested in technical modifications.