Kindle owners are frustrated that Amazon is pulling the plug on old devices that are still widely used but its not stopping users from sideloading

Date:
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:44:00 +0000

Description:
Since Amazon revealed it's stopping support for pre-2012 Kindle devices, it's caused uproar among the eReader community.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Kindle owners are frustrated with Amazon's decision to end support for old models Users say they shouldn't need to upgrade if devices are working as normal Sideloading is still an option, but Amazon could stop this workaround. Its official, Amazon is ending support for a wide array of older Kindle
models as of May 20, and its shaken up a lot of keen e-readers to say the least.

Since users online shared that they received an email detailing the change,
it garnered a slew of comments and reactions, particularly on Reddit none of which seem to welcome Amazons decision to cease support. If your pre-2012 Kindle hasnt let you down yet, Im afraid the time for an upgrade might come sooner than you think, but youre not the only one in this boat. If it's not broken, don't fix it (Image credit: Amazon) As mentioned, all Kindle models released in 2012 and before will no longer receive support. This means that youll still be able to read content thats already downloaded on your device, but you wont be able to purchase or download new books after May 20 this
year. Article continues below You may like Amazon is pulling support for the first to fifth-gen Kindle and Kindle Fire devices from May 20 The best Kindle in 2026 Amazon just made a massive change to Kindle ebooks that lets you read them anywhere, but there's a catch The reaction speaks for itself, and a vast majority of these users are quite pressed about it, especially since it will affect devices that are still widely used today most notably the Kindle 3, Kindle 4, and the first generation Kindle Paperwhite. If there are so many users who are satisfied with how these older devices are still performing, then why the need to end support?

Some are convinced its a classic Amazon money-grabbing scheme, with one user questioning Why replace something so simple like this that still works?.

Most Kindle users in the Reddit thread have come to a collective agreement;
if its not broken, dont fix it (or end it in this case). For most users, the simplicity of a Kindle is what has kept them glued to older models instead of upgrading to Amazons more advanced, and therefore pricier, models. It's
simply because advanced features aren't a huge necessity for those who just want a device for reading books.

Unlike devices such as phones, computers, and tablets that require new hardware iterations to keep up with evolving software and security updates, e-readers have a singular flagship purpose and thats for reading. It's a text reader, that's it, no need to turn it into a brick other than money, one user shared , while another commented if the device isn't broken, and can still be used, and all of the features we want and/ or need are on the devices we already own, then we shouldn't have to upgrade. Get daily insight,
inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

However, despite this, there appears to be a silver lining. Yes, you won't be able to purchase and download new books to the affected devices, but this won't stop users from sideloading books from sites that aren't Amazon as a workaround.

A popular way of sideloading books onto a Kindle is by sending files and
EPUBs to your Kindle email which will then appear in your device's library. One user in the Reddit thread revealed they sideload books to their Kindle "with a wire and (my) laptop", but even then, the burning question how long this trick will still work come May 20 is still on everyone's lips. Will sideloading be Amazon's next target? Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tablets/ereaders/kindle-owners-are-frustrated-that-a mazon-is-pulling-the-plug-on-old-devices-that-are-still-widely-used-but-its-no t-stopping-users-from-sideloading


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