Amazon has announced that it will stop supporting Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 or earlier. The e-commerce major has announced that starting May 20, 2026, the affected devices will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content from the Kindle Store, though previously downloaded e-books will remain accessible.According to a report by Business Insider, Amazon has sent and email to the Kindle users telling them that the company will no longer offer support for Kindle models from before 2012.
Devices affected
The models losing support include:Amazon warned that performing a factory reset on these devices will render them unusable.
Here’s what the email reads
Thank you for being a longtime Kindle customer. We’re glad our devices have served you well for as long as they have. Starting May 20, 2026 — 14 to 18 years after their initial launches — we are discontinuing support for Kindle devices released in 2012 or earlier. Here’s what this means for you:* You can continue to read books already downloaded on these devices, but you will not be able to purchase, borrow, or download additional books on them after that date.* If you deregister or factory reset these devices, you will not be able to re-register or use these devices in any way.Affected devices include Kindle 1st and 2nd Generation, Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5, and Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation.An Amazon spokesperson told BBC that the company has supported these devices for 14 to 18 years, but “technology has come a long way in that time.” The company is offering discounts to help users transition to newer models.Analysts say the decision is understandable from a security and support perspective, as older hardware struggles to handle modern, data‑intensive services. However, critics argue the move could generate significant e‑waste. Ugo Vallauri of the Restart Project estimated that up to two million devices could be rendered obsolete, potentially creating over 624 tons of electronic waste.
