SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — Amazon announced that Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 or earlier will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store starting May 20, 2026, a spokesperson said. The affected devices will also stop receiving software updates on that date.

The affected Kindle models include the Kindle 1st Generation (2007), Kindle DX and DX Graphite (2009 and 2010), Kindle Keyboard (2010), Kindle 4 (2011), Kindle Touch (2011), Kindle 5 (2012), and Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation (2012), a spokesperson said. The affected Kindle Fire models include the Kindle Fire 1st Generation (2011), Kindle Fire 2nd Generation (2012), Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012), and Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012).

Owners will still be able to read e-books they have already downloaded, and their accounts and Kindle Library will remain accessible on the mobile and desktop app, a spokesperson said. However, performing a factory reset on affected models will render them unusable. Amazon has supported the affected devices for at least 14 years, with some supported for as long as 18 years.

The change will affect approximately 3% of current Kindle users, according to Amazon. The company has offered discounts to active users of affected models to help them transition to newer devices.

Tech industry analyst Paolo Pescatore said the decision reflected technical constraints facing the older hardware. "The challenge is that these devices were built for a different era and are not equipped to run newer, more data-hungry services and features."

Ugo Vallauri, co-director of the Restart Project, offered a different view. "However, that's hardly a good reason for soft-bricking millions of still functioning devices," Vallauri said. "This could amount to 2 million devices rendered obsolete according to some estimates, potentially generating over 624 tons of e-waste."

Kay Aaronricks, a 46-year-old Kindle owner, said the device is central to her daily routine. "I love paper books like anyone does, but the Kindle is more practical," Aaronricks said.