If you're still holding on to an old Kindle, you may want to replace it soon. Amazon is now emailing customers to warn that select Kindles, specifically five very old models, will lose access to the Amazon eBook store on August 17th of 2022.

UPDATE: 8/17/22

We initially published this article on May 30th of 2022. As of August 17th, Amazon has officially cut off eBook store access for its aging Kindle devices.

These Kindles are all 10+ years old, so this news shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Of course, it's disappointing to see Amazon shed some of its oldest eReaders, as they tend to work well after a cheap and easy battery replacement. (They also have physical buttons, which some people prefer over touchscreens on an eReader.)

Here are the Kindles that will lose access to the Kindle Store:

  • Kindle International (2nd Gen, 2009)
  • Kindle DX International (2010)
  • Kindle Keyboard (2010)
  • Kindle (4th Gen, 2011)
  • Kindle (5th Gen, 2012)

"As of August 17, you'll no longer be able to browse, buy, or borrow books directly from these Kindle devices."

Amazon notes that your old Kindle will continue to work. Plus, you can still download old books from your Kindle archive, or even deliver newly-purchased or borrowed books to the Kindle---this should happen automatically when you buy or borrow a book at Amazon.

Kindle Unlimited will also continue to work on these old devices. That said, it seems like you'll need to select books on the Amazon website before sending them to your Kindle.

If you've ever had one of these old Kindles connected to your Amazon account, I suggest checking your email inbox. Amazon is sending emails to warn of the impending change, and these emails include a 30% discount code on a new Kindle device plus $40 in eBook credit.

Source: r/Kindle