Didn’t update your Kindle in time? Here’s how to install the new software manually

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Update: If you didn’t update your old Kindle by March 22 and have lost Internet access, you can still update the software manually! Scroll down to get the instructions.

Amazon is warning owners of older Kindles that if they don’t update the e-reader’s software by Tuesday, March 22, the device will no longer be able to access the Kindle Store or sync with the cloud.

Amazon says if you don’t update your Kindle by March 22 (so before March 23), you’ll receive the following message when you try to access the Internet (or anything that requires Internet access):

Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time. Please make sure you are within wireless range and try again. If the problem persists, please restart your Kindle from the Menu in Settings and try again. 

So what’s the big deal? Well, if you use your e-reader to read books, you will not be able to download new e-books without Internet access. 

Important note: You should start the update sooner rather than later, because Amazon says it must be completed by March 22. So don’t wait until 11:59 p.m. to start the installation, since it will take the device a little while to complete the process.

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How to update your Kindle

All Kindles automatically update when they’re connected to Wi-Fi. But if you don’t use it every day and it’s sitting in a drawer or closet somewhere, you should go ahead and grab it. Here are the instructions from Amazon on how to install the latest software:

  1. Connect the device to Wi-Fi.
  2. From the Home screen of your Kindle, select Menu or tap the Menu icon, and then choose Sync and Check for Items.
  3. Plug your Kindle in, and leave your Kindle plugged in and connected to a Wi-Fi network overnight.

According to the Amazon website, ‘You will get a final confirmation letter titled 03-2016 Successful Update on your device when the update is complete.’

List of devices that require an update

Here’s a list of all Kindle devices that require the software update:

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  • Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
  • Kindle 2nd Generation (2009)
  • Kindle DX 2nd Generation (2009)
  • Kindle Keyboard 3rd Generation (2010)
  • Kindle 4th Generation (2011)
  • Kindle 5th Generation (2012)
  • Kindle Touch 4th Generation (2011)
  • Kindle Paperwhite 5th Generation (2012)

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The good news…

If you hear about this update after March 22, 2016, don’t throw your Kindle away! You can still download the software manually — it’s just more of a pain.

According to Amazon, to do it manually you have to download the update file from Amazon’s website and then transfer it to the Kindle using a USB cable. Amazon has more detailed instructions on its website.

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