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This nonfiction was primitively published successful aboriginal 2025 successful effect to quality that Amazon was restricting the quality to download Kindle files to your computer. Now, we're learning astir an adjacent much challenging restriction:
As of May 20, 2026, users of all Kindle devices released earlier 2013 volition beryllium wholly chopped off from the Kindle ecosystem. You volition not beryllium capable to purchase, borrow, oregon download caller contented via the Kindle Store.
Also: Amazon is ending enactment for 8 Kindle models adjacent month: Is yours connected the list?
In effect to this unprecedented and draconian restriction, we're updating this article. Because portion you whitethorn not beryllium capable to entree the Kindle ecosystem, you tin usage your pre-2013 Kindle devices with e-books going into the future. This nonfiction volition amusement you how.
Other articles successful this series
- Got an aged Kindle? How to resurrect it from the dormant with caller e-books
- How to alteration your old, obsolete Kindle into the eventual open-source reader
For immoderate users of older Kindles, the quality to download files was the lone mode to determination Kindle files onto their devices. The first- and second-generation Kindles, arsenic good arsenic the Kindle DX, could lone wirelessly transportation information via the now-obsolete 3G cellular networks. The lone different mode to determination Kindle books was via a USB transportation to a computer.
Kindle devices entreaty to galore people. When everything works, they're great. But Amazon is becoming progressively finicky, some successful the formats it supports and successful the state to negociate your ain books.
Kindle books usage their ain formats, astir of the clip with embedded DRM. However, determination are oh-so-many e-books disposable online, some for acquisition and for free, that are not specifically tied to the Kindle ecosystem and your Amazon account.
Also: Want escaped ebooks? These 10 sites connection thousands of options
Calibre is an open-source e-book absorption and editing program. In this article, we're going to usage Calibre to spell beyond the Kindle format for our e-books connected Kindle.
How to instal Calibre
To get started, constituent your browser to the Calibre download page and download the mentation for your computer. I'll beryllium utilizing the Mac version.
Once installed, determination are a fewer simple, if confusing, steps indispensable to get started with Calibre. First, motorboat the application. You'll spot a setup surface similar this.
On this screen, you're going to privation to take an bare directory wherever you privation to support each your Calibre documents and settings. Make definite the folder exists and is empty, past prime it utilizing the Change button.
Once you've done that, click Next. Here, you'll spot a surface that lets you take your destination device. Your prime present affects the formatting produced during conversions, the fonts utilized oregon embedded, representation and layout adjustments, and different formatting features.
You tin astir apt support the mounting connected Kindle Basic, but if you're utilizing a Fire oregon a larger Kindle, you mightiness privation to prime that option. When done, click Next.
This surface determines whether Calibre delivers books to you via email. I similar to permission it each blank, but you're invited to experiment. Go up and click Next.
Also: I enactment distant my iPad and Kindle wrong hours aft investigating this tablet (and it's cheaper)
Finally, there's the Finish screen. You tin unfastened the links for further assistance and training, oregon conscionable click Finish to implicit the setup process.
OK, present you're acceptable to person immoderate books.
Calibre's format options
On Calibre's e-book format conversion page, it says it supports the pursuing input formats:
- AZW, AZW3, AZW4, CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBC, CHM, DJVU, DOCX, EPUB, FB2, FBZ, HTML, HTMLZ, LIT, LRF, MOBI, ODT, PDF, PRC, PDB, PML, RB, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ
Also: I tested an E Ink tablet that runs connected Android - and can't spell backmost to a Kindle
It besides supports the pursuing output formats:
- AZW3, EPUB, DOCX, FB2, HTMLZ, OEB, LIT, LRF, MOBI, PDB, PMLZ, RB, PDF, RTF, SNB, TCR, TXT, TXTZ, ZIP
For our purposes, we're going to spot if we tin person EPUB and DOC/DOCX files to MOBI, PDF, AZW, oregon AZW3. Then we'll spot which formats crook retired amended connected the new-generation and old-generation devices.
The basal conversion process
We'll commencement by converting an EPUB papers to MOBI. I bought and downloaded the publication Potus from Smashwords arsenic an EPUB.
Potus was written by ZDNET's ain Jack Wallen and tells the communicative of a pb vocalist of a punk set who attempts to decision the incumbent president. As Jack tells it, the motto of the vocalist is "Make America Punk Again." I mean, this is wherefore we work books, right?
Also: My favourite Kindle accessory earnestly upgraded my speechmaking acquisition (and it lone costs $20)
If you don't person Calibre open, unfastened it now. You'll spot a surface that looks similar this. Go up and click the Add Books fastener successful the precocious near country of the screen.
Navigate to your EPUB and unfastened it. You'll spot a surface similar this, with immoderate of the metadata displayed. Now click the Convert Books button, located 2 icons to the close of the Open Books fastener we conscionable clicked.
You'll beryllium presented with an editing surface that, by default, fills your full screen. Resize it to thing much manageable.
On the near (at 1) is an indicator that shows you the format Calibre thinks your e-book is successful erstwhile imported. The main enactment takes spot astatine 2, wherever you take an output format. I chose MOBI. Once you've picked your output format, click OK (at 3).
Calibre won't archer you erstwhile it's finished converting the book. Instead, there's a small Jobs indicator astatine the bottom-right country of the screen. You'll spot a spinning wheel, and erstwhile the fig is 0, you'll cognize you're done. Hey, remember, this is escaped software.
Locating your converted books
To find the converted publication files that you're going to nonstop to your Kindle, right-click connected the publication sanction successful the halfway room field. Choose Open Book Folder, past Open Book Folder again. This volition -- hold for it -- unfastened the publication folder.
As you tin see, my folder present has some EPUB and MOBI format files.
Now, spell up and transportation your publication to your Kindle. For much details connected however to bash that, work my step-by-step usher connected How to sideload EPUBs and different e-books to your Kindle.
Testing formats connected an old, unregistered Kindle
So, what tin we get from Calibre, and what tin it bash for us? To that end, I'm investigating a bid of e-books and record formats to spot what works connected a Kindle Keyboard (3rd generation) from 2010. In the adjacent section, I'll beryllium moving the aforesaid tests, but sending the files to a existent exemplary Kindle.
Also: How to adhd EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files to your Kindle - nary converting required
To recap from my sideloading guide, I recovered that the aged Kindle wouldn't judge EPUB oregon DOC files. It did good with Kindle-native AZW and AZW3 (as agelong arsenic they were not DRM-protected), arsenic good arsenic PDFs and MOBI.
After utilizing the conversion process described supra to person from EPUB to MOBI, Jack's publication worked conscionable good connected my old, unregistered Kindle.
I was besides capable to successfully person a DOCX to MOBI. Calibre would not person a DOC file, but you tin easy unfastened specified a record successful Word oregon Google Docs and prevention it arsenic a DOCX. Then tally that done Calibre.
Finally, I tried the 2 AZW files. The DRM-free AZW3 record converted to MOBI conscionable fine. You don't truly request to person DRM-free AZW oregon AZW3 files. I conscionable wanted to spot what would happen.
But the AZW file, which was DRM-locked to my wife's account, would not person to MOBI.
Testing formats connected a brand-new Kindle
You tin nonstop an EPUB to your existent exemplary Kindle utilizing Amazon's Send to Kindle page, but not via USB. However, erstwhile I connected my Kindle to USB and utilized the techniques described successful the sideloading article, I was capable to transportation and work Jack's MOBI record conscionable fine.
I was besides capable to transportation the DOCX file, erstwhile converted to MOBI.
But wherefore not conscionable usage the Send to Kindle service? I don't cognize astir you, but I don't similar the thought of sending each my documents done Amazon's cloud. I besides get documents that are embargoed oregon different governed by a non-disclosure statement oregon information clearance, and those can't beryllium shared via the cloud.
By moving those files to a caller format and sideloading them via USB, it's present imaginable to work them connected the Kindle.
But what astir my ain DRM-locked Kindle books?
There are a mates of DRM-removal tools for Kindle books, some connected GitHub. As an exercise, I tried DeDRM and NoDRM connected my PC without success.
On GitHub, I recovered a proposition to usage a special, standalone Windows exertion that is nary longer available. Users said it was the lone mode to prevention files from the Kindle repository that would enactment with the DRM removal tool.
Since Amazon has removed the quality to download Kindle files, I'm guessing that DRM-locked files downloaded arsenic a backup straight from the Amazon website earlier the cutoff date are not (at slightest until idiosyncratic cracks them) going to beryllium workable connected your aged oregon unregistered Kindles.
In the meantime, determination are tons of large e-books disposable successful EPUB and different formats that you tin person and download to your existent exemplary oregon adjacent old, unregistered Kindle devices.
How's it moving for you?
Have you tried utilizing Calibre to person e-books to a format readable by your Kindle? What challenges person you faced with format compatibility?
Also: The champion integer notebooks you tin buy
Do you similar sideloading books via USB, oregon bash you trust connected Amazon's unreality services? Have you successfully work EPUB oregon DOCX files connected your Kindle aft conversion? Share your experiences successful the comments below.
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