So 99% of the time your Kindle Paperwhite is working fine but every now and then you come across an issue with it that you can’t seem to resolve. I wanted to create this troubleshooting guide which can help resolve a number of common issues you may face when using your Kindle Paperwhite.
I’ve got some great tips on resolving:
- My Kindle Won’t Charge
- My Kindle Will Not Connect To WiFi
- My Kindle Won’t Turn On
- My Kindle Has Frozen
- When All Else Fails – Some More Drastic Measures
This Is You Before Reading My Post
These should get you Kindle Paperwhite up and running again and have been tested on a number of different generations of the device. So let’s get your Kindle Paperwhite started!
My Kindle Won’t Charge
Solution 1 – Faulty Charging Cable
The first thing to check here is that your Amazon Kindle Cable is not a dud. You can actually change your Kindle on any standard USB cable. USB cables can become damaged through overuse or bending them on a regular basis. If you have an Android phone, you can try charging the device with the same cable you use to charge your phone. If not, USB cables can be picked up from many discount stores in your area.
Solution 2 – Faulty Charging Plug
It may well be the case that the cable is fine but the plug is not. You can test this is a couple of ways. First, try charging your Kindle through a laptop to see if there’s any luck there. Next, if you have an Android phone, you can use the same plug to charge your Kindle. I would recommend leaving it overnight to give it the best chance of charging.
Image Right – Is The Kind Of Plug You Should Be Looking For
Solution 3 – Restarting The Kindle
This is different that turning the power button off and on again. Firstly try a soft reset. This involves holding the power button for 7-10 seconds. The Kindle screen should flash off and on indicating a reset has been performed. Then try charging the device overnight. If this fails, try a hard reset. This involves holding the power button for at least 45 seconds. The same screen flashing will occur. Again leave the device charging overnight. One thing to note here is that you will not lose any of your content on the device by performing either of these actions.
Solution 4 – Inspecting The Charging Port
It may be that something small has become lodged in the power port which is preventing the connection being made between the cable and the Kindle. I’d recommend using a torch to inspect this. You may also discover that the port has become bent which means it’s not going to make the connection correctly. Without invalidating your warranty, that’s going to be difficult to fix so it’s worth getting in touch with Amazon customer services at this point.
Solution 5 – Pulling The USB Cable Out And Back In Again
This might be a quick fix for your charging issues. You should hear a click when connecting the USB cable. If not, try a different cable to see if you get the desired effect.
Solution 6 – The Battery Is Actually Dead
If the Kindle Paperwhite hasn’t been used for a long time or has been left in a place which is too hot or cold for it, this can kill the battery. If all of the above solutions have failed, this is likely that the battery is dead and not much can be done about that other than contacting Amazon Customer Support.
My Kindle Will Not Connect To WiFi
Solution 1 – Let’s Start With The Obvious
So let’s make sure that you’ve not got Airplane mode enabled and WiFi mode disabled. You’ll see a picture of a plane in the top left hand corner if you’re in flight mode. If you have WiFi disabled then won’t see this symbol in the top left of the screen on your Kindle
Solution 2 – Forget The Connection And Connect Again
You may have entered your password incorrectly too many times and so the WiFi connection just isn’t letting you on anymore. In the settings section, navigate to WiFi connections and select forget connection. Once done this will enable to you connect again as if you’re a brand new user and enter the password again
Solution 3 – Reset The Kindle
Your Kindle kindle sometimes does need a reset to function again properly again. You can do this by holding the power button for 45 seconds until you see the screen flash. As mentioned before, you won’t lose any of your EBooks or other settings.
Solution 4 – Reset The Router
We’ll start with the simple solution where you need to switch off the plug, wait 10 seconds and then switch the router plug back on. Your WiFi router will look something like this (see image below). You’ll need to wait about a minute for the router to come back online before trying to connect to the WiFi again.
Next we’ll look at resetting the WiFi router to its default settings. This will involve opening a web browser and following your manufacturer’s instructions to do this. An example guide can be found here
Solution 5 – Try Connecting Your Kindle To Another WiFi
It’s time to take your Kindle Paperwhite on a day trip. These days you can find open WiFi spots pretty much everywhere. Some are more reliable than others so I could recommend hanging out in your favourite cafe and asking for the WiFi password. If this works then it proves that something needs to be fixed with your local WiFi network.
Time To Treat Yourself Whilst You’re Fixing Your Kindle
Solution 6 – Make Sure Your Kindle Paperwhite Is On The Latest Software Version
This can have an effect if Amazon have released an update that means your Kindle is no longer compatible with your WiFi network. You’ll need to follow this guide from Amazon which will allow your to download the latest version of software onto your PC.
My Kindle Won’t Turn On
Solution 1- Soft Reset
Let’s try a soft reset. This can be done even if the Kindle is not on. Hold the power button for 7 seconds and the release it. If successful then the screen will flash and your Kindle will come back to life! To reiterate, this will not erase any of your content or settings.
Solution 2 – Hard Reset
If the soft reset fails then go for a hard reset. Hold the power button for 40 seconds and then release it. You should see the same effect as the hard reset where the screen will flash and then the Kindle should turn back on. Again this won’t erase any of your content of settings.
Solution 3 – Overnight Charging
I’ve use this tip from when I have issues with other electronic devices with charging issues or when they will no longer turn on. Leave the Kindle Paperwhite plugged into mains overnight and hopefully in the morning that you’ll have the nice surprise that it’s come back to life!
My Kindle Has Frozen
Solution 1 – Soft Reset
As you can tell, soft reset is good for a range of problems. By holding the power button for 7 seconds and releasing, you should see the Kindle screen flash and then start loading up again. You can then test whether or not this has fixed the issue by trying to read a few different books and navigating between the reading screen and the home screen.
Solution 2 – Hard Reset
To enable a hard reset, you’ll need to hold the power button for at least 45 seconds before releasing. Once this has been done, you should see the Kindle rebooting. As with the soft reset option, try browsing through a few Kindle books and navigating between different menus to see if this has fixed the problem.
Let’s Thaw Out Your Kindle
Solution 3 – Let The Battery Drain Flat
There are a few ways to speed this up. Firstly, enable the WiFi and then turn the brightness settings to full. If you spend around 30 mins a day navigating between books and the other various menus, it should take no time at all to drain it flat. Then I’d recommend charging it from the mains and leaving it overnight.
Solution 4 – Getting Rid Of Corrupt Files
The Kindle could be freezing because some of the Ebooks which have been downloaded have become corrupted. To test this you’ll need to plug your EReader into your PC and manually delete the EBook files. These can be found in the folder EBooks. Once this has been done, unplug the Kindle from the PC and enable WiFi on the Kindle. This will start the syncing process with your EBooks on Amazon cloud.
Solution 5 – Perform A Software Update
We want to make sure your Kindle is on the latest software version. This can be done navigating to the settings screen and selecting software update. Alternatively you can download the software update manually following Amazon’s instructions here.
When All Else Fails – Some More Drastic Measures
So the options below are a little more drastic and irreversible so make sure you read all of the instructions below before you have a go.
Solution 1 – Factory Reset
If you can get your Kindle to start up you can navigate to the settings screen to perform a factory reset. Warning – This will erase your EBooks on the device and reset any customizations you’ve made on your Kindle. It will also reset your WiFi settings so make sure you have access to those details before performing the reset.
Solution 2 – Disconnecting Your Amazon Account
I’d recommend trying this is you’re having issues with downloading EBooks or issues with connecting to the Amazon store. You’ll need to open a browser on your PC and go to Amazon.com. Once there you’ll need to login and navigate to the section ‘Manage My Kindle’. From here you’ll be able to un-sync your Kindle. Once you’ve done this, delete any EBooks from the Kindle where you’re having issue. Finally re-sync your Kindle on Amazon.com by navigating to the same section.
Solution 3 – Contacting Amazon Support
Amazon have gotten pretty good with Customer support these days. There are a variety of ways to get in touch with them including email, live-chat and phone numbers. I’m not sure if this is something that Amazon still do but when I had an issue with my Kindle I got a free replacement as it was within the 12 month warranty. They’ll normally need some screenshots or videos of the issue you’re facing. You’ll normally need to login into your Amazon account so your can explain the problem.
This Is Your Now That You’ve Fixed Your Kindle!
Conclusion
So hopefully that was useful to people having issues with their Kindle Paperwhite. I just wanted to wish you good luck on bringing your Kindle back to life and any further questions feel free to drop a comment below.
Until next time
Cheers
James
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james
My name is James and I'm the founder on BestEReadersOnTheMarket.com. I wanted to create a site that makes it easy for people to choose what's the right EReader for them out of the hundreds of choices though writing in-depth reviews and guides.
Comments
Jewelia
Hi James,
Thank you for the troubleshooting tips. You are right, sometimes things causing the problem are simple and obvious and yet we forget to check them first before starting to panic.
I didn’t know that an Android phone’s plug can be used to charge your Kindle. That’s a very useful tip! The software update is another thing that I often leave for later and then forget that I didn’t install the latest version. And a battery life… it’s so easy to forget your Kindle in the car under the direct sun rays or overnight in the winter cold.
Most of these little tricks that you mention are well known and yet… I could go crazy trying to figure out what’s wrong with my Kindle’s WiFi connection when the actual problem is on the other end. Of course, I should first reset the router! Don’t I do this for other electronic devices in the house? Why not for Kindle? And yes, a trip to the closest Starbucks is much more meaningful and pleasant than staying in a place with a broken WiFi and crying in desperation.
Thank you again for the troubleshooting list, which must be handy as a reminder.
All the best,
~ Julia
james
Hi Julia,
Thanks very much for your comment. Glad you found the tips useful and ironically it’s usually the simple thinks that fix 99% of the problems when it comes to tech! Let me know if you have anymore tech issues and happy to help out.
Cheers
James
Aaron
Hey James, your post was very helpful to me. If I could give you thumps up I would. 🙂 My girlfriend just bought a kindle and yesterday It just froze and nothing worked anymore. I tried to reset it but it didn’t do anything. so I just went through your list of things that could help. Finally, I was able to drain the battery and now it works perfectly. thanks. 🙂
james
Hi Aaron,
Really glad that I was able to help and it makes it all worth while when you can help someone with a genuine problem!
Cheers
James
Kathy Beevors
Hi James,
Please help. I had about three hundred books on my Kindle Paperwhite ,suddenly I have six hundred and if I want to read one it had to download while I wait. This is not how it used to be, I am wondering if it has doubled the number of books if so I do not know how.
What do you think?
Regards
james
Hi Kathy,
Well that’s a first! Given the number of books I’d recommend plugging into a laptop to dig into deeper what these extra books are and make sure they’re not duplicates. Your Kindle should not be downloading books without your consent so I’m suspecting that it’s someone duplicated them. Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
Jan Lewis
I share my kindle with my daughter and don’t want to upset her settings if I can avoid it . My kindle keeps coming up with ” An error occurred.,if you purchased this item from Amazon delete the item and download it from t he cloud ” what is the cause of this error ?
james
Hi there,
Thanks for your post. Let’s see what we can do here without having to perform the standard factory reset. The issue might be to do with your Amazon account as opposed to the Kindle itself. I’d recommend downloading the Kindle App to your phone and seeing if you can view purchased books on this device. If they won’t download on your phone then it sounds like an issue with the Amazon account which you could then get in touch with the support team to resolve.
If the books work fine on your phone then it’s likely the device and you may need to perform a factory reset. There isn’t unfortunately a way to backup your settings so before you do this, you’d need to make a note of your daughters settings before you do this step.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Marcia Hansen
Some of the books I want to buy are marked kindle unlimited but when I try to buy them they are a dollar amount and not kindle unlimited.ieSomeone Like You by Brittney Sahin. There is a Read now box, but I don’t know what its for. I’m frustrated. Thanks for your help.
james
Hi Marcia,
thanks for raising this issue. This is an odd one as I’m also seeing this issue on the book you mentioned:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Someone-Like-You-Contemporary-Becoming-ebook/dp/B07643MW75/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Someone+Like+You+by+Brittney+Sahin&qid=1601005238&sr=8-1
What I would recommend is reaching out to Amazon support here to confirm your Kindle unlimited subscription is active as something might have gone wrong here.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Cheri
Hi James, I have a Kindle Paperwhite that has been working fine since 2012, although it hasn’t undergone a heavy workload. I was turning it off after reading recently and bobbled it in my hand while I was pressing the on/off switch. Subsequently, it has frozen on the tree icon page. I have tried a soft and hard reset (after letting the battery die) and the screen will go blank for a moment and then the tree icon comes back. It charges fine and the on/off button works fine. I can’t get to a page to do a factory reset. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am heartsick! Thank you
james
Hi Cheri,
Sorry to hear about your Kindle failing to start up! So one additional thing you could try is connecting it to your PC to try and force the EReader out of the mode it’s gotten stuck in. I’ve had that a couple of times before where the EReader will get stuck in a certain mode and only the detection of a PC can snap it out of that state. As you’re out of the 12m warranty Amazon won’t replace it I’m afraid. There doesn’t seem to be a way to remotely factory reset the device from the PC otherwise I’d recommend that. Let me know how you go.
Cheers
James
Pam Teskey
I just received my paperwhite waterproof kindle and it won’t turn on. I held the start button for 7 seconds and for 40 seconds but nothing happens. The green light is on so it should be fully charged.
admin
Hi Pam,
Sorry to hear your having issues with your Kindle. So if it’s a brand new purchase then it sounds like it unfortunately has a manufacturing fault. It should just work out of the box. I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon as it’s within the 12m warranty so they should be able to sort out a replacement if they cannot provide any further assistance.
Cheers
James
Lori Reddan
I’ve picked out library books from my Libby app on my iPhone but cannot get them to transfer to my kindle. How do you do it?
james
Hi Lori,
Thanks for your post. Having looking into Libby it looks like this post should help you out:
https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6017.htm
Shout out if this doesn’t work and happy to take a further look.
Cheers
James
AUDREY
I WENT AWAY AND MY KINDLE WAS NOT USED FOR A WHILE. NOW I CANNOT GET TO CHARE. IS IT HOPELESS?
james
Hi Audrey,
Sorry to hear you’re having issues with your Kindle. If it’s been discharged for a while I’d recommend leaving it plugged in for a couple of days to give it a chance. If this still doesn’t work and your product is still under warranty then you can get in touch with Amazon and hopefully the can issue a replacement.
Cheers
James
Claudia Jaldin
Same here!!! today second day since this happend, and theres no amber light on anymore, It was only on for the first couple hours, but the battery sign never went away, I’ve tried all the soft and hard reset, and plug it to the laptop. I’ve got the 10th generation Paperwhite. I’ve got before a 6th generation, which so far is still working. i guess the new versions are just more fragile. Since I got to chat with Amazon service and they just want to replace it, it only has less than 7 months since I’ve got it. Sad Story!
james
Hi Claudia,
Just replied to the thread that Dave raised now. Given that they’re willing to offer a replacement it might be worth going for now but there’s no guarantee that the issue won’t occur again as it looks like it’s a software bug.
Cheers
James
Coleen R Coffey
It used to be, after I finished reading a book I would put it into one of my Collections and it would no longer show on my Library list. It doesn’t do that anymore. Now, ALL books keep showing on my Library list so I have to wade through every book I’ve ever read on my Kindle to find one I want to read. Why is it not removing them from my Library list like it used to???? Very frustrating. Customer Service was not very helpful.
james
Hi Coleen,
Thanks for your comment. It is unfortunate that they have made this change as there are a few people I know who also use this feature. The only workaround I’d recommend is using the feature ‘remove from my Kindle’ once you have read them which means that they won’t clutter up your view. If you need the books back you can always sync them with your Amazon Kindle account.
Hope this helps
Cheers
James
Jane
My Kindle paper light early za
M y Kindle paperlight when plugged in lights up yellow then green; however when I swipe it ,nothing happens. I can’t get it to move.
james
Hi Jane,
I not seen that issue before. What I would recommend is draining the Kindle completely flat and then charging it to 100%. Once complete then see if you can swipe on the device. Does the screen response if you tap instead of swiping? If so I’d recommend performing a factory reset to see if this solves your issue.
Cheers
James
carin
My paperwhite is showing a battery with exclamation point in the middle of it. Ive tried charging, resetting it, 45 second hole on power button and nothing. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
james
Hi Carin,
Sorry to hear you’re having issues with your Kindle. So that symbol means that the battery has been completely exhausted. Given that you’ve tried charging it, I’d recommend trying a different cable and power source (e.g. try charging the Kindle from your laptop as opposed to a standard plug). Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Claudia Jaldin
Please let me know if you got to fix your issue, I’m struggling with the same thing. 🙁
Bethan Langford
Same. Outside warranty now and am in the middle of dissertation. Cannot afford £200 replacement so am feeling incredibly depressed 🙁 Fingers crossing that a couple of days on charge will do it
Linda Sisk
When I finish a book and are ready to read one I have downloaded, about 10 or so books come up which I haven’t downloaded and aren’t interested in. I haven’t reset yet because my battery was low and I’m recharging. Do you have any ideas if a rese doesn’t work? Thank you
james
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your comment. It sounds like you might have some free books pre loaded on the device. I’d recommend logging onto your amazon account via the website to see if the books are there and delete them. This should then synchronize with your Kindle
Cheers
James
Judy O'Bar
Hi James,
Will you please tell me how to delete “Collections” from my old Kindle Paperwhite which was purchased in 2012? Latest update on it is Version 5.9.5.1. This Kindle is used as a backup when I’m traveling and I am not aware of Collections on either of my other Kindles and don’t want it added. I prefer to just see lists.
james
Hi Judy,
Thanks for the post. I think this is what you’re looking for? https://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/tablets/kindle/how-to-create-collections-on-your-kindle-paperwhite/
This also includes instructions on how to delete.
Cheers
James
Monk Peabody
As I think about writing I am beginning to realize that I may just need a new Kindle but I’ve been so many places with the thing I just can’t let it go. So…
Yadda, yadda, yadda and the next thing I know the house is on fire… I grabbed what I could but the Kindle couldn’t be saved.
Or so I thought … After the fire cooled down and I was surveying the carnage there, in a crispy backpack… KINDLE!
Something DID survive! Well, sort of.
I imagine it got real hot and real wet but it looked good.
I brushed it off, did the rice thing and switched it on. What!… it works?!?
but, not. Now it just switches from what I want to read back to the sleep screen and then book, then sleep, well you get it. Did a hard reset, nothing and that’s pretty much all I know to do.
james
Thanks for sharing this story! It is a testament to showing how strong Kindles really are! it’s unfortunate that it doesn’t fully work but functions a lot better than I expected to be honest given that it’s gone through a fire!
Cheers
James
Patricia Moseley
My charging cord works fine on a very old Kindle that I have but the plug won’t always seat correctly when I try to charge my Kindle paperwhite. I have done hard reset multiple times . Got a short while that seemed to solve problem. No more does that work. Now to get paperwhite charged I have to apply pressure near juncture of plug-in & port, either manually or via stacking some other device on cord ear connection. Very frustrating. What can I do at this point other than buy new Kindle?
james
Thanks for the reply. Sorry to hear that you’re still having issues. Given the pressure scenario you described, it’s sounding more hardware related. So other than getting a new Kindle there is one option but to be clear THIS WLLL VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND COULD POTENTIALLY FURTHER DAMAGE THE PRODUCT. It involves opening up the Kindle itself to perform maintenance on the device. There are quite a few youtube videos out there but this one is quite a good step by step guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6VbzR43cD0
Before trying this, it might be worth having one more try with Amazon support to see if they’re in a generous mood of offering a replacement, or at least credit.
Cheers
James
Helen L Moore
Hi James, this is all amazing but the problem I have is that after attempting to read for a couple of seconds the icons all flash up and it takes itself back to the home page!! It’s only a couple of months old. Any ideas? Thanks, Helen
james
Hi Helen,
Thanks for the comment on this and that does sound really strange! Initial thoughts are it could have been a bad software update. Have you updated the software recently? If so I’d recommend factory resetting the device and see if it resolves the issue. If this doesn’t resolve the issue then you still have the option of contacting Amazon support as it’s within the 12m warranty period. In the past they have done a straight replacement within 12m but you’d need to confirm that with them.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Colleen
Hi James, My brand new Kindle Paperwhite keeps displaying a “POWER” box in the middle of the page I’m reading and then turns off no matter which choice I make among “Cancel,” “Restart,” and “Screen Off.” It happens immediately after I turn a page, so it is not because of inaction. It does this repeatedly. I already returned the same model last week for the same reason, and this is the replacement. Please help if you can.
james
Hi Colleen,
Thanks for the post. Well you’ve already done the initial thing that I would recommend which is getting in touch with Amazon to get a replacement. On the previous post below I’d recommend trying to perform a factory reset as it sounds like a bad software update has happened. Another option here could be to remove the books one by one from the device and then add them back individually to see if it’s a particular issue with one of the books.
Hope that helps and let me know how you go.
Cheers
James
Christobel
My kindle will not charge nor start. Firstly I got the screen giving instructions to restart which did not work. Now the screen is almost blank, please help.
james
Hi Christobel,
Thanks for your post. Have you recently purchase the Kindle? If so, sounds like the battery is dead/disconnected for whatever reason. If you purchased the device within 12m, Amazon should provide a one time replacement if that policy still stands. Hopefully that helps and let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
A,
Thank you for your advice on resetting the Kindle–It was a great relief to me as I thought I had killed my Kindle! I appreciate your doing this.
james
Thanks for you post and really glad I could help! Makes it worth the effort!
Cheers
James
Randy Rose
Can not access my library. Shows pages 1-55 but they are all blank.
james
Hi Randy,
On this occasion I’d recommend a factory reset. It may be the case that the latest firmware update has not loaded on the device successfully. Before you do this make sure you login into your Amazon account via the web to confirm your books are there.
Cheers
James
Vickie Boes
My Kindle paper white quite working and wouldn’t charge – all I got was an unlighted screen with the boy reading under a tree. So after much research, hard and soft resets, I purchased a new battery kit which I just installed. Good news is the screen lite up. Bad news is after being fully charged it’s still on the “tree” screen. After more soft and hard restarts, checking everything you provided on your site. still can’t get past the screen saver to my library. Any suggestions other than buying a new Kindle? Thanks
james
Hi Vickie,
This one sounds tricky and unfortunately have an answer for it. From you description it sounds like the kindle cannot load the OS correctly which should normally be resolved from a factory reset. If the device is still under 12m warranty then I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon and they should be able to provide a replacement (providing that they’re still running this policy). Sorry I couldn’t be more help here.
Cheers
James
Janie
My Kindle Paperwhite won’t fully charge. Hovers at 98% with amber light displayed for the longest time. Airplane mode is on. Have tried restarting it yet still the same. What am I to do next? Thank you.
james
Hi Janie,
Thanks for your post. Have you had the Kindle for a long time? If it’s fairly new then it could be a couple of options. Option 1 is that the battery was defective on shipping. If this is the case and you device is under 12m I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon customer service. Option 2 could be a bad firmware update. You can find instructions on updating your firmware here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200529680
If you’ve had the device a while(talking years) then it’s likely a natural occurrence of the battery life diminishing.
Hope this helps!
Cheers
James
Chris M
Hi James. My kindle will not download new books though it has downloaded a sample ok. My payment options seem ok. Any suggestions?
james
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your post and that is an odd one. We need to determine whether or not it’s the Kindle device or your Amazon account. So I’d recommend downloading the Kindle App on your phone and see if the books sync there. If the books sync there, then it’s definitely something wrong with the Kindle and you might need to do a factory reset. If the books don’t sync via the Kindle App then it’s something with your account and I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon support.
Cheers
James
Sandra White
my kindle keeps skipping pages
admin
Hi Sandra,
This does seem a bit of an odd issue. How frequently is the issue occurring? My initial advice would be to perform a factory reset as it sounds like a bad software update. If you’ve still got the issue then I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon support. If the device is still within 12m warranty then they will likely offer a replacement.
Cheers
James
Carole
Hi IJames i seem to have trouble finding amazon support ,my kindle is not downloading my books but is charging me ,and saying as been delivered to my kindle.
james
Hi Carole,
Thanks for the comment. That sounds less than ideal! First I’d recommend downloading the Kindle App onto your phone and seeing if the Ebooks are downloading there. If they are then it sounds like an issue with the device (at which point i’d recommend a factory reset). If they’re not even downloading via the Kindle app then it sounds like an issue with your Amazon account so I’d recommend getting in touch with the support team.
Hope this helps and let me know how you go.
Cheers
James
Razan Heggem
I receive an error message each time I try to connect my Kindle with my PC using a USB cable- PC says that the device has not been recognized, and to try again. I’ve tried re-starting both the PC and the Kindle and tried multiple USB cables and also a different PC.
I am unable to “Update software” on the Kindle, as that option is not highlighted. Please advise, thank you very much!
james
Hi there,
thanks very much for your comment and sounds like you’re in a bind there. You’ve certainly done the common sense things here of rebooting devices and trying different machines in order to solve the solution. Let’s try for something a little more advanced. It sounds like your Kindle has gotten into a state where it might be using an old driver which is no longer recognised by Windows (making an assumption here you’re using Windows). As we can’t update the Kindle driver, I’d recommend trying to update the USB drivers on your Windows machine. Instructions for this can be found here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4028443/windows-10-update-drivers
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Razan Heggem
Hi, thanks for your suggestion, which I followed. My PC has been updated with the newest driver for the USB function. Unfortunately, it has not resolved the problem.
Do you have any additional suggestions? Thanks for your time!
james
Hi There,
sorry to hear you’ve still got the issue. I’ve done a little more digging and have found a few more articles that have got a couple of other options:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220110
https://www.auslogics.com/en/articles/what-to-do-if-your-computer-cant-recognize-a-kindle/
https://windowsreport.com/computer-cannot-detect-kindle/
Hopefully at least one of these should kick it back into action!
Cheers
James
linda welch
I have a kindle white I bought bookfd been charged for them They are not coming through to my kindle
james
HI Linda,
I’d recommend trying to download them on your phone using the app to see if it’s account issue of your Kindle device. If they download on your phone then it’s likely the Kindle and it might need a factor reset (backup your items before you do this). If they don’t download on your phone either then it’s likely an Amazon account issue and you’ll need to get in touch with their support team.
Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
Christopher Barclay
My Kindle Paperwhite no longer has a proper contents list. It’s been replaced by a list of covers which isn’t nearly as useful. How can I get back to the original format?
james
Hi Christopher,
Thanks for sharing the comment. Did the change happen recently? If so this could be the result of an Amazon firmware update. I’d recommend checking the settings section, however it may be the case that Amazon have now forced this setting to display covers instead of the original Ebook title list.
Cheers
James
Derek Foster
I cannot access my kindle library just the alphabetical list of all the books on my kindle.Before, all the new books were at the front in my library
james
Hi Derek,
Thanks for your post. Has the issue happened recently? Am guessing it’s a firmware update gone bad. I’d recommend trying to force the firmware update to happen again. Instructions for this can be found on the Amazon website: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201756220
One thing to make sure is that update is specifically for your generation of Kindle.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Pierre
I bought a new kindle 10 days ago. It work well until this morning until suddenly the pages started to change automatically the font size changed from normal to very small and then very big several times. I put the kindle on a flat surface and watched it changing pages and font size for a full 30 minutes+.
I managed to shut it down and recharged it completely. It worked well for 10 minutes and started to do the same thing again.
Any idea what to do?
james
Hi Pierre,
Thanks for your comment and that behaviour sounds really strange. Given that the device is so new, it sounds like there is a defect with the screen itself which is causing pressure to be detected even though you’re not pressing on it. Thankfully as the purchase is still within the 12 month warranty period I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon support to see if you can get a replacement as I don’t think you’d be able to fix this without voiding the warranty.
Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
WENDY GLEAVES
My kindle paperwhite is fully charged but although I have performed both a hard and soft reset I can’t navigate between the collections list on the device although it will sometimes go to the cloud. It is quite old, I’ve had it for a number of years. It is full of books and I’ve tried removing some from the device but I can’t even do that now. If I do a factory reset will by ebooks still be in the cloud? I can read them now on my Fire but I prefer my paperwhite! Hope you can help@
james
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for the post. As it’s quite old it may be time for another. With that said, there may be a couple of things to try. To confirm your books are in the cloud you’ll need to log onto your Amazon account via the web. If you can see the books here then this means they’re in the cloud. This means it’s safe to do a factory reset. I’d also recommend copying your books onto your laptop just in case. This can be done by connecting your EReader to the laptop using the USB cable provided.
The factory reset would then wipe all of the books on the device and hopefully sort some of the navigation issues you’re facing.
Hope this helps and let me know how you go.
Cheers
James
Barbara
Hi James. My Kindle refused to start only minutes after turning it off. The green light would come on for a second or two and then nothing! This happened at 2.45 this morning after a particularly difficult few hours of trying to sleep. Ive recently lost my husband so am really struggling with the whole ” sleeping on your own” thing and my kindle has been very useful. I just read until I fall asleep.
I got up, plugged it in to a power bank but already knew the battery was okay as I charged just the other day. Clutching at straws, but to no avail.
I tried it again this morning and still nothing.
I am now overjoyed to report that, after following your hold the button down advice, it is now back to normal.
Thank you so much. I shan’t still be awake at 4.30 as I was this morning.
james
Hi Barbara,
Firstly, sorry for your loss. Secondly I’m really glad the advice worked for you and stories like this make it worth all the while. Thank you for sharing.
James
Don Barber
I ordered a new Komdle paperwhite. I can not make the underscore work which is in my Email address.
james
Hi Don,
sorry to hear you’re having trouble registering your email address. So i looks like Amazon supports this based on this thread:
https://www.amazonforum.com/s/question/0D54P00006zItxiSAC/im-trying-to-register-my-kindle-paperwhite-i-have-an-underscore-in-my-email-address-and-cant-fine-one-on-the-kindle-keyboard
With the keyboard open, tap on the 123 key at the bottom left and then on the # ~= key and then you’ll see the _ key.
Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
sherry horn
I can’t get my new paper white to hook up . Says use Amazon password. Nothing works.
james
Hi Sherry,
Sorry to hear you’re having trouble. So in order to connect your Amazon Kindle to Amazon you’ll need the Amazon password you sign in with on Amazon.com
This will be the same password you use at the Amazon checkout when purchasing items online.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Lisa
It worked; THANK YOU!!!!!
james
Glad to hear it! Happy reading!
bonnie vann
Hi James, and I hope you can help! My Paperwhite has been working well. Suddenly when I turned it on all the text is Chinese!!! Seriously, and I’m NOT happy about it!! Hope you can help/
james
Hi Bonnie,
That is really random! So although the text is now in Chinese, the menu order should remain the same. I’d recommend watching this video which highlights the position of each item which will allow you to get into configuration settings to change it back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaHtr243Prs
Good luck and let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
Anne Haehl
My Paper white won’t download new books. Sometimes it will do the sample, but then when you get to the book–or if you do the book without the sample–it says “There is an error.” Sometimes it comes up with the error message even if it’s a book already in my library.
admin
Hi Anne,
Sorry to hear you’re having issues. I’d recommend trying to download an EBook on your phone using the Kindle app and see if you face the same issue. If it works then it’s likely the device and it may need a factory reset. If the EBook won’t download from the app then it’s likely something is wrong with your Amazon account and you’ll need to get in touch with their support team. Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Rosemary
I have a 10th generation paper white which I purchased in November 2019. I have briefly been able to connect to my Axiole Bluetooth earphones In order to listen to Audible. but the kindle will now not connect. The WiFi is fine. I have tried all the suggestions given by Kindle forum and have done a factory reset, to no avail. Help please. Thanks. Rosemary
james
Hi Rosemary,
Sorry to here you’re having issues connecting Bluetooth to your Kindle device. A couple of things I’d recommend trying as it might be the earphones rather than the Kindle. Can you trying connecting your Bluetooth earphones to another device? Also do you have another Bluetooth device to use with the Kindle (e.g. a Bluetooth Speaker). Also it would be worth checking if you can do a factory reset on your earphones. Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Francois
Hi,
i just got my kindle paper white and when i start to register, it started to hang,
i tried the 45 seconds hard restart but it only turns on and off…
help please…
james
HI Francois,
Sounds like there is something fundamentally wrong here given it’s brand new it should never do that. There’s a couple of thing you can try. I’d first recommend a hard reset. This involves holding down the power key for 6-8 seconds. If you still get the same issue then I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon support as the device may need to be replaced. Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Francois
Thanks for the reply, yes, already sent it back to the seller, hopefully they would resolve the issue.
james
Good luck and hope you manage to get a working one soon!
Cheers
James
Heng
My Kindle Paperwhite 8th got auto touch on screen instantly, i can’t control it ;(
james
Hi Heng,
this is the first time I’ve heard of this issue. Can you try holding down your finger on the screen in a different position to see if the issue is resolved? It may be the case that something has been pressing down on that particular area of the screen for some time (e.g. something in your bag) and that it might be permanent damage. To rule this out though I’d recommend a factory reset to see if issue remains. You will need to backup your books and content BEFORE you do this.
Let me know you get on.
Cheers
James
Dave
Hi James,
The backlight on my Kindle Paperwhite has stopped working. I have tried a soft reset, a hard reset as well as restore factory settings. But none of them have worked. There is absolutely no light even at full brightness settings. What do I do?
james
Hi Dave,
Sorry to hear you’re having issues with this. I’ve not heard of the backlight failing issue before. From researching this more it looks like it’s a software bug that hasn’t been fixed yet by Amazon:
https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comments/57n913/new_paperwhite_backlight_sometimes_not_turning_on/
https://itstillworks.com/fix-lighting-kindle-2901.html
I’d recommend reaching out to Amazon to ask if they have a software update for this yet. If you’re still under warranty you might be able to get the device replaced but there’s still a risk that this issue could appear again.
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful on this issue
Cheers
James
Margaret Lind
You are a genius!!!!!!! I charged my Kindle Paperwhite, and when the light turned green, which is supposed to mean it’s done, when I turned on the Kindle, it was totally BLANK! No books, nothing! I freaked out! Then just sort of plugged it in again and left it all night, and went to sleep. This morning same thing, but in trying your top suggestions, pressing the start button and holding it for like 10 seconds, when I laid it down, the whole menu appeared, and the book I’m reading came on, when I pressed it, and all appears to be well. I also got the “upgrade your Kindle” commercial… which being a suspicious American, makes me wonder if Jeff Bezos himself didn’t unvent that just so he could get more sales…. But then I’ was a lifelong journalist, so I’m also suspicious of Russian plots…
james
HI Marget,
Your comment made my day and this is why I do what i do. So glad you managed to get your Kindle back up and running!
Happy reading!
Cheers
James
Anne Hyland
iMy kindle saya it is waking up, but not following on and telling me to swipe. It is fully charged.Anne
james
Hi Anne,
Thanks for your comment. This sounds like really strange behavior! I’d recommend letting the device go completely flat and then do an overnight charge to see if it solves the problem. Sounds like it’s gotten into a strange state. Let me know how you go.
Cheers
James
Ron Willis
I got a new credit card number. I can’t find where to enter my new card number into my kindle. Can’t buy any more books. Below is my WORK email.
james
Hi Ron,
I think from memory you need to add your new credit card to your Amazon account via a browser rather than being able to do it via the Kindle device. You’ll need to log onto Amazon account and enter the details there.
Cheers
James
charlene a rogerss
my paperwhite won’t turn on and on the screen it shows a battery symbol with an exclamation in the middle. What does this mean? How can we fix it?
james
Hi Charlene,
This means that the battery charge has completely expired. Depending on how long you’ve have the Kindle it might mean the battery is fully exhausted and will need to be replaced. I’d recommend leaving it charged in overnight and see if you can bring it back to life. If this is a recent purchase then I’d recommend getting in touch with Amazon support.
Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
scott peterson
My plug that covers the charger port is gone ..is my reader still waterproof
james
Hi Scott,
It unfortunately means that your EReader is now NOT waterproof. Hopefully you have the part still somewhere and can reattach it. Until then I would not recommend going near any water!
Cheers
James
joun
can’t connect kindle fire bluetooth gdi-btpb300 how-to or fix or troubleshooting
james
Hi Joun,
Thanks for reaching out. Bluetooth can be notoriously flakey depending on devices but these general tips might help. First try connecting the other device you’re trying to pair with to something other than your Kindle fire. You need to try and rule out which device is causing the problem. It’s also giving both devices a decent charge too. If that doesn’t work then I’d recommend some more of the tips from this tech site: https://www.komando.com/tech-tips/15-bluetooth-pairing-fixes/469067/
Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
Veronica (Ronnie) Cavanaugh
I am on my second Kindle. My original died so I purchased a Paperwhite E-Reader thru Amazon in Feb 2018…so it’s more than 2 yrs old. Just within the last month, this Kindle fades off while I’m reading. I’m forced to close my cover to activate the screen again and then swipe to get back to reading the page I’m on. I’m not sure if this is something others have experienced and/or if it means my Kindle Paperwhite is on a slow path to its death. Are you aware of this problem and, if so, is there a fix or something I can do to stop this annoying glitch?
james
Hi Veronica,
thanks for reaching out. So i haven’t seen this issue before but I did some digging. It looks like a common cause to this is over-exposure to heat, cold or the sun based on this forum: https://www.quora.com/Is-Kindles-shelf-life-about-2-years-Have-you-experienced-Kindles-e-ink-fading-issue#:~:text=The%20normal%20culprits%20will%20probably,big%20factors%20with%20screen%20fading.&text=David%20Ecale%2C%20I've%20got,)%20%26%20I%20use%20them%20all!
With that said yours is slightly different as you can get back to a state of reading. It might be worth trying a factory reset to see if it’s a software issue rather than a hardware one (make sure you backup your data first though).
Another option is reaching out to Amazon directly on this issue as it seems like they’ve dealt with screen issues before:
https://www.amazonforum.com/s/question/0D54P00006zIi5ISAS/fading-on-kindle-paperwhite
Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
Rebecca
Glad to see the comments here still active. I have a kindle paperwhite from 2014. It not so recently would give me an application won’t start error. I’ve done everything I could find short of factory reset: power cycle, check for updates, let charge then power cycle. I’m pretty good at only having a small portion of my books downloaded at any one time and removing them when I’m done.
So, up to tonight the typical things would get me back up and running. Tonight, whenever I restart, it goes to a blank screen, gives me the application error and then when I hit close it just stays blank. No amount of charging, 3-30 min, (only thing I haven’t tried is an overnight charge) has provided a change. Any suggestions or am I looking at purchasing a new kindle paperwhite?
james
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your comment. Given that there seemed to be an ongoing issue which you had workarounds for (which now no longer work) it’s probably pointing to the Kindle being on it’s way out. In this instance it sounds like you might need a new Kindle. One final ditch attempt could be to reach out to Amazon support directly to see if there’s anything else they would recommend but it sounds like you’ve covered the basics here.
Cheers
James
John Flynn
James
After a hard reset on my Kindle there is a light gray bar at the bottom of the page. Any ideas? It’s not in the way of abything.
james
Hi John,
Thanks for the comment and sounds strange! Am assuming it’s not a progress bar or anything like that to indicate how much you’ve read?
Are you able provide a link to a screenshot and I can take a look further.
Thanks
James
Eileen Homer
Books are not downloading onto my 10th Generation Kindle Paperwhite unless I push the Sync button. Initially the books were downloading but after a few months, they stopped downloading unless I hit Sync. Amazon has sent me replacement Kindle’s and this keeps happening after a few months of use. I have contacted them and followed all the steps suggested, but the books still won’t sync.
james
Hi Eileen,
sorry to see you’re having issues with your Kindle. Given that Amazon has already replaced the Kindle, I’d recommend trying to install the Kindle app on your phone and see if you get the same thing. If you see the same issue then it might be something with your Amazon account as opposed to the Kindle device itself. Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Woelfer
I found a Paperwhite dead battery fix. If you plug in your dead Paperwhite and see the rectangle with an exclamation mark, do as follows. Keep it plugged into the charger. While pressing the power/reset button down, put a piece of scotch tape over it to hold it in the down position. The kindle will cycle flashing to a blank screen and the back to the rectangle / exclamation mark. The light will cycle from yellow to green to off and repeat. Leave it sitting like this, continuing to cycle. After some time, in my case maybe 15 minutes, you will see the “Kindle” start screen. When you do, take the tape off. A few minutes later the screen will show the start bar, and then it will show your Home Screen. By this point mine showed 9% battery. Also, I should note i had the Paperwhite plugged in for 15 to 20 minutes before starting this process. I tried everything else on the internet. Only this worked.
james
Hi Woelfer,
Thanks very much for the share! First time I’ve heard of that solution so reposting on the page so that others can make use of it too!
Cheers
James
Woelfer
I accidentally let the battery die and did the same trick with the scotch tape and it worked again. So it looks like every time the light flashes green it is giving a little charge to the battery. This continues until there is enough charge to get the restart going.
james
Hi There,
Thanks for your comment and sounds like a great trick to get a bit of juice going again.
Will share this for the rest of the group in case this could be useful to others.
Cheer
James
Marty Stephens
Thank you. My Paperwhite quit working, but was fully charged. I took your suggestions and held the on off button down for a long time, and finally it reloaded. I thought it was a goner, but now it is working again. M.
james
Hi Marty,
great to see my advice in action! Glad you getting some more life out of your Kindle Paperwhite!
Shout out if you have any further questions.
Cheers
James
Edmund McKenna
I am trying to use the Send to Kindle App on my MacBook Air. It is installed. I dragged a PDF to it and it then prompts me to log into
Amazon. I just reset the password and used the new password. It keeps prompting me over and over. I know that I am entering the same password that I just created.
james
HI Edmund, sorry to hear you’re having issues. I’m not a Mac expert I’m afraid but I did find that the Amazon does seem to have troubleshooting forums and it looks like they’re willing to take questions so my recommendation is heading over there to see if someone has encountered the same issue:
https://www.amazonforum.com/s/question/0D54P00006zSoyi/send-to-kindle-app-for-mac-stopped-working
It would also be interesting to see if you experience the same issue using the send to Kindle app on a PC. If you do then it may be something to do with your Amazon account as opposed to the device itself.
Cheers
James
Liz
Hi James. My Kindle paper white is probably about 5 years old. Recently it started jumping randomly between pages and then the cover page came up with the boy reading under the tree and there are also 2 black bars across the page that are about 1″ wide running across the screen. It is also unresponsive. Will not shut off even. I ordered a new battery and installed it a couple of hours ago, but I still have the same screen. Is the reader totally gone?
james
Hi Liz,
Thanks for your comment and does sound like it’s a bad state indeed! If you’ve not tried I’d recommend a hard reset to try and get it off that screen it’s stuck on. Hold the power button for more than 40 seconds will trigger this. More info can be found on Amazon’s site: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G9WDGDTCSDQMSU7Z
It might be also worth plugging it into a laptop to see if that also triggers a state change.
Let me know how you get on
Cheers
James
Gayle
Hi James. My kindle flips through the pages on its own. Highlights words all by itself. How do I fix this please. Thanks
james
Hi Gayle,
sorry to hear you’re have issues with your Kindle. Gut feeling is that it’s unfortunately a hardware issue. This normally occurs when something hard has pressed on a specific part of the screen for an extended period of time. It means that the Kindle thinks you’re clicking on that area again and again. It might be worth trying to back up the files and performing a factor reset but not sure it will help the issue.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Anup Roy
In my device it requires pin number to come up a screen which I have forgotten. If I hold the power button for 45 seconds, does it erase everything?
N.B: I also forgot my amazon account pin.
james
Hi Anup,
thanks for reaching out and sorry to hear you’ve forgotten your pin. There are a couple of ways to reset it depending on the device but I need to warn you that it will reset it to the factory default which will erase all of the content on the Kindle.
To reset you can try:
entering the following Pin: 111222777
entering the pin incorrectly five times
As a REMINDER, THIS WILL ERASE ALL THE CONTENT ON THE KINDLE
cheers
James
Mary Harkins
Hi James,
My Paperwhite screen has a battery with an exclamation point in it. I have charged it and nothing. I tried the hard restart and nothing. Any idea what my problem is?
Thanks,
Mary Harkins
james
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out. Normally when this symbol appears it means that the battery has been fully exhausted. You can try leaving it charged overnight or try charging it via a laptop but chances are the battery will need replacing.
Cheers
James
Linda
Hi James,
Thanks for this blog post. I just replaced a Paperwhite with a new one since the former would not turn on. (I didn’t find your website soon enough!) I’ve had this new Paperwhite for just under a month. When I’m reading, the menu bar (with font, etc) will appear and/or I will be sent to the store. I’m not touching the Kindle at all when this occurs. Maybe it’s a “lemon” and I should go and exchange it at Best Buy? What would you suggest?
james
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear you’re having issues with your second Kindle. Is it always the same menu that appears? And is it in the same place on the screen where the issue is occurring? Gut feeling is that some debris has gotten onto part of the screen which is causing the issue. I’d recommend taking a dry cloth and clear down all of the edges of the screen just in case something has gotten caught there. Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James
Janet
Hi James
My paperwhite did an auto update yesterday and now it won’t sync to any of the new books I bought this morning. They are available on my other Kindle apps (e.g. phone & desktop) but not my paperwhite. I’ve pushed the sync button numerous times and have reset it by pressing the power button for 30 seconds. Nothings working and I can’t work out how to contact Amazon – it there an email address
james
Hi Janet,
Sorry to hear you’re having issues with your Kindle after the update. Unfortunately this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this issue. I’d recommend trying to do a hard reset (this won’t erase the contents). Hold down the power button for at least 40 seconds. This will cause the device to reboot and will take some time to start again.
If that fails you may need to get in touch with Amazon. They don’t have an email address but you can get in touch with them by signing into your amazon account and look for the support section.
Let me know how you get on.
Cheers
James