Amazon Ends Support for 13 Kindles: Save Your eBook Library

Published July 7, 2026

Amazon has announced it will end cloud and content support for 13 older Kindle models, cutting off WhisperSync syncing, dictionary lookups, Wikipedia search, and direct Kindle Store access. The move follows the May 2026 cutoff of store access for pre-2012 Kindles and expands the list of affected devices significantly.

The change affects Kindles released between 2011 and 2015, including multiple generations of the Kindle Touch, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Fire tablet lines. If you own an older Kindle, your device will still function as a reading device for books already on it, but the cloud features that many readers rely on will stop working.

This article explains exactly which models are affected, what you lose, and — most importantly — how to download your Kindle library and convert it to EPUB so your books remain readable on any device, now and in the future.

Which Kindle Models Are Affected

Amazon has not published a single official list of the 13 models, but multiple news sources (BBC, Forbes, Mashable, PCMag, Good e-Reader) have confirmed the affected devices through Amazon's internal support documentation and retailer communications. The models fall into three groups:

If you own any model older than the 7th-generation Kindle (2014), there is a strong chance it is on the list. The 7th-generation Kindle (Kindle 7, 2014) and the Kindle Paperwhite 2nd generation and newer are not affected — for now.

What Actually Stops Working

Amazon's end-of-support affects cloud-connected features, not local reading. Here is what changes:

The most consequential loss is WhisperSync. If you read on multiple devices (a Kindle at home and the Kindle app on your phone on the go), syncing between them will break. Your reading position will be stored locally only, and you will need to manually find your place when switching devices.

Loss of direct Kindle Store access means you can no longer buy new books on the affected device itself. You can still purchase books from Amazon on a computer or phone and transfer them to the Kindle via USB, as long as the book's format is compatible with the device's firmware.

How to Save Your Kindle Library Before Support Ends

The most important step you can take right now is to download every Kindle book you own and convert it to a portable format like EPUB. Here is the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Download Your Kindle Books from Amazon

Amazon still allows you to download purchased Kindle books through the Download & Transfer via USB feature on the Amazon website:

1. Go to Amazon.com > Account & Lists > Content & Devices
2. Select the Books tab to see all your Kindle purchases
3. Click the Download & Transfer via USB button next to each book
4. Download the .azw3 file to your computer

Repeat this for every book in your library. This is the one step that has a time limit — once Amazon fully cuts off the affected models, the Download & Transfer option may also disappear from your account for books purchased on those devices.

Step 2: Remove DRM from Your Kindle Files

The downloaded .azw3 files still have Amazon's DRM encryption. To convert them to EPUB, you first need to remove the DRM. The standard tool for this is Calibre with the DeDRM plugin installed:

1. Install Calibre from calibre-ebook.com if you do not have it already
2. Install the DeDRM plugin by downloading the latest DeDRM tools from the Apprentice Alf GitHub repository
3. Add your Kindle serial number to the DeDRM plugin preferences (you can find the serial in Settings > Device Info on your Kindle)
4. Add the downloaded .azw3 files to Calibre — the plugin will automatically strip the DRM during import

You only need to do this setup once. After the plugin is configured, every Kindle book you drag into Calibre will have its DRM removed automatically.

Step 3: Convert Your Books to EPUB

Once the books are in Calibre with DRM removed, converting them to EPUB is straightforward:

1. Select all the books in Calibre (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A)
2. Right-click and choose Convert Books > Convert Individually
3. Set the output format to EPUB in the top-right dropdown
4. Click OK to start the batch conversion

Calibre will process each book in sequence. For a library of 200 books, expect the full conversion to take 5-10 minutes. The resulting EPUB files are fully portable and can be read on any EPUB-compatible e-reader: Kobo, PocketBook, Boox, or the Kindle app on a phone.

Step 4: Transfer Your EPUBs to Your New Reader

With your library in EPUB format, you are no longer tied to Amazon's ecosystem. Transfer the EPUB files to your preferred device using any of these methods:

• Kobo: Connect via USB and drag EPUB files to the main folder, or use the built-in OverDrive sync
• PocketBook: Use PocketBook Cloud or USB transfer — EPUB is the native format
• Boox (Android): Transfer via Google Drive, Dropbox, or USB; read with any EPUB reader app
• Calibre Content Server: Host your library on your home network and access books over Wi-Fi

If you plan to keep using your old Kindle as a reading device (without cloud features), you can convert EPUB back to AZW3 using Calibre CLI batch conversion and transfer via USB. The device will still read local files.

Alternative: Use the Amazon Kindle for PC/Mac App

If the DeDRM process sounds technically involved, there is a simpler path for some books. Amazon's Kindle for PC and Kindle for Mac applications download books in a format that can be accessed from the local file system:

1. Install Kindle for PC/Mac on your computer
2. Download each book within the app
3. Navigate to the local Kindle content folder (typically My Kindle Content on Windows)
4. Copy the .azw files to a backup location
5. Use Calibre to convert these files to EPUB

This method works for books that have a PC/Mac reading option enabled by the publisher. Some titles are Kindle-device-only and will not appear in the desktop app's local folder.

What About Kindle Unlimited and Library Books?

Books borrowed through Kindle Unlimited or Kindle Owners' Lending Library cannot be downloaded and transferred. They are only readable while your subscription is active, and the DRM on KU books cannot be removed through the standard DeDRM process.

The same applies to library books borrowed through OverDrive/Kindle integration. Once the lending period expires, the book is automatically returned to the library. If you have borrowed books you want to keep, check whether they are available as DRM-free EPUBs on Kobo (which supports OverDrive) or directly from the publisher.

What This Means for EPUB Readers

Amazon's expanding end-of-support list is a reminder that a Kindle library is not a permanent library. Every Kindle book you own is tied to Amazon's servers for DRM authentication, format compatibility, and cloud-based features. When support ends for a device, your access to those features — and potentially to the books themselves — is at risk.

The EPUB format, by contrast, is device-independent and format-stable. An EPUB file created today will open on any EPUB-compatible reader for decades. No cloud dependency. No firmware update required. No DRM server that can go offline.

If you own a Kindle that is approaching end-of-support, the time to act is now. Download your library, remove the DRM, and convert everything to EPUB. Once your books are in EPUB format, you can read them on any e-reader, on any phone, or on any computer — regardless of what Amazon decides to do next.

Amazon's decision to end support for 13 Kindle models is a clear signal that the Kindle ecosystem is not a permanent home for your book library. The EPUB format is. Download your books, convert them to EPUB, and take control of your reading library today. Use converter-epub.com to convert individual eBooks between formats, or set up Calibre for batch conversions of your entire Kindle library.