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Kindle is a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Books download in less than 60 seconds.
Designed to provide an exceptional reading experience, Kindle utilizes a revolutionary new display technology called electronic paper. Reading Kindle’s screen is as sharp and natural as reading ink on paper–and nothing like the strain and glare of a computer screen.
We wanted Kindle to be completely mobile and simple to use for everyone, so we made it wireless. Kindle (Wi-Fi) allows you to connect your Kindle over a Wi-Fi network, and Kindle 3G (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) allows you the choice of connecting either via Free 3G or Wi-Fi. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills.
Battery Life
With Kindle’s long battery life, you can read your Kindle device for up to 10 days with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to one month. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content.
Your Kindle’s Clock
To quickly check the time while reading press the “Menu” button to display the time at the top of the screen.
Once your Kindle has been registered, you can change the time on the clock:
- From the Home screen, press the “Menu” button.
- Select “Settings” and turn to the second page of Settings.
- Use the 5-way controller to choose “set ” (Kindle WiFi models) or “set manually” (Kindle 3G+WiFi models) next to the “Device Time” setting.
- Use the 5-way controller to adjust the hour, minutes, and a.m./p.m. settings.
- Navigate to “save” and press to select.
Charging and Powering Up Your Kindle
Kindle ships with a U.S. power adapter and a Kindle micro-USB cable. You can charge your Kindle by connecting it to your computer via the Kindle micro-USB cable, or by connecting it to a wall socket using the Kindle micro-USB cable and the Kindle U.S. power adapter plug.
The light on your Kindle next to the USB socket will appear yellow when charging and change to green when Kindle is fully charged.
Power adapters for other countries are also available and can be added to your Kindle order at the time of purchase or bought separately. Please visit the Kindle Store to see the available options:
- Europe: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y27P5K
- United Kingdom: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y27P6E
- Australia: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y27P50
Note on third-party charging devices (not included with your Kindle): Third-party charging devices, power converters, USB wall chargers, and other charging hubs are not supported nor recommended for your Kindle.
Charging from Your Computer via Kindle Micro-USB Cable
When using the Kindle micro-USB cable to charge your Kindle via your computer, charging time will normally take four to six hours. To charge your Kindle from a computer via Kindle micro-USB cable:
- Connect Kindle directly to a USB port on your computer. Do not connect through a hub, keyboard, or monitor.
- Connect Kindle to a computer plugged into a power outlet. We recommend keeping your computer plugged into a power outlet while charging your Kindle. Your computer may not supply sufficient power to the USB port if it is not plugged in.
- Make sure your computer stays on during the entire charging process. Disable Standby, Hibernate or Sleep mode, if necessary.
- Verify Kindle recognizes the USB connection. You can verify your Kindle is charging if you see the USB drive mode screen. If you do not see this screen, unplug and reconnect your Kindle. You may also need to select an alternate USB port.
Using Kindle while Charging via Kindle Micro-USB Cable
You can use your Kindle while it is connected via USB and charging from your computer by unmounting or ejecting it so Kindle exits USB drive mode.
- Windows Vista and 7: Click on the Start button, select “Computer” from the options, right-click on the Kindle drive icon and select “Eject” from the pop-up menu.
- Windows XP: Right-click on the “Safely remove hardware” icon in the lower right-hand corner of the task bar and follow the on-screen instructions to remove Kindle.
- Mac OS: Control-click on the Kindle device icon and choose “Eject.”
Kindle will then exit USB drive mode and display the Home screen. You’ll see a lightning bolt on the battery status icon that indicates your Kindle is still charging.
Using Kindle’s Power Switch
The Power switch on the bottom of your Kindle puts it to sleep, wakes it up, and turns your Kindle on or off.
To wake up or turn on your Kindle: Slide and release the power switch again.
To put your Kindle to sleep:Slide and release the power switch. Other keys and buttons are locked in Sleep mode. Your Kindle will go to sleep mode after 10 minutes if you are not using it.
To turn your Kindle off: Slide and hold the power switch for seven seconds until the screen goes blank and then release.
To reset your Kindle: Disconnect your Kindle from any power source, and then slide and hold the power switch for 15 seconds before releasing.
Tip:To conserve your Kindle’s battery life, turn off wireless prior to putting your device to sleep.
Using the Controls
To get around on your Kindle, you use the buttons, menus, and the keyboard.
Volume controls: controls the headphone or speaker volume for audiobooks, background music, and Text-to-Speech.
“Previous Page” button: takes you to the previous page in your reading material.
“Home” button: shows content stored on your Kindle and directs you to your Archived Items.
“Next Page” button: takes you to the next page in your reading material. To accommodate different ways of holding the Kindle, there is a “Next Page” button on both sides.
“Menu” button: displays application and navigation choices that are related to the screen you are viewing.
5-way controller: selects an item or action when pressed down. Use the arrows to control the on-screen highlight or cursor up,down, left, or right. Use the left or right arrows to skip to the next or previous chapter, section or article.
Keyboard: use to enter search terms, notes in your content, URLs for websites, etc.
“Back” button: retraces your steps on Kindle just like the “back” button on a web browser. For example, you can follow a link in a book and then press the “Back” button to return to your place.
Symbol key: presents a menu of punctuation marks, numbers and symbols. Move the 5-way controller to select the desired symbol and press the 5-way to select.
Text key: changes the size of the text and number of words per line while you are reading and presents available controls for Text-to-Speech. Move the 5-way controller to select the optimal text size, words per line or a Text-to-Speech action.
Back View
The back of your Kindle contains stereo speakers for audio content.
BottomView
Power switch: puts your Kindle to sleep, wakes it up, and turns your Kindle on or off. To put your Kindle to sleep, slide and release the power switch; a full screen image appears on the display. While your Kindle is asleep, other keys and buttons are locked so that you don’t accidentally change the place in your reading. To turn your Kindle off, slide and hold the power switch for seven seconds until the screen goes blank and then release. To wake up or turn on your Kindle, slide and release the power switch again.
If your Kindle does not power on or is unresponsive during use, try resetting the device by disconnecting your Kindle from any power source, and then sliding and holding the power switch for 15 seconds before releasing.
Tip: Your Kindle will also go to sleep by itself after 10 minutes if you are not using it. If your Kindle had wireless on prior to going to sleep, it will continue to receive your regularly scheduled subscriptions while in sleep.
Headphone jack: Plug in headphones to listen to an audiobook, background music, or content read aloud through Text-to-Speech. Attaching headphones turns off the built-in speakers.
Microphone: Kindle (Latest Generation) is built with a microphone jack. This feature is not yet enabled and is for future use.
Micro-USB/power port: Attach the USB cord that came with your Kindle into the micro-USB/power port and into the Kindle power adapter. Plug the adapter into a U.S.-compatible electrical outlet to charge the Kindle battery. You can also charge your Kindle by detaching the USB cord from the power adapter and connecting it to a computer’s USB port or powered USB hub. The charging status light will turn yellow, indicating that the battery is charging; you can continue to use your Kindle while it charges. A green light indicates that the battery is fully charged.
Check to make sure the power adapter is not covered by anything that could cause it to overheat. If the charge indicator light does not light up, make sure that the USB cable is fully inserted into your Kindle and the power adapter or USB port. If Kindle still is not charging, try another electrical outlet or USB port.
To transfer content between your computer and your Kindle, connect the provided USB cable to the Kindle and to the computer’s USB port.
Using the Menus
In addition to the physical buttons, you also navigate Kindle using the menus. Kindle’s menus are context sensitive, but they all work the same way.
Use the 5-way controller to navigate within the menu and press the 5-way to select an item.
The illustration below shows the Home menu; the bold line under “Shop in Kindle Store” indicates that it is ready to be selected.
You can display a menu from any screen on your Kindle. When you press the Menu button, it displays choices related to the screen you are viewing. The sample screen below shows you the screen you would typically see when you press the Menu button from within a book.
Entering Text
To use the Kindle keyboard, most people find it easiest to hold the device in both hands, and use the tips of their thumbs to press the keys.
Lowercase and Uppercase Letters
To enter lowercase letters, press the appropriate letter key. To enter uppercase letters, hold down the Shift key, and then press the desired letter key like you do on your computer keyboard. Alternatively, you can press and release the Shift key and then press the desired letter. Only the next letter will be capitalized.
Numbers, Punctuation, and Symbols
Press the Symbol key to access numbers, punctuation marks and symbols.Use the 5-way controller to select any character.
Screen Rotation
The Kindle screen image can be rotated so you can see the entire width of a web page or magnify the page of a PDF file. The buttons work the same in either rotation, but the 5-way controller movements are switched to match the rotation.
Here’s how to lock your screen into portrait or landscape mode:
- Press the “Text” key located on the bottom row of the keyboard. Screen Rotation is displayed at the bottom of the menu.
- Move the 5-way controller to select one of the four options to lock the display in a set orientation:
- portrait
- landscape with the keyboard on the left
- portrait with the keyboard at the top
- landscape with the keyboard on the right
- Press the controller to confirm your choice.
You can view Kindle Store pages only in portrait mode.
Using the Home Screen
Your Home screen displays a list of all of your Kindle content and collections: books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, personal documents and audiobooks. It serves as a personal bookshelf for all of your reading material, as well as a starting point to access other Kindle features.
To display the Home screen: Press the Home button near the bottom of your Kindle.
Here’s what you’ll see on the Home screen:
- Device name: The name of your Kindle. You can edit this name on the Settings screen.
- Show options: Choose which types of content you want displayed in Home.
- Sort options: Choose the order you want content displayed in Home.
- Title: The title of the item.
- Author or Date: For books, the author of the item is listed. For periodicals and blogs, the date is listed.
- Unread title: The “new” label indicates the item has never been opened and is less than 24 hours old. Once you open a new document or more than 24 hours has passed since the item arrived on your Kindle, the “new” label is removed.
- Archived Items: Downloadable items stored at Amazon.com not currently on your device.
- Sample title: Indicates the book is a sample. If you like it, you can purchase the full book when viewing the sample.
- Progress indicator: The series of dots below the item shows how long the book is and bold dots show how far you have read in a particular item.
- Audiobook title: The “audio” label indicates the book is an audiobook.
- Pages in Home: Indicates the total number of pages in Home. Use the Next Page or Previous Page button to navigate the pages.
- Periodicals: Select to access older issues of newspapers and magazines.
- Wireless: Indicates 3G usage or Wi-Fi.
- Collections: Sorts content based on categories you create on your Kindle to organize your content.
- Kindle active content: Kindle active content is software that can be downloaded and used on your Kindle device.
Kindle with Special Offers
Kindle with Special Offers is a new member of the Kindle family — it offers the same great Kindle experience, plus special offers and sponsored screensavers that display on Kindle’s home screen and screensaver. By delivering these offers, Amazon is able to offer Kindle with Special Offers at a lower price.
Kindle with Special Offers provides all the same features as Kindle (Wi-Fi, Latest Generation).
At any time, you can view all current offers. From the Home screen, press the Menu button and select View Special Offers. Use the 5-way controller to select any current offer to learn more. Offers will be updated regularly.
You’ll see sponsored messages on the screensaver when the Kindle is in sleep mode, and at the top of the Home screen. Use the 5-way controller to select the offer and learn more. Your Kindle will automatically connect wirelessly over Wi-Fi if you click for more information about an offer.
See common troubleshooting steps for Kindle with Special Offers.
Registering Your Kindle
When you register your Kindle, you’ll be able to purchase and download content easily. You can register or deregister your Kindle on your computer through the Manage Your Kindle page, or right from your device.
Note: If you have a Wi-Fi only device, you will need to set up your Wi-Fi connection in order to register from your device.
To register or deregister your Kindle from your device:
- Move the 5-way controller down until “Settings” is underlined and press to select.
- Press the 5-way controller to select “register” or “deregister” from the Settings screen. If you don’t have an Amazon.com account, you will be prompted to create one.
- When you register your Kindle, enter your Amazon.com user name and password (the e-mail address and password associated with your Amazon account) using the keyboard.
- Move the 5-way controller to select “OK.”
Tip: If your Amazon user name or password contains characters or numbers not present on the Kindle keyboard, press the Symbol key to see a menu of additional characters.
Registering if You Don’t Have an Amazon.com Account
If you don’t already have an Amazon.com account, you can create one at www.amazon.com/myk. Here’s how:
- On the sign-in screen, enter the e-mail address you want to use for your Amazon.com account. This e-mail address will be the one we use to send you updates about your orders.
- Don’t enter a password. Check the button next to “No, I am a new customer” and then click the Sign in using our secure server button to continue.
- Enter your name and verify your e-mail address on the Registration screen.
- Enter a password for your new account and click the Continue button. We’ll ask you to enter the same password twice to make sure it is correct. (You might also want to write your login informaiton so you’ll have it later.)
- Visit the Manage Your Kindle page. Enter the serial number for your Kindle and click the Register a new Kindle button. You’ll find Kindle’s serial number on the outside of the box or on the Settings menu on your Kindle.
If you’re unable to locate Kindle’s serial number, don’t worry. You’ve successfully created an Amazon.com account and can now register your Kindle wirelessly following the Registering Your Kindle instructions above.
Setting a Password on Kindle
If you want to make sure that only authorized users will have access to your Kindle, you can set a password on the Settings screen. You’ll then need to enter the password to access your Kindle if it enters sleep mode or is turned off.
Tip: If your Kindle password contains characters or numbers not present on the Kindle keyboard, press the Symbol key to see a menu of additional characters.
To set your Kindle password:
- Navigate to Kindle’s Home screen and press the Menu button.
- Select “Settings” from the Home screen menu.
- Select the “turn on” option next to Device Password on the Settings page.
- Enter your new password twice and also enter a hint to help you remember the password.
- Select “Submit” when you’re finished.
If you wish to change or turn off your password in the future, navigate to the Settings menu again and select the available options.
Note: If you forget your password, move the 5-way controller down to view your password hint. Your Kindle will also give you the Kindle Support phone number so we can help reset your Kindle password.
Setting Your Kindle Payment Method
When you buy books or other items directly from your Kindle, you’re paying with the Default 1-click Payment Method on your Amazon.com account. Typically, this is the payment method associated with your default shipping address. For digital purchases, you can use a credit or debit card or Amazon Gift Cards.
To check or change your payment method:
- Visit the Manage Your Kindle page.
- Click the “Your 1-Click payment method” link in the shortcuts on the right-hand side of the page.
- Click on “edit” to update your payment method, then follow the on-screen instructions for choosing or adding a payment method.
- Click the “Continue” button to verify your changes.
Updating 1-Click Settings for Gift Card Purchases
You are not required to have a credit or debit card on your Amazon.com account to make digital purchases such as Kindle books, but you must establish a default 1-Click billing address on your Amazon.com account to use Amazon.com gift cards for digital purchases. If you don’t already have a 1-Click billing address on your account, follow the instructions below to add an address without entering a credit or debit card to your account.
To add a 1-Click Billing Address for Gift Card purchases:
- Visit the Manage Addresses and 1-Click Settings page in Your Account.
- Click the Enter a new address button.
- Enter the address information and click the Continue button.
Set the address as your default by clicking the link on the address labeled “Click here to make this your 1-Click default address.” You may be prompted to associate a credit or debit card with the address, but entering one of these payment methods is not required.
Redeeming Amazon.com Gift Cards
You must first redeem a Gift Card to Your Account. The funds the will be applied automatically to your next Kindle book purchase on your Kindle or from the Kindle Store on Amazon.com. Your Gift Card balance cannot be used to pay for books sold from the publisher or content with recurring subscription charges.
To redeem a Gift Card to Your Account:
- Visit the Your Account page.
- Click “Apply a Gift Card to your account.”
- Sign in with your e-mail address and password.
- Enter your claim code and click “Redeem now.” Your funds will automatically be applied to your next order.
Shopping for Kindle Content
After you’ve set up the payment method for your purchases from the Kindle Store (see Setting Your Kindle Payment Method), you’re ready to shop for content. If your Kindle is connected wirelessly wireless you can start shopping from your Kindle right away. You can also visit the Kindle Store on Amazon.com and send your purchases wirelessly (using 3G or Wi-Fi) to your Kindle, or download to your computer and transfer content using the USB connection. These Help pages will get you started:
Using Your Amazon Kindle Cover
Amazon offers two options for covering your Kindle: the Amazon Kindle Leather Cover and the Amazon Kindle Leather Cover with Light for Kindle (Latest Generation).
