Are you struggling with a Kindle that’s not working, and you’re just about ready to give up?
You might want to wait a little! I get how annoying having this happen can be. After all, you paid good money for a device that shouldn’t be giving you this much trouble.
Being able to use your Kindle without too many obstacles is one of the things you expect when you get one, but sadly, this isn’t always the case. And in situations like these, you can pretty much forget about reading your favorite books.
But don’t worry, you came to the right place for answers. Below, I’ve prepared a list of the 9 most common issues behind this scenario, as well as some simple ways to address each one. In it, you’ll find helpful tips and links to our comprehensive guides on every possible situation.
When your Kindle is not working, the screen might be too dark/bright, you might be facing charging issues, or it might be unresponsive. You might also notice that you can’t buy books, that it’s skipping pages, and much more.
Keep reading to love your Kindle again!
Although Kindles might seem like simple devices, they actually rely on thousands of lines of internal coding and many other factors to work properly. This means that sometimes, you’re likely to encounter some obstacles along the way that might keep you from reading comfortably. To get things back to normal, here are 9 common issues you’re probably facing.
A device you’re constantly going to use for reading needs to be versatile, and that means, that you must be able to adjust its screen’s brightness however you need. Ideally, your Kindle’s screen should be able to be bright enough to allow you to read under direct sunlight, and low enough to not hurt your eyes while reading at night.
But what happens when, no matter what you do, the brightness is just too extreme on either side?
In cases like this, you likely feel very annoyed and even get a headache from forcing your eyes too much. This issue can be due to having the auto-brightness feature/dark mode enabled, or even outdated software.
To solve it, please check out our guides on Kindle being too dark to read or too bright, even on low brightness.
Next, let’s talk about those situations when you’re struggling with your device’s battery and aren’t really sure what’s going on.
Being a mobile device, having your Kindle’s battery working properly and lasting as long as possible is key to ensuring staying entertained during your daily commute or a long road trip. But sadly, oftentimes you might find yourself noticing that the device is simply not charging, or that it’s only showing you a battery icon with an exclamation mark on it.
A situation like this can be caused by freezing weather, a bad charging cable, a damaged charging socket, and even a coding bug. Our guides for when your Kindle is only showing a battery with an exclamation mark, or simply won’t charge can certainly help!
Unresponsiveness can be found anywhere. Whether it’s on a Smart TV, an Android phone, or the latest iPhone, no electronic device is safe from this condition.
That being said, some can be more affected by this than others. And a Kindle that won’t react to what you’re tapping on the screen can not only be very annoying but also terrible for your reading streak.
This issue can manifest itself in many ways and due to many reasons, such as outdated software, freezing temperatures, a faulty unit, and more. If you want to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible, please check out our guides for when your Kindle refuses to turn off, won’t wake up, or isn’t turning on.
Not being able to buy books for your Kindle is like owning a brand-new car but having no roads to drive it on – simply pointless.
When this device was first released to the public a long while ago, it revolutionized the way in which people consumed literary content, be it romantic novels, self-help material, or even comedic works. I get how frustrating it must be to wake up one day and notice that, no matter what you do, you can’t get any additional material to read on your Kindle app.
This is mainly due to how Google and Apple’s billing policies work, as they charge Amazon a fee for every book that’s sold for Kindle when the purchase is made in the app. As a result of this, the company decided to restrict book transactions to their online website instead.
So, while you might not be able to buy books on the Kindle app, you can most certainly still do so on your web browser. To learn exactly how to do this, please take a look at our guide on why you can’t buy books on the Kindle app.
I can think of few things that are as annoying as seeing spoilers for one of your favorite books. Literary works should be enjoyed at different paces depending on who’s reading them, and discovering character and plot development slowly is part of the charm.
Sadly, your reading experience can be greatly ruined when your Kindle device is randomly skipping pages often, as this might accidentally let you peek into a page you haven’t read yet.
The most common culprits behind this happening frequently are corrupted book files, outdated software, and even something as simple as a cheap protective screen. There are several other elements to consider in order to address this issue, so if you want to read them all, please take a look at our guide on Kindle skipping pages.
Have you ever been commuting to or from school/work reading your favorite book peacefully, only to have your Kindle turn off out of the blue?
If so, then this section is for you.
A Kindle that won’t stay one is never good news, and since there are so many factors that might be causing this, pinpointing the culprit can be a little challenging. Especially if you don’t know where to start looking.
A situation like this can be the result of a corrupted file within your device’s main coding, freezing temperatures, a bad battery, and much more. To get the full picture, as well as a detailed list of possible causes and solutions, please be sure to take a look at our guide for when your Kindle keeps shutting off.
Reading is all about being able to relax with peace and quiet, as this not only allows for the maximum degree of focus but also makes the whole experience very enjoyable. And while in many instances you might be able to reach this ultimate state of calm, sometimes a beeping Kindle can get in the way and disrupt everything.
I can think of few things that can be as annoying as a device that will not stop beeping, especially when you don’t even know why.
In many cases, this can be happening due to a low battery level, an outdated operating system, coding bugs, and several other elements. To get to the bottom of this issue and get a detailed walkthrough on how to solve it, take a look at our guide on what to do when your Kindle Fire is beeping at you.
Ok, so in the previous sections, we figured out why you couldn’t buy books on the Kindle app, but now, you’re probably struggling to open and read the literary works you just bought.
What gives?
There are many reasons why this might be happening, and it’s important to address them as soon as possible. I understand how frustrating it can be to find yourself in this situation, where all you want to do is read, and simply can’t do it.
Typically, the most common culprits behind this scenario are a bad internet connection, a faulty book file, an expired payment method, and a faulty Kindle. To know more about this and find out what the solution is, please check out our guide on Kindle not opening a certain book.
Last, but not least, let’s talk about those times when you’re trying to read peacefully, but your Kindle keeps restarting over and over again for what seems like forever.
This can not only drain your battery very quickly, but also get in the way of your plans, and even motivate you to get rid of your device for good.
While I understand your frustration, there are many ways to address this without struggling too much. To do this, the first thing you need to do is pinpoint the culprit, which can be a little hard without proper guidance.
In most cases, this situation can happen as the result of a full device memory, a bad non-Amazon file, faulty apps, damaged power sources, and several other elements. For the full list of causes and solutions, make sure to take a look at our guide for when your Kindle is always restarting.
That about covers it!
When your Kindle is not working, even something as simple as reading your favorite book can be quite challenging and frustrating.
Luckily, as I hope this piece has helped you see, addressing the most common causes behind this situation can be fairly easy and quick. In most cases, something as simple as checking your power sources, keeping the device safe from freezing temperatures, and updating the operating system, should do the trick.
Thank you very much for sticking with me all the way to the end. If this article proved to be useful and interesting, you’ll be glad to know that there’s new content to keep learning from every week. While we put the finishing touches to our latest work, please be sure to check out our other incredible resources below to become a Tech Detective yourself!
I wish you nothing but the best.
— Gerry.
Detective ‘Gerry’ Molina is one of the most prolific detectives on our TechDetective team. He’s known for his ability to crack down on multitudes of tech crimes on behalf of you – the citizens of the internet. Molina is often the first point of contact for many cases, working to help free victims from the tyranny of tech issues.
