kindle voyage 5.13.6 jailbreak

Kindle Jailbreak

A guide to jailbreaking your Kindle plus cool thing to do with it: extentions, ads removal, alternative reader and more.

Fabrice Monasterio

JailBreaking your device gives you full control over it. This allows extra customization, ads removal, additional features and more. My main reasons to jailbreak the Kindle are the ability to set custom screensavers (even the cover of the book that I'm reading), use KOReader and wirelessly sync the books with Calibre.

I bought the Kindle on Amazon, it's the most basic one available there. We will get back to this later, but if you buy it on Amazon be sure to deselect the option Link device to your Amazon account to simplify setup. In this way the Kindle will not be automatically connected to the WiFi and doesn't update.

Note that my model is a 10th gen Kindle Basic, here also referred by KT4 . To check what model you have look here .

First Setup

It's really important to keep the Kindle offline so that it can't update it's firmware to a recent (patched) version. Later we will block the updates but for now keep it offline at all time. During the setup it will ask to connect to the WiFi, you can just tap any network, go back and skip the registration. Now in "Settings" > "Device Options" > "Device Info" check the firmware version. My Kindle came with version 5.13.6 installed. Since the latest version supported by the jailbreak is 5.14.2 I manually updated it. If your Kindle firmware version is ≥ 5.14.3 you can't jailbreak it via software, only via serial port (seems fun).

Update to 5.14.2

Download the firmware for your model directly from the Amazon website (Internet Archive to the rescue, the live page contains download links only for the latest firmware)

Here is the direct download link for my specific model. If Amazon stop hosting the firmware I've included a .tar.gz file containing all the files that I needed at the end of this post. To update the Kindle, connect it to the PC and place the downloaded .bin file in the main folder. Disconnect it and then go to "Settings" > "Device Options" > "Update Your Kindle" (the path may be different depending on the firmware version). It should start the update process and in the end reboot. Now onto the fun part: the actual JailBreak.

From now on it's important to know the exact model of the Kindle. You can do so by looking up the firsts character of the Serial Number ("Settings" > "Device Options" > "Device Info") here . For me it's G090VB Kindle Basic 3 (2019) Kids Edition KT4, KT4KE . This means that the code-name for my model is KT4 .

Before following any guide online read all of it before starting. This way you get a general understanding of the process and you can be sure you have the technical skills required. This also apply to this article! To get a general idea first read this two posts:

Follow the WatchThis tutorial. Note that for the 3th step of the "Jailbreak" chapter, my specific combination of model and firmware version means that the .zip file that I need to copy is KT4-5.14.2.zip . It's inside the archive watchthis-jailbreak-r03.zip/watchthis-release/KT4/KT4-5.14.2/ . After step 5 eject the Kindle and press Done. It didn't work for me (Application Error), that's expected, just follow step 8. Follow the rest of the tutorial and you should have a jailbroken Kindle. From now on almost all download link can be found here:

Going back to the Open Sesame! tutorial, keep following it but skip "Making sure your JB survives updates" and continue with "Installing custom packages". Follow the instruction to extract the archive at the top-level folder. Download the archive, the file I used is MR Package Installer | kual-mrinstaller-1.7.N-r18896.tar.xz . MRPI (MobileRead Package Installer) is used to install .bin files (packages): place them in the top-level folder mrpackages and then use the command ;log mrpi or "KUAL" > "Helper" > "Install MR Packages" to install them.

To install KUAL, download the coplate version (my file KUAL (coplate) | KUAL-e3deabf-20220213.tar.xz ), extract Update_KUALBooklet_e3deabf_install.bin and install it as described in the Open Sesame! tutorial. You should see a rocket while it's installing KUAL.

Now it's time to get back to the skipped chapter "Making sure your JB survives updates": download the hotfix ( K5 JailBreak Hotfix | JailBreak-1.16.N-FW-5.x-hotfix.zip ), extract the .bin and install it with MRPI.

Packages & Extensions

A full list of available package and extensions can be found here . The most important are all in "Tools Snapshots of NiLuJe's hacks" under "Packages targeting the Kindle 5" and "KUAL & KUAL extensions".

You can install KUAL extensions simply by extracting the archive in the top-level folder. The one I installed:

• GNU Awk Installer
• BatteryStatus

To install packages refer to their specific thread, but in general all you need to do is put the .bin in the top-level folder mrpackages and then "KUAL" > "Helper" > "Install MR Packages". The one I have installed:

• Python 2.7 & Python 3.9
• ScreenSavers Hack (useless/disable if using KOReader)
• USBNetwork Hack
• renameotabin

The package renameotabin is fundamental in blocking the OTA updates: it renames the executables responsible for the download of the updates blocking them. After this package in installed and activated ("KUAL" > "Rename OTA binaries" > "Rename") the Kindle can be connected to the WiFi.

The package USBNetwork Hack allows to SSH in the Kindle. This gives access to the terminal as the root user. My settings ("KUAL" > "USBNetwork"): SSH enabled at boot, allowed (and restricted) over WiFi, OpenSSH. Once enabled, use telnet to connect to the Kindle, set the root password with passwd and add your public key to /mnt/us/usbnet/etc/authorized_keys . You can then simply connect with ssh root@kindleIP For more information on this package check his link in the bulleted list.

Remove LockScreen ads

Some Kindles can come with "Special Offer" (SO): for a lower price you get advertisement on the lockscreen and in the homepage. They are activated once you register the Kindle with the Amazon account. If you have a SO Kindle, the ads on the screensaver can get really annoying. But since it's a topic that actively undermine Amazon's business model, I will not explain the details on how to remove the lockscreen ads. Now, with that said, you can figure out the procedure by looking at this post:

To run the commands use SSH previously setup and reboot the Kindle at the end. If it worked you should see the stock lockscreen .

It's a document viewer for E-Ink devices with support for a ton of file formats, plugins, Calibre integration, custom dictionaries and more. And it's both open source and written in an interpreted language, so we can easily modify the code without compiling it. To install it refer to the KOReader wiki , but it's just a matter of extracting it to the top-level folder of the Kindle. With a little bit of tweaking it can even display custom screensaver (for example the cover of the current book) even on SO devices. Since this is normally disabled by KOReader if the device is SO, modify (via SSH or connecting via USB) the file /mnt/us/koreader/frontend/device/kindle/device.lua (the folder koreader is the one extracted in the top-level folder when installing it) and change the isSpecialOffers() function to always return false, like this:

After restarting KOReader, the option to enable the custom screensaver is in "Settings" > "Screen" > "Screensaver" (Use document cover as screensaver). Remember to do this modification every time that KOReader is updated as it overwrites the file.

Another cool feature is dictionary support , allowing to use multiple dictionaries. You can even create/convert and use your own glossary with pyglossary , useful for single book dictionary ( LOTR ). To install a dictionary simply put it's folder in /mnt/us/koreader/data/dict . You can find a ton of them in the correct format (StarDict) here . I use an english monolingual one based on Wiktionary with 726,212 words and an italian one.

The integration with Calibre is super useful: once set up, it allows you to menage the library on the device and wirelessly send books from the Calibre library to the Kindle.

To automatically start KOReader with the last opened file, while in the file browser mode, in the "Reader Menu" (cabinet icon) > "Start with" select last file.

You can also sync progress on all KOReader devices, really useful since sometimes I read on my phone.

If enabled, automatic night mode can tweak the screen brightness and invert colors (white text on dark background) based on the sun position.

If you want to resize the book covers, you can find the screen resolutions/aspect ratio of all models in this table . In my case, for the 10th gen Kindle Basic, the screen resolution is 600x800 .

It's also possible to update KOReader via OTA and I suggest updating regularly since new features are often added. After the update is completed reboot the Kindle.

Future firmware updates

Jailbreak survives firmware updates and resets but only with special precaution: check this post for the steps to follow. This means that you can keep updating your Kindle (remember to disable renameota if you want OTA updates or update manually like done before), just be sure to follow the steps in the post. Note that firmware version ≥ 5.14.3 can't (easily) be jailbroken. So if something goes wrong and you loose the JB you are stuck waiting for a new JB that support the latest firmware. For this reason I'm currently staying on version 5.14.2 and blocking updates.

You can find all the file that I used here: fabricemonasterio.dev/files/kindle.tar.gz .

As always all the links present in this article are archived using Wayback Machine .

Sign up for more like this :)

5 x Jailbreak

.Software Jailbreak for Kindle PW2, PW3(B), PW3W, KT2, KT3(B), KT3W, KV, and KOA

Software jail break for the 9th generation device (KOA2) still requires some work. The KOA2 "hotfix" package does not auto-reinstall the jail break. No ETA on a resolution. Step #1 below describes how to learn what nickname your device has here based on its serial number.

[ edit ] Will this jail break work on my current firmware?

If the third field of your firmware version number: 5.8. 7 .0.1 is larger than 7 this jail break will not work on your device. That means it will not work on: 5.8.8, 5.8.9, 5.8.10, ..., 5.8.99999999. (It's NOT possible at this time to downgrade and use this jailbreak) Of course, this also means that it will not work on anything newer than the 5.8.x branch itself (i.e., 5.9.x, and whatever might come next ;)). Please do not even think of asking if this message still means what is written. The message is kept current.

Special Cases PW3 running 5.9.6.1 firmware or earlier can be jailbroken. Please see this thread for instructions . PW4 running 5.10.1.3 firmware or earlier can be jailbroken. It might also be possible to jailbreak PW4 with later firmware. Please see this post for more information . KT4 running 5.11.0 firmware can be jailbroken. Please see this thread for instructions .

It should be noted that there are reports of people who have been able to downgrade a kindle with a firmware more recent than 5.8.7.x but many / most people report bricked devices . It is not recommended to try to downgrade your kindle if your firmware is more recent than 5.8.7 - your best bet is to block updates (empty directory named 'update.bin.tmp.partial' at the root of your user partition) and check back here or the forums regularly to see if a jailbreak for your firmware is available. The only other solution is to use the serial port method ; using the serial port would be the only way for you to unbrick your device if you tried to downgrade a kindle running on a unsupported firmware and had it bricked as a result, you'd have to be ready to use that if you decide to try to downgrade an unsupported device (again, doing so is very risky and not recommended). If jailbroken on an earlier firmware version, the jailbreak is known to survive the update to either 5.8.8, 5.8.9, 5.8.9.2, 5.8.10, 5.8.11. From reports on the forums, seems to survive updates to 5.9.2 and 5.9.4.

It should survive an update to any firmware version. It is designed to be viral. None of our add-ins are protected across updates, you must always re-install them. The G090LK, G090LL (Black and White, PW-3, 32GB, Wifi only) models along with the corresponding two Wifi+3G versions are partially supported. See: Thread 291336

[ edit ] Testing (touchscreen devices listed in title):

Attached below is a "Dummy" installation package which will test the jail break installed on your device. If it runs, your JB is complete. If it fails to run, your JB is missing or damaged. This dummy install package will not install anything, only write a report document in the top level of visible USB storage (dummy_updatetest.log, example attached below). If this test package fails to write its report, follow these directions exactly and completely Step #0 to and including Step #8. Spoiler :

• Download the attached archive.
• Open the archive. The archive contains a single directory, "Dummy", all contents are in that directory.
• From the archive contents in the "Dummy" directory, move the file: Update_dummy_0.0.N.bin to the /mrpackages directory of your Kindle. If you do not have a /mrpackages on the visible root of your kindle, you either have a damaged JB or the JB was never installed.
• Trigger the test package installation either from KUAL or from the main search bar: Code: ;log mrpi command. Only expect the search bar command version of triggering MrPI to work on the devices it was intended to work on, the 8th. generation devices.

[ edit ] PW-2 users running firmware 5.4.4.2 or older:

Go directly to: Thread 186645

[ edit ] For prior (grayscale) Kindle models:

See: Thread 275881

[ edit ] Credits:

• NiLuJe - for discovering the initial factory update could be recovered. PW-2
• knc1 - for posting the 'HowTo' and recovering the KT-2 and PW-3 initial updates.
• Forum members - several members who recovered and provided initial update images for the KV.
• knc1 - recognition that the factory initial update could be re-installed on any (matching) customer model.
• Branch Delay - the original software jb for version 5.6.5 and the generic jb for initial factory images.
• Branch Delay, NiLuJe, Geekmaster - initial testing of the method.
• Geekmaster - archivist of the off-site Kindle recovery resources.
• knc1, Geekmaster, NiLuJe, kindlefere - server resources.
• NiLuJe, Ryccardo, eschwartz - recognizing and testing of the source of the hung Kindles problem.
• Forum member - who recovered the image required to create Oasis support.
• eeeee - who recovered the image required to create updated, PW-3 and PW-3W support.
• ktwombley - who recovered the image required to create KT3 support.
• eschwartz - now the maintainer of Branch Delay's factory image jail break.
• eschwartz, NiLuJe, others - New menu launcher for Oasis (KOA) and other models.
• The first public announcement was made by Hackaday, see: Hackaday Link Which can take credit for many of this thread's views.

A long list of a lot of work done over a period of more than a year. Work that is continuing. This downgrade attack did not happen over-night nor was it the work of any one person.

[ edit ] Release Policy:

It is our policy to use a 'single point of maintenance' model for our released items, with one exception:

• NiLuJe's snapshots, use: (filter prefix: tools, show threads). Users should always check the snapshot thread for the most recent build of our after-market add-ins.

[ edit ] Make Ready:

Consider the following bullet list a "Step #0" that can be done in any order.

• The general rule to cover all versions, is: If not yet registered, do that now. Read the rest of this specific section before connecting to the Internet.
• Some of the more recent firmware versions are very aggressive about doing an OTA (Over The Air) update. Which will currently update to a version that can not be jail broken.
• Currently the best way to avoid OTA updates is to add the OTA blocker directory (folder) name to the top level of visible USB storage. The blocker directory is named: update.bin.tmp.partial Use that exact name, no additional extension, no contents.
• Remove any device passcode or parental control passcode you may have set.
• If you have an ad supported (Special Offers) model consider unsubscribing it at your Kindle account. If you do unsubscribe from special offers, be sure to give your Kindle enough time on-line for Amazon's servers to update its local status files.
• Is your Kindle fully charged? Get started with that now, put it on a wall charger to be certain.
• Only do one step at a time. They are intended and designed to be done one at a time. At the completion of a step, if the file you previously put at the top level of visible USB storage is still there, remove it.
• Your Kindle should remain off-line (in airplane mode) during this procedure.

[ edit ] Step-by-Step:

[ edit ] 1. identify nickname.

Positively identify the nickname of your Kindle model from the serial number. Use four of the first six characters, older Kindles: xxxx xx, newer Kindles: xx xxxx in this table: Serial Number Nicknames The factory images **are not** model locked, your care taken with this step is your Kindle's only protection! If not found in the table, STOP HERE and tell us.

[ edit ] 2. Prepare for earlier version of firmware

Prepare your Kindle for running an earlier version of the firmware.

The Kindles have two user storage areas, the one seen over the USB cable and a hidden one.

The process that wipes the hidden one will also wipe what can be seen over the USB cable.

• Make backup copies of the contents of /documents

You are about to wipe them all out, if you have them pushed to your Kindle's cloud, you should be covered.

You should not need copies of the contents of /system - the 'system' should re-build them for you.

Do not copy the contents of /documents back to the Kindle until after you have returned to the same firmware version that you copied them from.

The indexer might go crazy if you try anything else than 'back to same place, with same version running.

You are about to lose all personalization of your kindle.

You can't reach that hidden directory they are stored in and it is this database that causes most of the problems, so it MUST go. * Home -> Menu -> Settings -> Menu -> Reset

Or whatever the path is on your current firmware version.

This is the infamous "Reset (to factory defaults)" menu choice, but in this case it is a requirement, a must use entry.

This is the ONLY TIME you should ever use the Reset menu entry in the lifetime of the device because it wipes out the jail break survival code that is about to be added in step 6 below.

NEVER AGAIN USE THE "Reset" MENU ENTRY.

Never, ever, unless you intended to wipe out the jailbreak survival code. Which you really, really, need.

If you should happen to trigger the "Reset" action by accident (nobody does it intentionally after reading the above), you can find a package on coplate's snapshots thread that will restore the jailbreak survival code you just destroyed.

The special purpose package linked above is placed in the root of visible USB storage and run using UYK menu entry.

It is intended to install without MrPI even on customer firmware builds as recent as the 5.8.10 version.

[ edit ] 3. Download initial factory firmware to computer

Download your model's initial factory firmware image to your computer from one of these (IPv4 only) links.

The *.md5 validation file may be used to confirm that the download was complete and correct.

The forum member who was hosting these has decided that the files are widespread enough that they no longer want to pay for hosting. The download '.bin' links now point to google.

• KOA2 factory_KOA2_5.9.0.6_initial MD5: 18624db8c1838ec2b5b8bfb3406ac041
• KOA factory_KOA_5.7.4_initial MD5: 8f1e7c9124a2b12e643b15447d80feae
• KV factory_KV_5.5.0_initial MD5: f7c8905ea993fef902be82b70a98542a
• KT4 factory_KT4_5.11.0_initial MD5: fd3e7ed8ebea59432163a5e713cd90c5
• KT3 factory_KT3_5.8.0_initial MD5: 3f1a5294e1bca8c4fa7ca2762c5b4505
• KT2 factory_KT2_5.6.0_initial MD5: d85a86f5c75b4b9d43648f3b6afd2e84
• PW4 factory_PW4_5.10.1.3_initial MD5: 538d939c2cb4f05c7952d33d5348f010
• PW3 factory_PW3_5.9.6.1_initial MD5: a5460e698a531c7770ba2b1ac31667b0
• PW2 factory_PW2_5.4.3.2_initial MD5: 3cbac0b4821cec03432b9ed382744f41
• KOA2 factory_KOA2_5.9.0.6_initial MD5: 18624db8c1838ec2b5b8bfb3406ac041 SHA1: 56eee3fb10ce3f71802bd6f34f8c05733d00bcff
• KT4 factory_KT4_5.11.0_initial Extraction code: b3bz MD5: fd3e7ed8ebea59432163a5e713cd90c5 SHA1: 386a609499d0391d803dc4cc0c18dc1853e595d2
• PW4 factory_PW4_5.10.1.3_initial Extraction code: qb8e MD5: 538d939c2cb4f05c7952d33d5348f010 SHA1: 1cbe605b99d85b92031a9ce6fdd3a6f080489cbe
• PW3 factory_PW3_5.9.6.1_initial MD5: a5460e698a531c7770ba2b1ac31667b0 SHA1: 1965fae6c774d317db5aa4c5b0f915d3a896b569
• KOA2 , update_KOA2_5.9.0.6_factory.bin
• KOA , update_KOA_5.7.4_initial.bin
• KT2 , update_KT2_5.6.0_initial.bin
• KT3 , update_KT3_5.8.0_initial.bin
• KV , update_KV_5.5.0_initial.bin
• PW2 , update_PW2_5.4.3.2_initial.bin
• KT4 , update_kt4_5.11.0_factory.bin
• PW3 , update_pw3_5.9.6.1_factory.bin
• PW4 , update_pw4_5.10.1.3_factory.bin
• Yandex Drive

[ edit ] 4. Validate image and transfer to Kindle

After validating the downloaded file (check md5sum!), transfer the initial factory image from your computer to your Kindle.

If you are coming here from the this thread: PW3-4, PW3-32, fw-5.8.9.0.1 software jailbreak , use the 'update_pw3_factory_5.8.9.0.1.bin' for this step: part 1 part 2 After extracting the multi-part ZIP, the .bin has the file size 776814880 bytes and MD5: 5d38744bd01f4cbf457dae4499c3c32a

Do not panic if the update is not immediate, it usually takes 10 minutes or longer.

If there is not a very noticeable delay and when you check USB storage the file has disappeared, that means this method will not work on the firmware version currently installed on your Kindle.

• Connect Kindle to PC with the USB cable.
• Place the downloaded update_*.bin file in the topmost, visible level of USB storage (alongside of /documents).
• Eject and/or Safely Remove (term depends on OS) the Kindle, USB storage.
• Remove the USB cable.
• Home -> Menu -> Settings -> Menu -> Update Your Kindle

** The PW-2 is a special case at this point in the directions **

• Use the prior 'universal jailbreak' from this post: Old Universal Jail Break
• After completing those directions, skip the next two steps here and continue with Steps #7 and #8 below.

[ edit ] 5. Download and install firmware jailbreak

Download and install the current version of Branch Delay's factory firmware jail break. This step installs two files, our signature certificate and a 'Jail Broken' document.

If the 'Jail Broken' document is not on your Kindle in the /documents folder after the completion of this step, then the certificate is not on it either!

If this happens to you, stop here and post about the problem, there is no reason to continue if the JB is now missing.

The current version is attached to its release post, see: Factory Image Jail Break

• Place the downloaded file (an archive - as is) in the topmost, visible level of USB storage (alongside of /documents).
• Search bar, enter code: ;installHtml Press 'return'. Yes, the semi-colon is part of the search bar command string.

[ edit ] 6 Download and install hotfix

Download and install the current 'hotfix'

The current version is attached to its release post, see: Jail Break Survival Code

If you are coming here from the this thread: PW3-4, PW3-32, fw-5.8.9.0.1 software jailbreak , use this one instead.

• Unarchive the release archive package.
• Place the Update_jailbreak_hotfix_*_install.bin in the topmost, visible level of USB storage (alongside of /documents).

[ edit ] 7 Update Kindle to newer firmware version

You can now update your Kindle to a newer firmware version, the jailbreak will survive.

• Current firmware version by OTA: Allow the Kindle to connect to the Internet and wait. It will update over the air to the current firmware version OR:
• To prevent OTA updates, add the OTA blocker directory (folder) name to the top level of visible USB storage. The blocker directory is named: update.bin.tmp.partial Use that exact name, no additional extension, no contents.
• You can get any released firmware version from the Amazon download server. The following gives direct links to the Amazon USA download server for selected firmware versions. Note that older versions in some countries, such as Germany, use different builds than the ones in this list. In those cases, use instead the download link(s) you would normally use. The technique of only changing the numerical version in those URLs to select older versions is expected to work the same as on the USA servers. It has also been discovered that most recent versions are no longer geographically different. The change **might** have happened at about the same time Amazon changed their download organization (@ fw-5.8.5 in this list).
• Amazon Spoiler : * KOA customer_KOA_5.7.4_update customer_KOA_5.8.1_update customer_KOA_5.8.2_update customer_KOA_5.8.5_update customer_KOA_5.8.7.0.1_update * KV customer_KV_5.7.4_update customer_KV_5.8.1_update customer_KV_5.8.2_update customer_KV_5.8.5_update customer_KV_5.8.7.0.1_update * KT3 customer_KT3_5.8.1.1_update customer_KT3_5.8.2_update customer_KT3_5.8.5_update customer_KT3_5.8.7.0.1_update * KT2 customer_KT2_5.7.4_update customer_KT2_5.8.1_update customer_KT2_5.8.2_update customer_KT2_5.8.5_update customer_KT2_5.8.7.0.1_update * PW3 customer_PW3_5.7.4.1_update customer_PW3_5.8.1_update customer_PW3_5.8.2_update customer_PW3_5.8.5_update customer_PW3_5.8.7.0.1_update * PW2 customer_PW2_5.7.4_update customer_PW2_5.8.1_update customer_PW2_5.8.2_update customer_PW2_5.8.5_update customer_PW2_5.8.7.0.1_update

[ edit ] 8 update_*.bin

All of the models covered in this thread must use one of the two following installation methods for update_*.bin name format packages.

The KOA and KT3 owners must use the new installation methods. The other device models may use either the old or the new installation methods.

Any of our after-market add-ins, with an update_*.bin format filename requires the use of the M obile r ead P ackage I nstaller (MrPI).

Get the MR Package Installer from the KUAL and KUAL extensions section of: Thred 225030

This is an "un-archive to top level of visible USB storage" package.

Be sure that the un-archive tool you use has options set to create directories.

KOA and KT3 owners: You must run the installer with your new, search bar command: ;log mrpi

Other models covered in this thread may do the same or may run it from KUAL.

Nearly all of our after-market add-ins require an application launcher.

Get the KUAL package from the KUAL and KUAL extensions section of: Thread 225030

Beginning with version 2.6.40 of the release, the archive contains three (3) different builds of KUAL.

The 'keyboard' version, the '(old) touchscreen' version, and the new 'KOA, KT3' version.

This is not a substitute for reading the README.txt file included in the archive bundle, but ...

KOA and KT3 owners:

You must use the update_*.bin format package of KUAL and you must use the MrPi installer to install it.

Other devices:

The archive still contains the previous 'document' style of KUAL, used by just placing the (correct) KUAL document into the /documents folder of USB storage.

Note: The new (update_*.bin format KUAL) will run on all touchscreen devices running firmware 5.1.2 or newer.

"Nearly all applications require an application launcher" - I was expecting someone to ask . . . .

KUAL is one of the applications that does not required an application launcher.

It has a mime type associated with it that tells the system how to run it, when it is selected.

These update_*.bin package name format packages must be re-installed after each firmware update.

The MrPI application can handle multiple update_*.bin packages at the same time, just put them all in /mrpackages and trigger MrPI.

[ edit ] Attached Files

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• Now you need to connect you're kindles battery and power up the kindle (you can connect a USB power adapter to charge your kindle)
• On the kinle tap 'Exit' and then 'Reboot or Disable Diags', then 'Exit to login prompt'
• Now you can reboot, by typing in 'reboot' and wait for the kindel to boot fully
• Now you can log in to the main system with username 'root' and password ''
• To test that the jailbreak works open the KUAL from your kindle book list
• Now you can disconnect the kindle from the USB TLL Serial Cable and tape the thin wire and close your Kindle Voyage
• https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=249869
• https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=254400
• https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=247480

Will there still be firmware updates for the Kindle Voyage?

possibly not. There are older devices that have not been updated for 5-6 years. I'm glad my Voyage (5.13.6) didn't update to the current level of my Paperwhite (5.14.1). I prefer the earlier update and don't think the later one adds anything to my Paperwhite

Hello everyone, we haven't these kind of details unfortunately.

Rest assured that we'll do our best to improve our devices everytime possible.

Thanks for your understanding.

The 5.14.2 update is ridiculous. To force the black and white cover images is a travesty. You now can view 4 books per page, instead of 7 on the voyage, which makes it impossible to page through things quickly. The slider bar is not precise enough to page through large numbers of books. You can't get a list of your collection, only cover pages. The whole thing is extremely unfriendly. Please stop "improving" things. You are only making them worse.

my Voyage is still on 5.13.6 and that's the latest according to the Amazon website.

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The eBook Reader Blog

The eBook Reader Blog keeps you updated on the latest ereader and tablet news, reviews, and tutorials.

New Kindle Software Update 5.13.7 Brings User Interface Changes

August 17, 2021 by Nathan 139 Comments

Amazon has released a new firmware update for Kindle e-readers that brings some fairly big changes to the user interface.

The homescreen has a new look and they changed the quick settings menu at the top of the screen, along with the reading settings menu when reading a book.

One negative that some users are pointing out is that Home Screen View can no longer be disabled in settings so this new update requires you to look at the ad-ridden homescreen with recommendations that can’t be hidden instead of being able to set the homescreen to go directly to the library view like before.

However, once you switch to the “Library” tab located at the bottom of the new homescreen you can return there without seeing the homescreen so it can be avoided somewhat but not entirely like before.

You can see some screenshots of the new user interface elements on the Reddit thread below (click the thumbnails for full screen view):

The new 5.13.7 software update is available for all Kindle models dating back to the Kindle Paperwhite 3, except for some odd reason the Kindle Voyage is still stuck on 5.13.6. Sometimes they release updates later, like they did with the Paperwhite 3 a few times, so there’s a good chance the Voyage will still get updated at some point too.

Like usual you can wait for the new software to download over Wi-Fi and install automatically on your Kindle in the coming weeks (more like months), or you can install it manually whenever you’d like. The update files are available to download for each model on Amazon’s official Kindle Software Updates Page .

Update : It looks like Amazon plans on making some additional changes to the Home and Library view soon in another update planned for later in the year.

Update #2 : Amazon has released another software update, version 5.14.1 , that adds a new “back to page” link at the bottom of the screen when jumping to different parts of a book.

Reader Interactions

August 17, 2021 at 7:59 am

A simple solution to make the Home Screen more appealing, is just to add current books to the Right of the Larger Book (1 larger book cover on the left – and 6 smaller books on the right)

September 10, 2021 at 3:09 am

Correct. Some dufus in charge of the UI gas decide that if he doesn’t screw with it, it will look like he doesn’t do anything. I want the ability to go back to the old UI. Why mess with what has worker for so long?

September 11, 2021 at 5:12 pm

they took away the BACK button. you click on a link and then try to get back. they have confirmed removed the functionality to do so. I hate this interface, navigation is a nightmarish.

September 13, 2021 at 10:45 am

That’s my complaint. I hate the changes.

October 9, 2021 at 7:19 am

Developer needs to be fired!

October 13, 2021 at 5:40 pm

I agree. Without being able to hold your place while you review other material makes the Kindle less satisfactory than a paper book after years of Kindle besting paper. How about some common sense when you make changes?

October 21, 2021 at 4:20 pm

Just spoke to the help desk at Amazon. If you search and go to another part of the book, use the arrow to go to the home screen. Then tap on your book and it takes you back to the place you stopped reading

February 5, 2022 at 8:43 am

That’s not true, at least with my device. It even changes book’s status to like 99% finished

October 29, 2021 at 9:23 am

That menu at the top of the scree was amazing! you had literally everything you needed at the touch of a button.

September 13, 2021 at 8:56 pm

excellent comment!!!!!!!!!!!

Why fix something that isn’t broken. 🙁

September 18, 2021 at 2:19 am

Couldn’t agree more used to are really like seeing the list of books by the same author and then saying that a new one was on its way which I could pre-order. The story is more difficult to access. Really disappointed by the difficulty N planning to buy books now

November 10, 2021 at 3:30 pm

I said the same thing when I opened my kindle today and found this awful update had happened

October 7, 2021 at 12:24 am

I agree. Am 80 and cannot find books to buy except by accident and then cannot get back to my library except by accident. Why does no one ever ask the user what they would like. Personally nothing would have been my reply. Will now look at alternatives but will find them second best I fear. An extremely upset user.

October 7, 2021 at 10:46 am

Exactly, someone has been paid a lot of money to change the ui that has worked well, to something that isn’t. Where is the back button?. Where is kobo?

December 25, 2021 at 3:03 pm

Totally agree – falls under the old saying “keep improving a good thing until it isn’t worth a …..”

September 15, 2021 at 4:32 pm

I have older vrsion of kindle Oasis. It drains battery like a camel drains water on a sunny dessert.it was always like this. I need an update about this.. ..just this..

September 28, 2021 at 7:22 am

I have never had a problem with any update until now. I HATE THIS UPDATE. Would remove it if I could. Whoever made and approved these changes couldn’t possibly use a Kindle.

October 12, 2021 at 5:26 am

Entirely agree. Not even offered a font change for certain books. Font either too big or too small. Unreadable. Hard to navigate

Was wondering what to do about kindle now that 3G will be discontinued in 2022 (in the UK, also in stages around the world). Now wondering if I will keep kindle at all!

October 14, 2021 at 9:19 pm

That which was simple is now complicated. What a terrible, terrible “upgrade.” Pure stupidity. Leave predictability enough alone. Lists are good. Thumbnails add nothing. SPENDING MINUTES TRYING TO ADJUST BRIGHTNESS IS NUTS!

What crap “technology” AMZ produces. Shame.

November 4, 2021 at 3:55 am

The 2021 software update has rendered my kindle useless. I

March 18, 2022 at 8:11 am

How do you do that?

August 17, 2021 at 11:08 am

I bet you still can’t sort by genres

August 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Nope, just another typical software redesign that changes stuff around without actually adding anything new.

September 13, 2021 at 11:39 pm

they removed the back button. After swishing 5 or 6 times I manage to access the back button. With all my swishing I have no idea what page I end up on when the back button appears. I hate this interface with a passion.

August 17, 2021 at 2:49 pm

It also seems that the Web browser was moved out of the experimental menu.

August 18, 2021 at 8:21 am

Is it in a new location?

August 25, 2021 at 9:44 am

It is still there, just now finally no longer “Experimental browser”, but not “browser”

August 25, 2021 at 11:23 am

Ugh I mean is NOW just a regular browser, not “not”

August 17, 2021 at 4:36 pm

I don’t see the back arrow …looks like it was removed. I used it to get me back to where I was reading after I browsed other areas of my book.

August 25, 2021 at 11:49 am

I am very irritated with this new feature! I used the back button all the time, especially with reference type books! In fact, it’s a reason to look into other ways to read books!

September 1, 2021 at 11:07 am

Agreed. I use the back arrow frequently when referring to previous items in the book and then needing to get back where I was reading. This seems to be like so many of the MS Windows updates. People needing to justify their jobs by rearranging icons that didn’t need to be rearranged. They make a lot of useless changes in the name of “updating your Kindle experience”. Well, my Kindle experience has been just fine up until they started screwing with it.

September 4, 2021 at 1:50 pm

The loss of the back arrow is very annoying. It makes it so much harder to search through the books in your library. I hope they bring it back eventually.

September 1, 2021 at 12:08 pm

I’m having the same issue. Where is the back arrow????

September 7, 2021 at 12:09 pm

I feel the same about the new placement of the back arrow, which I originally thought was the removal of the back arrow. Fortunately someone on Reddit posted that the back arrow can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. while not as user-friendly as the previous location, it’s better than nothing. I’m definitely not a fan of the latest update, hopefully there’ll be an improvement in the next update.

September 10, 2021 at 9:13 am

When I swipe up from the bottom of the page nothing happens. What am I missing?

September 13, 2021 at 9:59 am

Whe I swipe up from the bottom I get a reduced screen with little arrows side to navigate quickly through the book. No back button found at all!

October 26, 2021 at 7:47 am

Don’t swipe up from bottom of page just tap the top of page which brings up Home arrow, font settings, Go to, save, Search and the three vertical dots which takes you to other settings.

September 12, 2021 at 12:53 am

Hey thanks for the hint – also I notice the new interface gives you a way to go forward (i.e. undo an accidental back step) which I don’t think we were able to do before. Agree that the new interface in general is worse than the old though.

September 12, 2021 at 11:47 pm

That is one step back only. For instance, if I’m on location 2345 and then I go through the menu to – say – Chapter 7 at location 3456, I CAN go back to my original location. However, if I were to continue from chapter 7 to the bibliography at location 4567, I can go back to Chapter 7, but not to my original location.

The old Back button would allow me to go back step by step to any place in any book I had been to before.

So this is not a suitable alternative.

I want to downgrade. Is that possible?

September 14, 2021 at 8:16 am

Use the dots for additional previous locations. There is no way to downgrade Kindles.

September 3, 2021 at 6:22 pm

Yes very annoyed about that. I accidently jumped to a different spot and took a while to find where I had to read to. Also, where’s the “go to” button??

September 4, 2021 at 4:38 pm

Is it gone? I can’t find it anywhere

September 5, 2021 at 12:52 pm

Yes! I really need the “go to” button! Give it back to us!

September 6, 2021 at 7:06 am

It’s at the top on the TOC page.

September 15, 2021 at 2:35 pm

I agree, I’ve spent all afternoon looking for an answer to “where ie to go to button? I use it all the time, this new update stinks!

October 29, 2021 at 7:05 pm

Any idea where I can find a link to the latest software update for paperwhite 5. My new paperwhite came out of the box without being updated to the new platform.

September 10, 2021 at 7:01 pm

Up swipe the location menu. Above the location slider are back AND forward icons (“K” and reverse K)!

September 13, 2021 at 11:45 pm

It’s there. Great news when first hearing about it. It’s a royal pain to get to it. I have to switch from the middle bottom not touching the edge and switch up. That will bring the bottom screen pop up. There are left arrow and a right arrow at the bottom at each side. Click on the only arrow showing and it will take you back to the last clicked link. It’s hell on earth because I spent an hour trying to figure the swipe out.

October 7, 2021 at 7:07 am

Thanks to everyone who posted the new way to go back one or maybe two places back using the swipe up from the bottom method but here’s where it does not work that infuriates me. Let’s say we do a search (not within a book but from the library, looking for a title) and we get a list of results. If we click on a result and then decide we want to go back to that previous list of results, we cannot! You have to return to library and do the search over again! Swiping up from the bottom doesn’t work here.

October 7, 2021 at 8:03 am

They just released a new update that changes things again: Kindle Update 5.14.1 Released with New Navigation Options to Go Back .

August 17, 2021 at 6:48 pm

My kindle is seldom on wifi long enough for an update.

August 17, 2021 at 8:25 pm

It sounds like it’s not worth it. I will keep my WIFI off from now on.

August 17, 2021 at 11:39 pm

You know … they frogged up with some previous update so I didn’t do it. At this point I am definitely several behind because every durn time they update they BREAK something we like so I say “nah” and keep NOT updating. At this point I just NEVER take it off airplane mode.

August 18, 2021 at 3:11 am

New look for the new Kindles about to be released?

August 18, 2021 at 8:22 am

When the kindle restarts, the bar on the inside is straight instead of curved. Something to look at.

August 18, 2021 at 12:37 pm

I updated my Oasis yesterday. It seems a little sluggish (interface). Particularly when adjusting the Light (Brightness and Color). In a way, I think it looks nicer (still don’t like Home View…I keep it on Library). But, it seems largely, an unnecessary update. Didn’t really notice a functional advantage. It just looks more like an android device or something.

August 18, 2021 at 2:35 pm

Remember that often the updates also include security fixes and fixes to bugs. So, updates are not pointless just because you don’t get a functionality that you are wishing for.

September 4, 2021 at 11:48 am

“ So, updates are not pointless just because you don’t get a functionality that you are wishing for.”

Most of us posting our complaints here aren’t complaining about not getting something we were hoping for; we’re complaining about a large change to the user interface wherein much of the original functionality was removed and what was left was made more difficult to use. What used to be an intuitive and user-friendly interface now lacks several former, frequently-used features (back arrow, go to, etc.) and has made the ones that are left more difficult to find and several often-used functions require more keystrokes to use now than before the update (and that’s once you find them, if you ever do). I’m all for bug fixes and security patches, but was the user interface really so bad that it needed a complete, complex overhaul? Seriously thinking about going back to actual (gasp!) paper books!

September 5, 2021 at 1:46 am

Agree. I’ve gotten lost several times already just trying to finish a novel and then queue up a new read. What was wrong with the old set-up? At least I could navigate and easily change fonts, adjust brightness, synch up a new download, etc. This is really annoying. Gave up and picked a real book tonight.

August 19, 2021 at 4:28 pm

I have heard the new update forces ads on the home screen and won’t allow you to hide them like before, even if you previously paid to have special offers removed. Anyone know if this is true?

August 20, 2021 at 10:14 am

It doesn’t force ads. It is more like it goes to the regular home screen with book suggestions. You can easily switch over to your library at the tap of the screen.

August 20, 2021 at 11:35 am

“Book suggestions” are ads.

August 20, 2021 at 1:02 pm

Actually it’s better now because they finally got rid of the obnoxious banner ads at the bottom of the homescreen and library. You can’t turn Home Screen View off like before so you do see recommended titles when on the homepage, but not in the library view.

August 25, 2021 at 9:45 am

The home page, even if you paid to have special offers removed, showed suggested books before if you have the default feed on. That is the same with this update. It does seem once you click the Library at the bottom bar with the new update, you can keep your front feed that it returns to as your library view instead of the home view.

September 1, 2021 at 3:26 am

Yes it is true and yes I am pretty angry about it! I paid to not have ads and they keep finding a way to shove ads in my face. I will literally burn my kindle if this is not changed.

August 22, 2021 at 3:27 am

The new update REALLY messed up the whole interface. It really sucks.

August 24, 2021 at 5:16 am

I don’t know why everyone complains. Instead of complaining, submit bug reports and do something useful!

September 1, 2021 at 6:59 pm

I just spent 30 min looking for a way to provide Amazon detailed feedback. There isn’t any link to do so. I will not install their chat app on my phone to let them snoop even more into my life.

I have thousands of books and now they made it so I can only see 5 at a time. This has made using my Kindle tedious and irritating. I don’t understand why users can’t customize their library screens to display the information in the format they like.

I too miss the back button. Moving around in an ebook is one of the things that’s never been as good as a physical book. Now it’s even worse.

I would like to be able to sort by useful categories not the silly ones currently available.

I would like to be able to zoom in on maps and photos.

If anyone knows how to roll back to 5.13.6, please share.

September 2, 2021 at 7:00 am

Unfortunately it’s not possible to roll back to older software on Kindles. You can send feedback to this email address: [email protected] .

September 4, 2021 at 2:44 pm

Actually, that email address just throws your email back at you unanswered with the suggestion to go to the community forums, which are useless. Amazon does NOT want customer feedback. Amazon also wants to shove their changes down our throats whether we like them or not. Well, I was reading books for decades before Kindle came along, and I still own a library card and have access to buying economical used books (the paper-and-board kind). I’m on my second Kindle, but it will be my last and is quite likely to end up in a drawer, unused soon. I HATE the update. I cannot find or access the “Go to” option, which ruins Kindle for me.

September 29, 2021 at 10:30 am

The ‘GoTo’ button is at the top of the page ie the 3 little lines. 🙂

September 7, 2021 at 12:14 pm

I too am upset about the new update and the loss of the back arrow. Fortunately, I came across a post on reddit explaining that the back arrow can be accessed by scrolling up from the bottom screen. makes the update just a little less painful.

August 24, 2021 at 12:30 pm

Well, new interface is a little clunky. It’s annoying that it no longer can be turned off. Switching between tabs is a little slow. The biggest issues so far:

1) Like Betty mentioned, back arrow is missing when reading a book. So there is no way to go back to the text you were reading after browsing elsewhere (footnotes etc). What a strange decision. I used Back button a lot. RIP ease of use.

2) Library tab does not have Home button. Now in order to go to the first page of your Library on Kindle you need to go Home tab and then click Your Library link over the biggest cover on screen. Tapping Library tab while on the tab does NOT bring you to the first page of your Library.

3) Fewer books on the page in Library (for list view). Used to be nine (9) on the page and eight (8) inside a collection. Now it shows six (6) books on the page and five (5) books inside a collection. Switching to cover view gives you six (6) books both on the page and inside collection. I think it used to be more? I do not use cover view, so I can’t recall.

FUN FACT! I usually completely reset my Kindle after each update. Helps avoid various issues (like problems with downloading books). Thus I can inform you that the setup process is now a little different. Not much, but noticeable so. First page where you choose language used to have USA and UK English. Now you need to choose English and only then it gives you the choice between the two. They changed fonts. Now with more pretty. Looks cleaner, imo. Minor changes mostly.

Surprisingly, the interface looks cleaner. Also, if you go to Setting and click on three dots at the top you get fast access to Update, Restart, Reset and Device Info options.

August 24, 2021 at 2:57 pm

Apologies, it’s five (5) books both on the page and inside collection for list view.

August 25, 2021 at 9:50 am

“1) Like Betty mentioned, back arrow is missing when reading a book. So there is no way to go back to the text you were reading after browsing elsewhere (footnotes etc). What a strange decision. I used Back button a lot. RIP ease of use.”

I am trying to figure out what people mean by this.

If you open a program in a book now, like Goodreads from the setting menu, instead of a back button you now click the “X” to just close it out, and the book is right there once that is closed. Before Amazon was not the norm using a back button instead of an X closing a page or program, but now they seem to be going the flow of most products with the X Close button.

Unless I’m misunderstanding what others are talking about, which is completely possible.

August 25, 2021 at 3:06 pm

I was talking about the situation where I would jump to another chapter and then use the back arrow to get me to where I originally started. Others have explained to me that if I swipe up, the little arrow at the bottom left takes me back. This is hardly satisfactory, though, in that previously I could go back to multiple previous locations, but now it takes me back once and that’s it.

September 4, 2021 at 7:12 pm

Is the Go To option gone? How do you jump to a specific page in a disparate part of the book?

September 5, 2021 at 6:56 am

You can still do this on the table of contents page.

September 7, 2021 at 12:16 pm

I too was upset about the loss of the back arrow. Fortunately, I came across a post on reddit explaining that the back arrow can be accessed by scrolling up from the bottom screen. makes the update just a little less painful.

August 25, 2021 at 11:53 am

Please add the back button feature! This is more than an inconvenience! I may have to look into other alternatives as I not only read a lot, I use reference guides.

August 25, 2021 at 11:15 pm

It seems mine is an unpopular opinion, based on the comments above, but I’ll share anyway:

I really like the new UI. Its looks cleaner than the previous, more modern, less clunky. On my Paperwhite 10th Gen, it also “feels” faster. I can’t really quantify that, but from my own experience, it seems everything is just slightly snappier than the old UI.

As for the Home/Library changes, This is where my opinion will most likely irk some:

I actually like the Home screen. I like having similar/recommended books shown to me quickly, without having to go into the actual Store page. I can tell you, at least half my Library consists of Books I purchased because they were shown to me as I was reading a similar genre.

I know its “capitalism” but I tend to prefer “Targeted ads” and don’t mind companies using my preferences to show me things I might like. Again, most of my books come from “Targeted Ads” so, I’m not too miffed about it!

I went digging around for that illusive “back button” everyone seems to mention, and I guess it really is gone. I never personally used it much, BUT, I can totally see how its removal bugs people who did. There’s really no logical reason I can come up with as to why it needed to be removed… maybe an oversight on the devs part? I don’t know, but I feel like it should be added back, as many (here and on other sites) are quite annoyed by it going MIA.

In all, I really like the new UI, the “snappier” feel, and the newer, better Home screen. I can tell my Library will grow, and my content intake will expand with this new Update!

September 10, 2021 at 1:09 pm

Something I noticed is that the use of VoiceView is a little easier. With the X button you can go right back to the book rather than go back to home and then reopen your book. Having to double tap to do all that was not fun. Now, once you switch on voiceview you tap on the X and it goes straight to the book and begins to read. Also, adjusting the volume of voice view now comes up in the dropdown menu. You don’t have to go back to settings and then go back to home and reopen your book. It is a lot simpler now. Still not perfect, but improved. I also don’t find the new UI as a downgrade as much as just something different.

August 26, 2021 at 7:05 am

It is so unfair that the kindle voyage users can’t update their device. We paid a pretty high price for this kindle and I really dont understand why we need to wait longer than other users for this update. It’s so annoying.

September 3, 2021 at 5:02 pm

The update sucks. Be grateful (and keep your WiFi off,)

September 5, 2021 at 12:50 pm

They screwed up a good thing. As JennyB says, “The update sucks.”

September 4, 2021 at 5:41 pm

I’m so unhappy with my new paperwhite system that I’m going back to my Oasis, until they screw it up too. Not upgrading Oasis is an important featue not a problem.

August 28, 2021 at 11:31 am

Regarding the new Kindle 5.13.7 firmware i hate it . Usually a firmware improves or adds usability , in this case it removed the ability to select whether i want to see recommendations .I DO NOT NEED Amazon to tell me or suggest what i should read , I am not a child. So now with the forced OTA i am stuck looking at garbage.No way to go back to anther firmware no way to stop the OTA from updating unless you leave Airplane mode on all the time. With this new look and now i can barely read the home screen settings as the font is very small , must of been the idea of a twenty year old. As much as I enjoyed reading on the kindle this new firmware made my Kindle a paper weight. Give us the ability to upgrade or not , the option to downgrade. Security updates ? It’s a bloody Kindle ! You will win the lottery twice before your Kindle steals all your secrets. Yes I do like change if it’s for the better but in this case it’s not .

September 4, 2021 at 2:51 pm

Change entirely for the sake of change yet heralding it as an improvement, which it is not, really irks me. I hate this “update,” and my Kindle is likely to become only a paperweight, like yours.

September 2, 2021 at 7:21 am

I don’t like the larger library lists and wish there was a way to make those smaller to fit more in the list.

But as far as the back button, which I used a great deal, I happen to really like the new option to swipe up. Before when you clicked back it took you to where you were last. Now you have options for multiple places you were the last few times. I like this much better. I like seeing where I’m going back to.

And I’m not sure about others, but the first time I opened my kindle after the update, it went to the Home screen with all of the recommendations. I clicked to my library. It has opened to my Library every time I’ve opened it since.

Updates are a learning curve and most of us don’t like change (or at least all of the changes). I wouldn’t even have known about the swipe up option to go to a location if someone hadn’t mentioned it. It’s more like a very detailed table of contents. You can go to any page rather than just chapters. And where you’ve been (back) is marked with the big circles. So there may be hidden options that can make it better.

September 2, 2021 at 4:26 pm

What is the symbol that looks something like a sideways W with a line through it? It appears between the airplane mode and the dark mode symbols

September 2, 2021 at 6:02 pm

September 3, 2021 at 1:13 am

The new UI layout has ruined my reading experience. I’m guessing there’s no way to roll back to the previous version?

The new layout just clutters up the screen with stuff I never use. The two virtual buttons at the bottom of the screen take up space, so that the visible list of tiles in the library is shorter.

If Amazon really wanted to improve the Kindle experience, how about nested collections?

September 5, 2021 at 12:39 am

So disappointed. No back button. No synch my. Kindle option. WiFi just as crappy as ever. What was the point of this update exactly? I see no benefit whatsoever.

September 6, 2021 at 2:53 am

You can not turn off this new “Home Page”

and you can’t downgrade, this new GUI is ugly as ever, like really ever in so many years

and the “lighting control” at the top are so annoying, like sticking in there forever

and the new FW makes the machine slower

WORST WORST wORST

September 6, 2021 at 10:09 pm

Okay, so… trying to address a couple of complaints in above thread:

1) Go To. This IS still there. If you are in a book, click at the top. To the right on the top, there is a “Aa” and directly to the right of that are three dashed lines for ToC (not the three dots) – click on that, you have the same interface as the “Go To” from before. From there, hit “Page or Location” to directly go to a specific point in the book.

2) Back button… yes, it is gone, but you CAN still visit ALL your previous locations, Either hit the top and then select the left bottom-most icon, or use the swipe up to the side of the screen takes you to the same bar. On that interface, you can toggle between last and current location using the bottom-most arrows “” – this is what people mean when they say you can only go between 2 locations, I think. But directly above those, there is a line. On that long line there are “dots” – those dots take you to different locations you have been to – from current reading location – within the book, so instead of hitting the back arrow five times, you just hit the dot corresponding to where you were. It will save multiple locations. Above that line but still in the bottom navigation panel, there are a second set of arrows that look like this: “||” clicking on those will skip to either the previous (or next) chapter or the previous (or next) dot depending on if there are dots already set. Also note, if you open another book, and then return to this book, those dots are saved, so you don’t lose that location if you switch between texts. This second bit is an advantage over what was before, I think.

Hope this helps.

September 6, 2021 at 10:13 pm

HTML didn’t play nice with my arrows, but the bottom-most arrows don’t have a straightline like the top-most arrows do…

September 7, 2021 at 2:15 am

My entire collection of Books are now mark uncollected. 1924 Books. I have two in the download group. What happened to take all of my Books out of collections?

September 8, 2021 at 5:21 am

How do you get out of a book you’re reading and back to the library listing? The only way I’ve found is to restart the device. If I buy a new book (while I’m reading another one), I like to download it and add it to one of my collections (just like organizing my library). Without a Home button, I haven’t figured out how to get back easily.

September 8, 2021 at 5:34 am

Update: actually found a posting by Saga in this thread explaining how to get to what I need. I hadn’t seen it prior to my posting! Thanks to everyone who’s posting – there’s really good info here!

September 11, 2021 at 12:27 am

What happened to my collections??? I had a slew of them that I could only access if I clicked “all” in my library (instead of downloaded). — this happened after the LAST update but at least I had them. I did create a few new collections (after the LAST update) and those are still present. But the nine collections that I used to access from the “all” feature are gone, gone, gone. Where are they??? This really ticks me off!

September 20, 2021 at 7:43 am

The same thing happened to me. I was on the phone with Amazon and they said that nothing could be done unless a lot of people complained with the same issue. Then they would do an update to correct the update. Like everyone here I hate this update. Will be calling them again today…maybe speak with someone more knowledgeable. Good Luck!

September 12, 2021 at 8:12 am

Great update, I don’t think. My child’s kindle, carefully set up with Parental Controls so they can switch between Amazon Kids and the books I’ve downloaded for them via my account, now shows a Home page in the latter view that includes MY wish list and recommendations based on MY reading – not suitable for an 8 year old, and no longer an option to disable it. I’m fairly sure this wouldn’t be intentional and is instead simply thoughtless/badly tested, but I’m not sure how to feed this issue back.

September 13, 2021 at 9:55 am

No “Go to End”, either.. I hate this new interface!

September 13, 2021 at 4:01 pm

My big gripe is the library page. I have a kindle oasis so that I got more information on the screen This new update has stolen over an inch from the bottom and nearly an inch from the top. Now I only see 4 books on each page in my library . . . which is NOT GOOD.

September 13, 2021 at 5:29 pm

OK, I was peeved that the back button was gone. But swiping up and using the location options there is actually better than before (as the back button included going through the library.)

They try to push the home screen, again. Now you cannot turn it off… but it always go back to the library view, so it’s actually like before IRL.

However, navigating the library has gotten worse. Only 5 books in list view? Come ON. There’s room for so much more. And yes, sorting and categories need improvement, for a long time now.

September 14, 2021 at 8:21 pm

Hate the home screen. Having disabled it, home always meant my library for me.

I haven’t updated to the new UI as I keep the wifi forever turned off except once a year.

I have 2 questions, and would be grateful if someone answered them:

1-what is the easiest way to keep avoiding the home screen with the new update and stay in the library view all the time (do I have to stare at the home vs. library link at the bottom)

2-is there a way to avoid this update? how would I sync new books without turning on the wifi?

September 19, 2021 at 8:47 pm

I also hate the new update. It is not user friendly. The other thing is that all my books are there but my collections have disappeared and the collection button is greyed out. Has anyone one else encountered issues with accessing their collection?

October 16, 2021 at 7:20 am

I like re reading books I’ve enjoyed. I want easy access to my collections. Still trying to figure it out. Similar to everyone else why fix what ain’t broke!!! Worst update ever.

September 20, 2021 at 1:01 pm

I hate this update. Why can’t these jerks leave things alone. It is NEVER bigger and better!

October 5, 2021 at 6:54 am

OMG…I hate this software update so much! I want my “go to” button back…NOW! I wasted so much time trying to find it to no avail. Finally have been searching the web for a clue and landed here. I happily read the comment saying to up swipe from bottom…there is still no “go to” button that made it so much easier to return to where I was. Like others, I now have no idea where I was before I tried to find the “go back” button. My book lists are all messed up…I should only have 3 unread library books on that list and there are many more than that showing. Why can’t they leave things alone…they just keep screwing things up..so frustrating! Love this site…so glad I found it. I have 4 kindles; and, I suppose they are all this mess up now. Dang it.

October 7, 2021 at 5:31 am

Mines just updated. And ugh. Why do companies do this to us?

I don’t need the home screen. I shut it off deliberately. I liked having ten listed books per page – I can now only have five. Not the end of the world but why make it more difficult for me to scroll through my thousands of books. Having 200+ pages of books was hard enough. Having 400 is just a pain in the proverbial.

And the search function is now wonky. It used to start giving me suggestions the moment I started typing. So I’d frequently put in three words and see what came up. Now it starts bringing up suggestions, gets lost after the first letter (if I’m lucky – if I’m not, even the first letter doesn’t pull up anything) and I have to actually fully search and bring up every relevant entry.

These aren’t quality of life changes. Quality of life changes would make things quicker, not more tedious.

October 7, 2021 at 2:41 pm

Okay………..so how do I find the experimental browser?? Kindle has taken something that was once a 2 minute operation and made it into a 5 minute nightmare……..thanks Kindle for fixing something that was working fine…………what a screw up!!

October 7, 2021 at 5:18 pm

My cloud based collections are all gone. I have managed, through multiple updates, my downloaded books by placing read books in collections. This allowed me to quickly find by author and/or genre a read book that I wanted to review, to re-read, or easily check whether I had. Like others have noted, those cloud based collections are not there. The sort option menu doesn’t even list collections anymore. Years of building my collections vanished. S0 angry!!!!!

October 8, 2021 at 10:50 am

I’ve just started to explore this update and I gotta tell y’all, I’m now afraid. I’m very afraid.

October 10, 2021 at 8:50 am

I completely support the general view expressed that the 5.13.7 is a 100% retrograde step and I especially mourn the loss of the ‘BACK’ button. Despite their constant droning on about how customer focused they are, Amazon have once again shown how little they consider the views of their customers. The mantra se4ems to be ‘We are Amazon, therefore we must be right’.

October 10, 2021 at 1:13 pm

It is simply not the same navigating these upgrades. I agree with alot of comments here that it really wasn’t necessary. It seems like tech geeks “have” to upgrade, they’ve got nothing better to do. Don’t fix what’s not broken.

October 10, 2021 at 1:58 pm

I hate this update I used to have a lot of books on the authors pages Now since the update I only have 5 books on each page and hundreds of pages Why can’t they leave things alone I don’t know how to fix this Any help would be appreciated

October 10, 2021 at 11:15 pm

This new update is absolutely appalling, my home screen and library screen are just white blank screens with nothing on them. I can not find kindle store on here at all so can’t purchase anything. As the library screen is completely blank I can’t search for names of books I have already purchased either.

October 11, 2021 at 9:52 am

Try holding the power button down until it forces a restart.

October 12, 2021 at 1:07 pm

REALLY, REALLY bad update. I worked in IT for over 40 years and when you come out with something new it should be an improvement, NOT a hindrance to your users. Once upon a time, you did user testing to see how your so called improvements were received.

October 13, 2021 at 7:55 pm

What were they thinking??? Certainly not thinking about the user experience. This “upgrade” is a hot mess of a dumpster fire. I can’t see any benefit to anyone, unless Amazon thinks the change will inspire me to buy more books. Not happening. It’s inspiring me to get another brand of reader or use an ipad to read library books in EPUB format.

October 15, 2021 at 6:49 am

What a surprise to open my Kindle and discover a whole new interphase. Whatever tech engineer came up with the new format should be fired. It took nearly 20 minutes for me to find how to change the lighting and then I couldn’t get back to the “library” which used to be on the home page. There were NO IMPROVEMENTS as far as I cold see in the new format.

October 15, 2021 at 7:49 am

Anyone found how to add reading progress (%) or page number? So far this update is just a waste of IT and not helpful to the actual Kindle user. Here’s an idea… Beta test group to preview future changes… I’ll volunteer! .

October 17, 2021 at 2:37 pm

Can we ask for the Home/Library button to be placed back in the interface? I just need a quick way to get out of the web browser and back to my main library after updating my documents. Instead, I have to close the browser, which drops me in my old document. Then I have to back out to my collection. Only then can I return to my main library page.

Four clicks versus one! My arthritis is not happy.

October 19, 2021 at 8:48 am

Absolutely hate this update. I can’t see my library or my home page – they just remain blank. As so many comments have already said ” Why did the previous format need to be updated? It was easy to navigate and saved it’s purpose well. This version is a complete waste of time” I hate , hate ,hate it!

October 21, 2021 at 4:24 pm

If your search takes you to another part of your book – click on the arrow to go to the home screen, then click on your book cover and it takes you back to where you stopped reading. Don’t know how we were supposed to know this but a phone call to Amazon tech support was very helpful.

October 21, 2021 at 4:34 pm

Actually, it only worked the first time! But see if in the lower left hand corner of your screen you see “back to page ___”

October 23, 2021 at 9:14 am

I also hate the 5.13.7 update and hope that someone at Amazon is made aware of all these negative comments.

October 27, 2021 at 9:01 pm

I am not sure they care about reader’s opinions.

October 23, 2021 at 8:33 pm

I also hate the new 5.13.7 update. WHY would you remove the back button?? This new version is a nightmare to try to use. If you want to make worthwhile changes, why not put the name of the book your are reading at the top of the page (like a normal paperback book).

October 25, 2021 at 5:58 am

Where did the About This Book feature go? Is it gone?

October 27, 2021 at 11:00 am

I am considering to reset my Kindle after this disgusting update. Any other ideas how to remove 5.13.7?

October 27, 2021 at 2:30 pm

Sorry but that won’t help. Once updated, there is no way to downgrade.

October 29, 2021 at 9:52 am

That’s funny, everyone seems to hate this update, and for some really strange reason, kindle support is not working. Man, I wonder why that would happen. Really funny.

October 30, 2021 at 2:05 pm

I’ve always to my family, friends and clients i don’t like change…..except from a dollar and then only sometimes. So when I saw the new update I was confused. I’ve tried to read all the post and suggestions and im sure in a few years I get familiar with it.. Oh but then there will be more.

My issue is with the collections. I have read some post but none address mine. We have a family account. In the past I have put my books in “collections” so I can find them quickly. After the update I know longer have my collections. I then went to create it again, but it says the folder exist on the cloud. I thought this is great its not all lost. So i hit “sync” all happy and smiling. That smile disappeared quickly when my collection folder still did not show on my device. Does anyone know how to get my device to sync with cloud to get my collections back?

November 19, 2021 at 7:46 pm

The UI absolutely sucks! Why kill the back button? I paid extra money for an “ad free” device and I am inundated with recommendations. It is more difficult to find a book in my library.

To add insult to injury, the top of my screen now reads, “Kindle Voage” instead of “Kindle Voyage”. Apparently the same brilliant folks that thought this new UI was a good idea cannot spell “voyage”.

December 9, 2021 at 9:24 am

Where can we find the Vocabulary Builder? I am unable to find it to access all the words I had checked for while reading 🙁

December 9, 2021 at 4:20 pm

It’s accessible from the settings menu while reading.

December 22, 2021 at 5:30 am

I am way beyond the frustration of facing an update to my favorite device. I can honestly say that I have had enough time and experience now to review this new kindle software version.

The individual and/or committee who has created this newest version of kindle software should be removed from Kindle development. I believe this update buried or disguised the Kindle’s best features and then showcased the least used and/or the least effective and sensible components.

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