Guide to Quitting Kindle, Part 2
More options to back up your books and keep or modify your current device
Since my first post about quitting Kindle, I figured it was time for an update. Since then I’ve done a shit-ton of research (surprise, surprise) and discovered some really helpful resources to extract your books from your Kindle after the February 26, 2025 deadline. Read on for an update, or catch up on Part 1 below if you haven’t read it already. I’ll likely do one more post in this series with my research on other devices if you’re in the market.
Quit Kindle and Keep Your Device
As I mentioned in my previous post, you can divest from the Amazon ecosystem and never buy another ebook from them again, while still continuing to use your Kindle until it dies. Whether you’re concerned about e-waste or a new device just isn’t in your budget at the moment, you have options. Even if you couldn’t download your books from the browser before the deadline, there’s still hope to get your content off your device and continue to grow your library without feeding the beast.
Back Up Your Books and Remove DRM Using Calibre
I recently plugged my device into my computer and discovered that I was still able to view the ebook files downloaded to my Kindle. Even though the option to download your library through Amazon’s website isn’t an option anymore, you can still back up books from your device to your computer. This post gives more detailed instructions on how to do this. I bought an ebook from an author who doesn’t have their books on another platform and was able to easily transfer them to my Calibre library, convert the files, and sideload them to my other devices.
If visual instructions are more your speed, Dammit Jeff posted a video tutorial on his Patreon to rip your books from your device using Calibre. He made this video free and open to all, so you can simply join his space for free without a paid subscription, unless you want to show your appreciation financially. For now, this still works on all Kindles, even newer models.
You do need a physical Kindle device in order to download your books this way, so if you plan to get rid of yours, make sure to back everything up first. If you don’t have a physical Kindle device but still want to save your content, you can get one secondhand from Unclaimed Baggage. These devices have been cleaned and wiped of all data, and most come in Good (light signs of use) or Fair (visible signs of use) condition. So you’re sure to find something that works with your budget.
It goes without saying that removing DRM to convert to other file formats is only acceptable for your own personal use. We don’t condone piracy over here, we just want you to be able to access content that you purchased on any device of your choosing. Please support authors and pay them for their work.
If you’re able to download and deDRM your Kindle books, you would then add the ebook files to your Calibre library. You can then convert your library to any format whenever you’re in the market for a new device.
Support Your Local Library and Use Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy for Digital Content
I’ve been on a quest to collect library cards from different libraries in my area’s reciprocal borrowing program. Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy partner with local libraries to provide access to all sorts of digital content, like ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and more. Here’s a brief overview of all of them:
Libby: Ebooks can be sent to your Kindle to read, if you live in the US. You can also borrow and listen to audiobooks through the Libby app on your phone. Much like physical book inventory, there are limited licenses available for each title, which means that you may have to wait for popular books to become available. This is one reason I’ve been getting multiple library cards. If a title isn’t immediately available to read from my main library, I’ll borrow from another one in the area. Every time you borrow a title, it supports your local library by indicating demand, which helps with funding.
Hoopla: This service includes ebooks, magazines, comics, audiobooks, movies, and music, which is available for instant access. However, because this service often costs more for libraries to maintain, monthly borrowing limits apply. I’ve also found that most of the ebooks I want to read aren’t available, but they do have a decent selection.
Kanopy: Stream movies and TV shows, especially independent films and documentaries. Like Netflix, but free!
Buy Ebooks from Other Sources and Send to Kindle
I mentioned these options in my previous post, but it bears repeating. You can download DRM-free titles in the public domain from places like Standard Ebooks (basically the same as Project Gutenberg, but with better formatting) and send it to your Kindle device. You can do the same with ebooks purchased from Kobo after you’ve downloaded the title to Adobe Digital Editions. Kobo even has a handy dandy guide right on their website to help you do this. Isn’t that nice? We don’t deserve Canadians. This YouTube video also explains how to do this with books purchased from Kobo. (Fast forward to 2:46 for the tutorial)
Bonus: Jailbreak your Kindle
If this sounds intimidating, I get it. I previously skipped over any mention of jailbreaking until recently because it sounded too complicated. If you’re curious like I was and want more options to customize your device, keep reading. Otherwise, you can skip over this part.
For those who aren’t afraid to do a little tinkering, Dammit Jeff also posted a video tutorial on his YouTube channel showing how to jailbreak your Kindle. He made it look so approachable that I decided to try it.
Jailbreaking your Kindle gives you the flexibility to modify your device, install KOreader (which many ereader enthusiasts like better than the default Kindle reading app due to its custom options), customize your lock screen background, and even play games. Unfortunately, Amazon pushed a firmware update to version 5.18.1 that patches any existing jailbreak, so if your device is on 5.18.1 or later, this will not work for you. From what I hear, the developers are working on a fix as we speak, so just hang tight if this is your situation.
Since I had already downloaded my books, converted them, and moved them to other devices, I had nothing to lose if I accidentally bricked my Kindle. So I thought I would try it out and share my experience. Spoiler alert: It failed, but I plan to keep trying.
While the YouTube video gives you a great overview and a visual for what to expect, I highly recommend following along step-by-step with the Kindle Modding wiki, since it gives more details on errors or prompts you might experience when going through the process and gives you all the links to download.
A word to the wise: If you try this, immediately put your device back into airplane mode after turning it off for the initial jailbreak. I forgot to do this, and at some point in the process, Amazon pushed their patch before I could disable updates. The jailbreak appeared to work up to a certain point, but to my dismay, the update was installed during one of the restarts, and I couldn’t run anything that I installed. Those bastards. So, I will be waiting for the next jailbreak update before I attempt this again. If this happens to you, you can simply delete the files you added to your Kindle, and it will be as if your device was never jailbroken.
Stay tuned for Part 3, where I’ll break down options to switch to another device.