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Amazon Kindle Offers Crucial Update: Amazon Says Users Must Update Or Else

By Jinger Jarrett
Published on: 07:50 PST, Mar 22, 2016

Amazon announced a crucial update to its Amazon Kindle readers. The update must be downloaded and installed by March 22 or users will lose internet connectivity. Without the update, users will no longer be able to access the Kindle store or sync their devices to the cloud.

CNET reported that the update is required so that Amazon remains compliant with continuously evolving web standards. For those who don’t update their Amazon Kindles, they will get the following message.

“Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time. Please make sure you are within wireless range and try again. If the problem persists, please restart your Kindle from the Menu in Settings and try again.”

For those who use their Kindles on a regular basis, there won’t be a problem. Kindles automatically update by WiFi, so the update occurs in the background. For those that haven’t used their Kindle in awhile, it’s necessary to recharge the battery and power up the device to run a sync and check for items.

Although most Amazon Kindle devices require the update, there are three devices that do not, and they are the Kindle Paperwhite (6th and 7th generation), Kindle 7th Generation, and Kindle Voyage 7th Generation. Amazon also said that the following devices will only update via WiFi even if the 3G connectivity is enabled: Kindle Keyboard 3rd Generation, the Kindle Touch 4th Generation, and the Kindle Paperwhite 5th Generation.

Yahoo Tech said that in a new post on Amazon’s Help and Support page, Amazon informed its customers of the following change.

“…using an outdated software version on Kindle e-readers require an important software update by March 22, 2016, in order to continue to download Kindle books from the Cloud, access the Kindle Store, and use other Kindle services on their device.”

If Amazon Kindle users fail to install the update after March 22, then the update will need to be done manually. Yahoo Tech didn’t give instructions for users on how to do the manual update, so for those who fail to make the update now, it won’t be fun later. Amazon did create a chart of the devices that needed to be updated for those who want to double check that the update to their devices is necessary. For those who are unsure, then checking the chart will give the necessary information to help users make sure their devices are in compliance.

Amazon spokesperson Kinley Pearsall said the update wasn’t arbitrary for users and that it was simply necessary to stay compliant.

“The update will ensure their device is operating with the latest software, and that it remains compliant with continuously evolving industry standard.”

Tech Crunch said that the update affected Amazon Kindles made before 2012. For those who miss the updates, it will be necessary to connect their devices to a computer using a USB cable in order to install the updates. The updates won’t affect newer devices made after the date indicated. As long as the Kindle is turned on, plugged in, and on WiFi, the updates will download and install automatically, and the system will even update itself while the Kindle is asleep. Without the updates, not only will the system not have access to the Kindle Store or the cloud, anything that requires an internet connection simply won’t work.

[Photo by Pixabay]

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