# Update your Kindle ASAP **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691 "2016-03-20T20:40:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/1 "2016-03-20T20:40:29Z")
If you have an older Kindle, you have to update it before March 22, 2016 or it will no longer be able to access the Internet. Details are [here](http://gizmodo.com/if-you-want-to-keep-using-your-kindle-you-need-to-upda-1766018587). Note if you have the older Black & White Kindle like me you need to be connected to WiFi not the 3G to get any updates. To get it (at least on mine) I just needed to connect to WiFi and it apparently downloaded the update in the background. You go under Settings and then press Menu and Update your Kindle should be available. If it’s grayed out, it hasn’t downloaded the update yet or you are already up to date. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/2 "2016-03-20T20:43:18Z")
Thanks. I have one of these and didn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/3 "2016-03-20T20:56:16Z")
Important note. I realized after posting, the first update I did was not enough. The first update updated me to Firmware 3.4 and the Update my Kindle option was still available. I ran it again and it installed a second update to 3.4.2. After the second update I received a note specifically saying I was up to date for the March 22nd issue (after the first I received a generic note about new features etc). Be sure you have the specific version of firmware that is listed in the article I linked to. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/4 "2016-03-20T21:35:04Z")
The kindle can still be updated after March 22. I’ve always updated my mom’s and mine this manual way. This article isn’t real clear. All you do is get on Amazon’s support page and download to the computer. Use a USB cable to transfer to the kindle. update as mentioned earlier. > [@](#): > > After March 22nd, you will also have to update the device manually, by downloading the patch and updating it through your computer. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/5 "2016-03-20T21:58:48Z")
Wi-fi is the best update option because the kindle will get the correct update for you. the manual update requires you to know which model you have and pick the right update. thankfully, if you get it wrong the kindle will refuse to update. I made that mistake last year with my mom’s paperwhite. theres a 5th and 6th gen. I guessed wrong. no harm done. I just had to delete the wrong one and start over. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/6 "2016-03-21T05:54:03Z")
I never connect my Kindle to the internet anyway. Mine’s an older one, about 5 years old I think. Any ebooks I buy online, I download to my computer, strip the DRM, and then transfer to the Kindle via USB cable. Also convert epub into mobi if that’s needed. It’s not that I don’t trust Amazon, more that I don’t _need_ to. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/7 "2016-03-21T10:50:49Z")
Am I the only one who disconnects my Kindle from the internet unless I have a specific reason to be on-line? Among other things, it extends battery life. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/8 "2016-03-21T11:22:03Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Am I the only one who disconnects my Kindle from the internet unless I have a specific reason to be on-line? Among other things, it extends battery life. It extends battery life a bit, but I leave wifi on so that updates/synchs/downloads can go on in the background. I’ll buy books pre-release and it’s nice to not have to think about synching. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/9 "2016-03-21T11:41:19Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Am I the only one who disconnects my Kindle from the internet unless I have a specific reason to be on-line? Among other things, it extends battery life. I don’t use mine anymore, but when I did, I never left wifi on. Each night, I’d turn wifi on, hit the sync button, then turn wifi off. Even if I didn’t have any books ready, this checked for updates and grabbed new ads (some of those ads are good, especially around Christmas). However, the difference between having wifi on and having it off is the battery lasting days or _months_. I hated having a few weeks of battery then forgetting to turn off wifi for a day or two and having a dead Kindle unexpectedly. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/10 "2016-03-21T12:04:05Z")
Every workday, I plug my Kindle into my PC to refresh the battery. That takes a few minutes–then I plug in my Android phone. Most of my Kindle reading takes place on the bus or light rail or in a bar or restaurant. If I need more charging, there are plenty of options. But the power-hog Android is the main reason I have a portable power supply. (It’s handy to carry a purse.) So my Kindle refreshed itself last week. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/11 "2016-03-21T13:28:17Z")
Thanks for this reminder! We have a first-gen Kindle and had gotten the emails, but I hadn’t gotten around to ensuring it was updated. It syncing now. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/12 "2016-03-21T15:08:58Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > It extends battery life a bit, but I leave wifi on so that updates/synchs/downloads can go on in the background. I’ll buy books pre-release and it’s nice to not have to think about synching. I like being able to buy books on my mobile device, either via the Kindle app, or through the Amazon app or website, and having them available on my Kindle when I go to use it, without having to dick around with downloading them, etc… I also like the auto-updating as well- AFAIK, mine should be as updated as it can get, as I have all that whispersync stuff set up. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/13 "2016-03-21T15:52:45Z")
Mine’s almost always connected to Wi-Fi, so it’s probably already updated, but I’ll double-check. Thanks for the heads up. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/14 "2016-03-21T16:42:01Z")
Thanks! I have a pre-Wifi Kindle, (2nd generation,) and hadn’t heard about this. Though I have turned the wireless on since October–most recently to download the Italo Calvino stories I purchased in mid-February. So I guess I’ll check to see what version number it says it has and proceed from there. I don’t turn the Whispernet thing on unless I really need it for something either. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/15 "2016-03-21T17:36:26Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Am I the only one who disconnects my Kindle from the internet unless I have a specific reason to be on-line? Among other things, it extends battery life. I did that for a while, but I’ve become addicted to using the automatic Wikipedia lookup on my Kindle. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/16 "2016-03-21T20:37:10Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > I never connect my Kindle to the internet anyway. Mine’s an older one, about 5 years old I think. > > Any ebooks I buy online, I download to my computer, strip the DRM, and then transfer to the Kindle via USB cable. Also convert epub into mobi if that’s needed. It’s not that I don’t trust Amazon, more that I don’t _need_ to. How do you strip the DRM? Or should I not ask? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/17 "2016-03-21T22:37:36Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Am I the only one who disconnects my Kindle from the internet unless I have a specific reason to be on-line? Among other things, it extends battery life. I don’t have WiFi in the house, so yeah, airplane mode on unless I’ve books to download. I’m not sure if my Kindle is updated, I connected to WiFi to be sure, but there’s nothing in the settings to say if it’s up to date. My Amazon account says it’s a 5th generation paperwhite, so I’m probably ok right? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/18 "2016-03-21T22:43:48Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > I don’t have WiFi in the house, so yeah, airplane mode on unless I’ve books to download. > > I’m not sure if my Kindle is updated, I connected to WiFi to be sure, but there’s nothing in the settings to say if it’s up to date. My Amazon account says it’s a 5th generation paperwhite, so I’m probably ok right? I have a 6th generation but assuming it works the same:Toolbar\>Menu\>Settings\>Menu\>Device info The software version will be listed. Compare to chart. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/19 "2016-03-21T23:02:56Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > I’m not sure if my Kindle is updated, I connected to WiFi to be sure, but there’s nothing in the settings to say if it’s up to date. My Amazon account says it’s a 5th generation paperwhite, so I’m probably ok right? On ours, it is HOME, page up to the top, “Your Kindle is updated.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691/20 "2016-03-21T23:41:29Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > How do you strip the DRM? Or should I not ask? Would probably get in trouble here, given how they react to VPNs for legal but EULA-violating purposes. It’s even more legally gray, even if you own the book. Google is your friend on this one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/update-your-kindle-asap/749691.md?page=2)