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Amazon is Still Sending Emails About That Required Kindle Update

5430189515_373f7b3e78_bRemember a few months back when Amazon asked all Kindle owners to download and install a security update?

No?

Amazon remembers. They sent emails, post cards, and made phone calls in February and March informing Kindle owners about a mandatory security update, and this week they started sending out reminder emails again to those who missed the news the first time around.

The emails (I got three – so far) are identical, and explain how to leave your wireless connection on so that Amazon can automatically download and install the update.

Here’s part the email:

Hello,

An important software update for your Kindle device "The Digital Reader’s 4th Kindle" is required to continue to download your books and use Kindle services. This update will ensure wireless coverage so you can continue to have the best possible reading experience.

To update your Kindle wirelessly, follow these steps:

1. Turn wireless on by sliding the wireless switch on the back of your device to the "On" position, or by pressing the Menu button from the Home screen and then selecting "Turn Wireless On".
2. Plug your Kindle in to charge during the update.
3. Leave your wireless on and the Kindle plugged in overnight.

While the device is asleep, the software update should download and install automatically. Your device may restart multiple times during the update process. You will receive a final confirmation letter once the update is completed.

While the device is asleep, the software update should download and install automatically. Your device may restart multiple times during the update process. You will receive a final confirmation letter once the update is completed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I no longer have one or more of my devices?
If you no longer have or use one of your Kindle devices, deregister it from your account today. First, go to www.amazon.com/mycd and log into your Amazon account. Click on the Your Devices tab and select the Kindle device you want to deregister. Click Deregister.

How can I get help on updating my Kindle devices?
You can contact Customer Service by using the Contact Us option in the left-hand column of our Kindle Support pages at:

www.amazon.com/kindlesupport

Thank you for reading with Kindle, and be sure to turn wireless on regularly to receive all future software updates.

While it’s nice that Amazon is sending out new reminder emails, it’s also rather strange because the wireless was supposed to stop working on 22 March for any Kindle which had not been updated.

It should not be possible to let Amazon remotely install the update today, and yet that is what Amazon implies.

Weird.

I’ve reached out to Amazon for an explanation, but in the meantime all I can do is confirm that the email is legit, and suggest is that you go through the steps to manually install the update.

Have you gotten one of the emails?

image by bfishadow

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Comments


poiboy July 23, 2016 um 2:31 am

screw the upgrade.. go for this instead:

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-jailbreak-your-kindle-1783864074

lol

Nate Hoffelder July 23, 2016 um 7:04 am

Some of us like being able to use the email feature, Kindle cloud, or annotations.

poiboy July 23, 2016 um 1:04 pm

if you read the post fully.. you would see that you can use all those feature WITH the jailbreak. 🙂

Nate Hoffelder July 23, 2016 um 1:11 pm

Yes, but you proposed an exclusive-or situation where one would jailbreak instead of the doing update. Your proposal would deprive people of useful features.

poiboy July 23, 2016 um 1:26 pm

actually i indicated to go beyond the upgrade. again, the jailbreak is clearly explained in the link i provided that you can open up the features on any kindle *as well as* use all the current features we all enjoy. personally i like more font choices. my proposal deprives nothing.. the exact opposite actually lol. it provides more features.


Mary July 23, 2016 um 8:14 am

The emails are driving me batty because they are for Kindles which were deregistered a long time ago, not showing in Manage your Content and Devices. No way to make them stop and I seriously doubt calling customer service would do anything.

Nate Hoffelder July 23, 2016 um 8:19 am

So this is an error?

I have gotten two emails for a single Kindle, which made me wonder whether Amazon was screwing up.


Diane July 23, 2016 um 8:50 am

I also got the message for two devices I no longer have. They were deregistered and set back to factory settings, and given away a long time ago. I also removed them from my devices along time ago. They are no longer listed.


Richard Hollick July 23, 2016 um 9:04 am

Yes. We got at least three of them. Because I had acted on the first email, the others made me wonder if I’d done the upgrade wrong. You’d think they could use their computing power to figure out exactly who still needed reminding.


DavidW July 23, 2016 um 9:33 am

I actually saw a negative review for a Kindle on the basis of the idiot was mad that he didn’t know that his Kindle Touch needed an update to continue working.

I’m thinking "give me a break!" Amazon used every method of communication excepting smoke signals.


Glinda Harrison July 23, 2016 um 12:11 pm

Nate, we got three of these emails on my husband’s account. One of the Kindles listed is actually registered on my account, so I thought this was some kind of glitch. All our Kindles were updated before the April deadline. I didn’t get any emails for the Kindles registered on my account, so this is definitely weird. I was waiting until Monday to call customer service….


James D Allen July 23, 2016 um 6:53 pm

I got a similar message about my First Generation Kindle needing an update. When I checked the Amazon website, though, it was showing that I had the latest software update. Since the letter sounded pretty much like the one I’d got back in March, which I had acted on, I had a chat with Kindle customer service and she confirmed that my software on this device was up to date. Sounds like a glitch somewhere.


Rebecca Allen July 24, 2016 um 11:17 am

I got three messages, one for my first kindle, which I still have and which I had already updated, and two for kindles long gone, deregistered, no longer on my account. *shrug* I’ll probably go double check the first kindle to make sure it is current, but I’m assuming there was some kind of glitch.


Gregory July 24, 2016 um 11:25 am

I keep waiting for my kindle (generation 2) to wirelessly update) but How do I know if it has really happened? It is still showing the previous software number and I have not gotten a message that it has updated. I leave the wireless on every night and the device plugged in. What am I doing wrong?

DavidW July 24, 2016 um 11:41 am

For peace of mind you might want to just download the firmware yourself and transfer it to the kindle.

But you can also just check the firmware version # and compare it with what it says on amazon’s site.


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