Amazon has issued a critical software update for select Kindle e-readers that must be installed by March 22, 2016, in order for the device to retain its connection to the Internet.
The full list of affected Kindle e-readers is listed below:
- Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
- Kindle 2nd Generation (2009)
- Kindle DX 2nd Generation (2009)
- Kindle Keyboard 3rd Generation (2010)
- Kindle 4th Generation (2011)
- Kindle Touch 4th Generation (2011)
- Kindle 5th Generation (2012)
- Kindle Paperwhite 5th Generation (2012)
For newer devices including the Kindle Paperwhite 6th Generation (2013), Kindle Voyage 7th Generation (2014) and Kindle Paperwhite 7th Generation (2015), no update is needed.
Those that fail to update by tomorrow will receive the following message when attempting to download Kindle books from the cloud, access the Kindle Store or use other Kindle services:
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.
Amazon notes that devices that are asleep and connected to Wi-Fi should download and install the update automatically. This, of course, is assuming the e-reader isn't tucked away in a closet or drawer / still has some juice left in the battery.
Should your device not automatically grab and install the update and / or you forget to grab it by March 22, you're not entirely out of luck. At that point, you'd need to manually download the update on a computer and transfer it to your Kindle via USB cable. More information on the procedure can be found on this Amazon help page.