I broke my Kindle Paperwhite on goal to eliminate adverts, and it largely labored

Somebody simply discovered a brand-new gap in Amazon’s digital backyard wall. Final week, a Reddit person flagged a bug on their Kindle Colorsoft that broke the house display screen, successfully eliminating adverts and suggestions on their essential web page — all as a result of they added a easy emoji to their system’s title. Huzzah!

Earlier than, the one solution to eliminate adverts in your Kindle was both to pay for it, or jailbreak it. As my colleague breaks down in his article, this bug does precisely that — no sophisticated jailbreaks required. Nonetheless, like all good issues, there is a catch: it additionally renders the Kindle Retailer, Ship to Kindle, and registration options ineffective, so you may’t entry any new content material past what’s already downloaded.

Kindles are identified for being minimalist, single-use units that remove distractions. But, right here they’re including distractions of their very own. Whereas the drawbacks in all probability earned a collective groan from most Kindle house owners, I noticed it as a chance; I have already got my TBR (to be learn) checklist downloaded to my system, so why not ‘brick’ my Kindle (so to talk) for just a little reprieve from bombarding options throughout my dwelling display screen?

As a part of my quest to cut back each display screen time and distractions, I used this bug to interrupt my Kindle’s dwelling display screen — on goal.

How I broke my Kindle Paperwhite on goal

Usefulness could fluctuate

As somebody who’s sometimes content material with being walled into software program (so long as it really works for me), deliberately breaking my beloved system felt fairly rebellious. Whereas I did not take a hammer to the system itself — don’t be concerned, the picture above was only for enjoyable — I swung a software program sword proper at its coronary heart from Amazon’s web site. This is what I did:

1. Go to Amazon’s web site and ensure you’re logged in.
2. Go to Manage Your Devices.
3. Choose Kindle.
4. From the dropdown menu, choose the Kindle you need to break.
5. Click on Edit subsequent to your system’s title.
6. Change the title, and add an emoji — I added a four-leaf clover. Click on Save once you’re carried out.
7. Head to your Kindle and restart it by urgent and holding the facility button till it prompts you to restart.

After I restarted my Kindle, I used to be greeted by an uncannily clean dwelling display screen, identical to the bug promised. After a couple of seconds, the Welcome to Kindle web page populated with a immediate to register my Kindle. Nonetheless, that button does not work in any respect — in truth, after I tried, I used to be met with a loading display screen that by no means loaded, so I restarted my Kindle once more to get off that web page.

Pivoting away from the house display screen, I reentered the Library tab. There, I discovered all the things (and the one factor) I used to be in search of: my books. Even the articles and PDFs I beforehand sideloaded to my system had been there. My Kindle felt quieter than ever.

I hoped that the adverts on the lock display screen would disappear, too. Some customers skilled this, however I nonetheless obtained generic promotions from Amazon for comically common ideas like discovering ‘books that ‘learn nice on Kindle’ or ‘get to know award-winning books.’ I did chuckle at a few of the traces, however I want even the tree from the damaged ‘register your Kindle’ dwelling display screen web page was made the default lock display screen.

What is the large deal?

It received me considering…

It is not like there are adverts between chapters in my e-books, so what do adverts and suggestions matter on the house display screen? This was my thought course of, too. I really did not thoughts Amazon’s walled backyard and selected to only ignore the corporate’s suggestions, persist with my private TBR checklist, and go about my studying enterprise.

However now, after my little rebellious act, it has made me spiteful of the adverts I have been content material with for therefore lengthy. I am tempted to stray farther from the backyard in an try and eliminate adverts fully (each time the chance strikes), and even think about one other e-reader that does not bombard me with them.

Whereas the downsides are inconvenient, I plan on having fun with this bug for so long as it lasts. Nonetheless, it’ll in all probability be patched faster than I can end my present learn, not to mention that complete digital TBR pile.