Your Kindle should connect to Wi-Fi without much fuss, but Airplane Mode, a stale saved password, weak signal, router trouble, or an unsupported network setting can stop it cold.
Start with the Kindle's own wireless controls before changing router settings. If those do not solve it, move through the network, hotspot, saved-password, and software fixes below in order.
Check Airplane Mode and reconnect to Wi-Fi
Airplane Mode cuts off wireless connections, so clear that first before changing passwords or router settings.
From the Kindle home screen, swipe down to open Quick Actions, or select the Settings icon on models that show it there. Select the Airplane Mode icon or option to turn it off.
Open Quick Actions or Menu, then go to All Settings or Settings. Choose Wi-Fi & Bluetooth or Wireless, then select Wi-Fi Networks.
Pick your network from the list, enter the Wi-Fi password, and wait for the Kindle to connect. If the network name is missing, check the hidden-network, range, and router settings below.
Enter the right network password again
This fixes failed connections caused by a mistyped password, the wrong network name, or a router password that changed after the Kindle saved the old one.
Open Quick Actions from the home screen, or select Menu on older Kindle software. Select All Settings or Settings. Open Wi-Fi & Bluetooth or Wireless.
Select Wi-Fi Networks. Choose the correct Wi-Fi network name. Enter the Wi-Fi password carefully.
Confirm the password on another device
On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings. Tap Wi-Fi. Select the current network.
Tap Info. Tap Password. Unlock with your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID to view it.
On Android, select and hold the Wi-Fi icon in the notification panel. Choose the connected network and select Settings. Under the network details, use Password to reveal the current Wi-Fi password. Labels and paths vary by Android version and manufacturer, so if no Password option is shown, follow your device maker’s Wi-Fi password instructions.
On a Mac, open Apple Menu. Open System Settings. Go to Network, then Wi-Fi, then Advanced. Select More next to the network name.
Use Copy Password. On Windows, open Network and Sharing Center or Network settings. Open the Wi-Fi network details. Check Wireless Properties or Security.
Enable Show characters or the Security key checkbox. After copying the password, type it into the Kindle exactly as shown, including capital letters and symbols.
Fix router band and security problems
Kindle e-readers do not support 6 GHz Wi-Fi, so a 6 GHz-only network will not work. Connect the Kindle to a 2.4 GHz or supported 5 GHz network instead.
For Kindle devices released before 2021, use 2.4 GHz and avoid WPA3-only security. Those older models do not support 5 GHz or WPA3 encryption.
If your Kindle model supports 5 GHz, use that band to reduce interference. On mesh or extender networks, set the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and extender or mesh network to the same network name, security type, and password, then reconnect the Kindle.
If this method fails, restart the modem and router next because the network itself may be stuck even when the settings look right.
Restart the Kindle and your network gear
This fixes temporary Kindle software glitches and router problems that can block a connection even when the password and Wi-Fi settings are correct.
Press and hold the Kindle power button until a power dialog box appears or the screen goes blank. Keep holding the power button for 40 seconds. Release the power button. Try connecting to Wi-Fi again from Wi-Fi Networks.
If the Kindle still will not connect, unplug the power adapter from your modem and router for several minutes. Reconnect power to the modem first. Wait until the modem connects to your internet service.
Plug in the router after the modem is back online. Restart other connected devices once the modem and router have fully restarted.
Improve the signal and reduce congestion
Weak signal and local interference can make a Kindle look like it has the wrong password when the real problem is connection quality. Use this method when the Kindle sees the network but will not stay connected, or when the Wi-Fi bars are weak.
Move the Kindle closer to the wireless router and try joining the network again. Keep the Kindle away from microwaves, baby monitors, and other high-bandwidth Wi-Fi devices. If several devices are using the same Wi-Fi network, temporarily turn some of them off. Try connecting the Kindle again while the network is less crowded.
Use the right approach for hidden networks and public hotspots
For a hidden home network, open the Kindle Wi-Fi scan list from Quick Actions or Menu. Go to All Settings or Settings. Open Wi-Fi & Bluetooth or Wireless.
Select Wi-Fi Networks. Choose Other... in the Wi-Fi scan list. Enter the hidden network details.
For a hotel, cafe, airport, school, library, or similar hotspot, connect to the hotspot first. If the sign-in page does not open on its own, open any simple website in the Kindle browser. Wait for the welcome page to appear.
Complete the hotspot sign-in. Return to the Kindle task that needs internet access.
Use a phone personal hotspot to tell whether the trouble is with the Kindle or with your home router or ISP.
Clear saved Wi-Fi passwords
This fixes stale saved credentials, especially after a router password change or when Amazon saved Wi-Fi passwords keep filling in the wrong details.
On the Kindle home screen, tap the Settings icon. Tap All Settings. Open Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Tap Delete Saved Wi-Fi Passwords. Tap Delete to confirm.
In a web browser, go to Manage Your Content and Devices. Open Preferences. Under Saved Wi-Fi Passwords, click Delete.
Update software or reset only after the basics
When Wi-Fi still fails after the network fixes, check the Kindle E-Reader Software Updates page. Identify your Kindle model, then compare the installed software version with the latest version listed for that model.
If the update does not download over Wi-Fi, use a computer to download the Kindle software update file for your exact model from the Kindle E-Reader Software Updates page. Turn on the Kindle, connect it to the computer with the included charging cable, and drag the downloaded update file onto the Kindle drive.
Eject the Kindle, disconnect the cable, open Menu, then Settings, then Menu again, and choose Update Your Kindle followed by OK. On Kindle Scribe, use the on-screen Disconnect option; Mac computers with OSX 10.7 or above need additional software to transfer content to a Kindle Scribe.
Important: Do not factory-reset or deregister a Kindle e-reader released in 2012 or earlier. Amazon ended Amazon Services support for those models on May 20, 2026, and once one of them is reset or deregistered you cannot register it again or use it in any way. The affected models are Kindle (1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th Generation), Kindle DX, Kindle DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation), Kindle Touch, and Kindle Paperwhite (5th Generation).
Use Factory Reset only as a last resort because it removes personal data, downloaded content, and unsynced content, and it deregisters the device. From the home screen, open Quick Actions or Menu, choose Settings or All Settings, go to Device Options or Menu, select Factory Reset, then confirm with Yes; older devices may ask you to select Reset Device again.
Do not use 2G or 3G Whispernet as a Wi-Fi workaround. Some prior-generation Kindle e-readers can no longer connect to the internet through 2G or 3G cellular networks. On Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation), Kindle Touch, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage, and Kindle Oasis (8th Generation), use Wi-Fi instead. Kindle (1st and 2nd Generation) and Kindle DX (2nd Generation) have no Wi-Fi hardware, so they cannot reach the internet at all.
Wi-Fi will not restore Amazon Services on any Kindle e-reader released in 2012 or earlier. Amazon ended support for those models on May 20, 2026, so they can no longer buy, borrow, download, or register even over a working Wi-Fi connection. You can keep reading already-downloaded books as long as you stay signed in and do not reset or deregister the device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Kindle see Wi-Fi but fail to connect?
Airplane Mode, an incorrect or stale saved password, weak signal, router trouble, unsupported 6 GHz Wi-Fi, WPA3-only security on older Kindles, or an unfinished public hotspot sign-in can all block the connection.
Can an older Kindle connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
Kindle devices released before 2021 do not support 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Use a 2.4 GHz network for those models.
What should I do if my Kindle cannot find a hidden Wi-Fi network?
Open the Kindle Wi-Fi network list, choose Other..., and enter the hidden network details manually.
Is a factory reset the right fix for Kindle Wi-Fi problems?
Use it only after the simpler fixes fail. A factory reset removes personal data, downloaded content, and unsynced content, and it deregisters the Kindle.