To factory reset your Kindle, open Settings or All Settings, choose Device Options or Menu, select Factory Reset or Reset Device on older devices, then confirm when prompted. This erases your downloaded content and unsynced data and removes the device from your Amazon account. Back up anything you need before confirming.
The short version
- Use Factory Reset before selling or giving away your Kindle.
- For a frozen screen or slow performance, try Restart first to keep your books.
- Sync and save personal documents before erasing the device.
- The parental-controls recovery code also erases the Kindle.
- Website deregistration removes the account association; use a factory reset to erase content and settings.
| Method | What it does | Time to initiate | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory reset | Erases content and settings | About two minutes to start | Selling or gifting |
| Restart | Reboots without erasing books | About a minute to start | The screen responds |
| Forced restart | Reboots an unresponsive Kindle | 40 seconds to hold | The screen is frozen |
| Parental-password recovery | Resets and erases the device | About a minute to enter | You forgot the parental password |
| Website deregistration | Removes the account association | About two minutes to submit | You need to unlink the Kindle |
Times are approximate estimates for starting each action, except the documented 40-second button hold. They do not include the time needed for the Kindle to finish restarting or resetting.
Protect your content before erasing
A factory reset removes personal data, downloaded content and anything that has not been synced. Save copies of personal documents you want to keep, especially files transferred from a computer by USB. Those USB files are not stored in the Cloud, so syncing is not a substitute for keeping the originals.
Connect your Kindle to the internet, then open Quick Actions or Menu from Home. Select Sync or Sync and Check for Items. Wait for sync to finish before erasing anything; if the Kindle will not get online, follow the steps for a Kindle not connecting to Wi-Fi first. On a Scribe, notebook backup also needs an internet connection and Sync turned on.
Before resetting or deregistering an older Kindle, identify the model and ask Kindle Customer Service whether you can register it again. Wait for confirmation before doing either, rather than assuming that an older device can complete registration after being erased or unlinked.
On supported models, open All Settings, then Device Options and Device Info to see its name and generation. If you cannot find that screen, use the model illustrations available through Kindle device support.
Factory reset your Kindle through settings
From Home, swipe down to open Quick Actions, or select Menu. Choose Settings or All Settings, then open Device Options. If that route does not match your interface, look for the reset control in Menu instead.
Select Factory Reset and choose Yes when prompted. On older devices, the reset label can be Reset Device; select it again if required. The completed reset deregisters the Kindle, so you will need to register it again if you plan to keep using it.
On first-generation Colorsoft and the Scribe 2024 release, the settings menu also documents Reset to factory default. Open the menu on the settings page to find that alternative. For troubleshooting on these models, seek Kindle Customer Service's advice before choosing either reset option; their manuals reserve this action for support-directed use.
Restart your Kindle without erasing books
When the screen still responds, press and hold the Power button, then select Restart in the dialog. Wait for the Kindle to restart before checking the problem again. Restarting keeps your books, clippings and other stored files. If a restart does not clear the problem, the fixes for a Kindle that is not working cover the other causes.
On first-generation Colorsoft and the Scribe 2024 release, you can also open All Settings, then Device Options and Restart. Their settings menus offer Restart as another route. Choose this reboot option first when you are troubleshooting and want to preserve the device's content.
Force a restart when the screen freezes
For an unresponsive screen, press and hold the Power button for a full 40 seconds. Keep holding if a power dialog appears or the screen goes blank, then release the button. After a few seconds, the charge indicator comes back on and the Kindle reboots.
The Scribe 2024 manual also documents a model-specific route: hold Power for 9 seconds and select Restart if the dialog appears. If it does not, hold for 15 seconds; release after the light turns amber and blinks four times. Use the general 40-second procedure above if you are following the Kindle support instructions.
Recover access when a password blocks the reset
For a forgotten parental-controls password on a sixth-generation or newer Kindle, tap the parental-controls passcode field. Enter 111222777, then tap OK. This performs a reset that removes personal information, downloaded content, the lock-screen passcode and parental-control settings.
Use that code for the parental-controls recovery procedure. For a forgotten device PIN on first-generation Colorsoft or the Scribe 2024 release, contact Kindle Customer Service. If settings are accessible, open All Settings, choose Help, then Contact us.
On Colorsoft, an active Amazon Kids profile or enabled parental restrictions disables the reset and deregistration controls. To leave Amazon Kids, open Menu, choose Exit Amazon Kids, and enter the parental-controls password. Disable any remaining parental restrictions before retrying. If the parental password is the obstacle, use the recovery procedure above with the same awareness that it erases content.
Remove your account through Amazon's website
Sign in with the Amazon account registered to the Kindle, then open Devices in Manage Your Content and Devices. Choose the Kindle you want to unlink and select Deregister. Amazon's device deregistration help page includes the link to your device list.
Deregistration removes the device from your account and disconnects its access to Amazon content and services. Treat it as an account action, rather than a replacement for erasing the Kindle. Before selling or gifting the device, use the on-device factory reset to remove its content and user settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I deregister my account directly on the Kindle?
Yes. From Home, open Quick Actions or Menu, then choose Settings or All Settings. Open Your Account or My Account and select Deregister or Deregister Device. Select Deregister again if prompted.
Do Kindle Kids editions use different reset controls?
Use the Kindle e-reader reset procedure for the underlying model. On Colorsoft, an active Amazon Kids profile disables reset, so return to the parent's controls first. A disabled reset button can therefore be a parental restriction rather than a device fault.
Can I reset my Kindle by clearing the Kindle app's data?
No. The reading app and your separate Kindle e-reader are different targets for account management. To erase the e-reader, use its own settings and confirm the factory reset on that device.
Can I use these steps on a Kindle Fire?
No. Fire tablets need their own factory reset instructions. Use Amazon's Fire tablet help for that device, and keep its volume-button recovery procedure separate from the Kindle e-reader's power-button restart.
Will a factory reset delete my purchased books?
It removes the downloaded copies from the Kindle. Items available in your Amazon Cloud library can be downloaded again after registration, but personal files transferred by USB need their own backup. Sync important material before you reset, and keep copies of documents outside the device.
Should I reset a Kindle that only freezes occasionally?
Try a restart first, because it preserves your stored files and is intended for intermittent problems such as freezing or slow performance. If the screen will not respond, use the 40-second power-button procedure before considering an erase.