I broke my Kindle Paperwhite on function to eliminate adverts, and it principally labored

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

Earlier than, the one strategy 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 difficult 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’ll be able to’t entry any new content material past what’s already downloaded.

Kindles are recognized for being minimalist, single-use gadgets 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 homeowners, I noticed it as a possibility; I have already got my TBR (to be learn) listing downloaded to my machine, so why not ‘brick’ my Kindle (so to talk) for just a little reprieve from bombarding strategies throughout my residence 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 residence display screen — on function.

How I broke my Kindle Paperwhite on function

Usefulness might range

As somebody who’s usually content material with being walled into software program (so long as it really works for me), deliberately breaking my beloved machine felt fairly rebellious. Whereas I did not take a hammer to the machine 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 be sure to’re logged in.
2. Go to Manage Your Devices.
3. Choose Kindle.
4. From the dropdown menu, choose the Kindle you wish to break.
5. Click on Edit subsequent to your machine’s title.
6. Change the title, and add an emoji — I added a four-leaf clover. Click on Save while 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 residence display screen, identical to the bug promised. After just a few seconds, the Welcome to Kindle web page populated with a immediate to register my Kindle. Nonetheless, that button would not work in any respect — the truth is, once 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 every part (and the one factor) I used to be on the lookout for: my books. Even the articles and PDFs I beforehand sideloaded to my machine 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 acquired 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 strains, however I want even the tree from the damaged ‘register your Kindle’ residence display screen web page was made the default lock display screen.

What is the massive deal?

It obtained me pondering…

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 once my thought course of, too. I really did not thoughts Amazon’s walled backyard and selected to simply ignore the corporate’s suggestions, follow my private TBR listing, 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 to eliminate adverts totally (every time the chance strikes), and even take into account 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 entire digital TBR pile.