How to add EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files to your Kindle - follow my easy step-by-step
Amazon is cutting off all Kindle devices released before 2013 from its ecosystem on May 20, 2026.
ZDNET Senior Contributing Editor David Gewirtz has published a comprehensive guide detailing how to transfer EPUB, MOBI, and PDF ebook files to Kindle devices. This tutorial is especially timely and critical for owners of Kindle hardware released before 2013, as Amazon has announced it will completely sever these devices from the Kindle ecosystem on May 20, 2026. After this date, users of first-generation Kindles, Kindle DX, and other early models will be unable to purchase, borrow, or download new content directly from Amazon's store.
The guide addresses a significant pain point created by Amazon's previous policy changes, which removed the ability for users to download Kindle files to their computers for local management. Gewirtz's step-by-step instructions cover both USB cable transfer and Amazon's cloud-based 'Send to Kindle' service, providing workarounds to sideload non-DRM protected content. He emphasizes a crucial warning: users should not unregister their old Kindles, as many previously purchased Kindle books have DRM protection that ties them to both the specific device and the Amazon account, making them unusable if the device is deregistered.
- Amazon ends support for all pre-2013 Kindle devices on May 20, 2026, blocking access to the Kindle Store.
- ZDNET's guide provides USB and cloud transfer methods to sideload EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files as a workaround.
- A critical warning advises users not to unregister old devices, as DRM-locked Kindle books become unusable if deregistered.
Why It Matters
Preserves functionality for millions of older Kindle devices, allowing continued use with sideloaded content after official support ends.