This article may include affiliate links.
If you’re growing weary of the advertisements or default imagery that appears on your Kindle’s sleep screen, you’re not alone. For avid readers, this can be quite frustrating. In this article, we will guide you on how to change your Kindle’s sleep screen and how to customize it for a more personal touch.
Removing Special Offers from Kindle
Kindles that come with Special Offers, also known as lockscreen ads, are typically less expensive by about $20 compared to their ad-free counterparts. These devices display a series of advertisements when they go to sleep, which can be annoying. If you want to customize your screensaver, your first step will be to remove these offers, though this will incur a fee. If your Kindle doesn’t have ads, you can skip this part. Here’s how to do it:
1. On a computer, visit the Amazon website, log into your account, and click on the menu icon on the left side.
- Under the “Digital Content & Devices” section, select “Kindle E-readers & Books.”
- Next, click on “Manage Content and Devices” found under “Apps & Resources.”
- On the next page, select “Devices” at the top. If you have multiple Kindles, check the box for the Kindle you want to modify.
- At the bottom, in the Special Offers section, you’ll see an option to remove ads for $20—which is necessary since the initial discount was provided in exchange for showing advertisements.
2. On a mobile device, open the Amazon app.
- Tap the “Alexa for Shopping” tab located at the bottom right of the screen.
- Search for “I want to end Special Offers on my Kindle.” Alexa will guide you to the Manage Devices page.
- Select your Kindle and choose the option to end Special Offers for $20.
NOTE: If you own a US version of Kindle outside the US, you may encounter difficulties removing ads. Amazon might require a US address and billing information to proceed with the removal. You could attempt to contact customer service for assistance, but success is not guaranteed.
Using Book Covers as Screensavers
After removing lockscreen ads, or if you never had them, your Kindle will display a selection of images provided by Amazon as screensavers. Recent Kindle models allow you to use the book cover of your currently open book as the screensaver. Here’s how to enable this feature:
- Tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner of your Kindle.
- Select “Device Options.” Look for “Display Cover” and switch it to On.
- On newer models, you’ll find the “Show covers on lock screen” option in the “Screen and brightness” menu. Toggle this on as well.
NOTE: The ability to display book covers as screensavers is exclusive to specific Kindle models.
Using Custom Images for Screensavers
Currently, there’s no way to set a custom image permanently as your Kindle’s screensaver without jailbreaking your device. However, there’s a workaround: replace the cover of a book with your desired image and open it before putting your Kindle to sleep. Before you proceed, make sure to activate the book cover display as mentioned earlier.
- Create custom wallpaper using design software like Canva, ensuring it fits your screen size (the Kindle Paperwhite features a 7-by-5-inch display). Resizing to 2,560 x 1,600 pixels may suit most models.
- Once you’ve designed your custom image, download it in PNG format.
- Utilize software like Calibre to convert files into EPUB format. Choose your custom image as the cover during the conversion process.
- Alternatively, you can find an online service to change the cover of your EPUB file by uploading it and selecting your PNG image as the new cover.
- Finally, use “Send-to-Kindle” to transfer the modified file to your device.
NOTE: To see your custom cover on the lockscreen, you must always open the book with the custom cover before putting your Kindle to sleep. Although this method isn’t the simplest, it effectively personalizes your device.
