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The word “jailbreak” might make you imagine typing elaborate strings of code and spending hours unzipping packages and moving files back and forth. That may be the case for some devices, but for an Amazon Kindle eReader, it’s shockingly easy.
I’ve thought about modifying my Kindle eReader for a long time. After all, I don’t use any of Amazon’s services on mine, so what do I have to lose? However, I assumed it would be a tedious process and never really looked into it. Then I was randomly recomendedthis video by Dammit Jeffand my eyes were opened. It’s so much easier than I expected.
Why Jailbreak a Kindle?
The obvious first question is, what will you accomplish by jailbreaking your Kindle? The process is easy, but there needs to be a reason to do it. For a certain kind of tech-savvy bookworm, it unlocks a world of possibilities.
One of the biggest draws for jailbreaking is installing third-party apps like KOReader. This is essentially what you might think of as a “launcher” for your Kindle. It offers a ton of customization options you won’t find on a stock Kindle, from tweaking fonts and margins to getting detailed reading statistics, and even syncing your progress across devices that aren’t Kindles. If you’ve ever felt limited by Amazon’s interface, KOReader is amazing.
Then there’s the aesthetic side. Jailbreaking lets you set your own custom screensavers, so every time you pick up your Kindle, you’re greeted by something personal, not an ad for a book you’ll never read. It’s even possible to go so far as to remove the lock screen ads entirely, giving you a truly ad-free experience without shelling out extra cash to Amazon.
Beyond reading, a jailbroken Kindle can become a surprising little multi-tool. Developers have cooked up all sorts of “homebrew” applications, from simple things like calculators to more complex tools that let you run Python scripts. Suppose you’re someone who likes to keep their digital library organized outside of Amazon’s ecosystem. In that case, jailbreaking allows for much better integration with tools like Calibre, giving you more control over your collections and how you manage your books.
How to Jailbreak a Kindle eReader
Thanks to a tool called WinterBreak, it’s possible to jailbreak just about any Kindle eReader model. This article will provide a brief overview of the jailbreaking process to show how simple it is. Since these things are subject to change, I encourage you to follow the step-by-step guide from theKindle Modding Wiki, which will have all the up-to-date information and files.
The process starts by downloading the latest WinterBreak release on your computer. Once you have that, you’ll need to put your Kindle in Airplane Mode, reboot it, and connect it to your computer with a USB cable.
Next, on your computer, you’ll extract the WinterBreak file and copy the files over to your Kindle. Then the Kindle can be ejected from your computer, and you’ll open the Kindle Store and turn off Airplane Mode when prompted. This will present you with a page titled “Mesquito,” and you’ll tap the WinterBreak icon to start the jailbreak.
After about 30 seconds, the jailbreak will be complete. It’s really that simple. However, we need to ensure the jailbreak persists after updating. You should see text that says “Now you are ready to install the hotfix” or “Install hotfix now.” When you do, turn Airplane Mode back on.
The next part of the process starts with downloading the hotfix file. Once again, you’ll need to connect your Kindle to your computer and copy the hotfix file over to it. Then you can eject the Kindle, open Settings, tap the three-dot menu, and select “Update your Kindle.” Confirm on the following prompt.
We can now run the hotfix and install a couple of tools. After the hotfix is installed, you can run it from the “Library” tab. It will look like a book titled “Run Hotfix.” Once that’s finished, you’ll install files for “KUAL” (Kindle Unified Application Launcher) and “MRPI (MobileRead Package Installer).” This is the point where you’ll need to make sure to download the correct files for your specific Kindle model.
With the files downloaded on your computer, first extract the contents of MRPI and copy the “extensions” and “mrpackages” folders to your Kindle. Extract the contents of KUAL and copy the install.bin file the “mrpackages” folder on your Kindle. Now you can eject and unplug your Kindle.
We’re in the home stretch now. On your Kindle, type the text below in the search bar and hit Enter.
KUAL will be installed, and the Kindle screen will turn white during the process. This can take a few minutes, and you may think it’s done before it really is. Once you’re returned to your Library and you see a book titled “KUAL,” you’ll know the process is complete.
The very last thing to do is disable automatic updates. Kindles will update when connected to Wi-Fi, so we need to make sure that’s disabled to ensure everything runs smoothly. You’ll need to find your Kindle’s firmware version and thenfollow the last few steps to disable OTA updates.
Install KOReader
Your Kindle is now jailbroken, and automatic updates have been disabled. At this point, you can use your Kindle like normal, but that defeats the purpose of all the work we just did. I highly recommend installing the aforementioned KOReader “app.” It replaces the stock Kindle home screen and has tons of awesome customization options.
Head on over to the “Installing KOReader” section and follow the steps to download the correct version for your Kindle model and firmware. You’ll then connect your Kindle to your computer again, extract the downloaded file, and copy the “extensions” and “koreader” folders to the root directory of your Kindle. Confirm that you want to replace existing files.
To launch KOReader, open “KUAL” from the Kindle library, then select “KOReader” from the menu, and tap “Start KOReader.” You’ll get a brief tutorial, and then you’re all set to go wild customizing!
The first thing I did with KOReader was enable dark mode (doesn’t show up in screenshots). Amazon arbitrarily limits this feature to newer Kindle models, which is very annoying since there’s no technical reason for it. But that is just a minuscule taste of what you may do with KOReader. I recommend checking out theofficial KOReader websitefor more inspiration.
Overall, I was very happy to learn how easy it can be to jailbreak a Kindle. This entire process probably only took 10-15 minutes, and now I have much more control over my Kindle experience. Give it a try!
