Kindle Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi [Quick Ways to Fix]

You want to add a new book to your Kindle library. So, you’ve been trying to connect your Kindle device to Wi-Fi. But no matter how often you try, the device fails to connect.

Does this sound like you? Then, you are at the right place.

If your Kindle won’t connect to Wi-Fi, you can fix the device by rebooting and disabling airplane mode. Other ways to resolve Wi-Fi connection issues are shifting the Kindle closer to your router and changing your Wi-Fi band.

If the device still fails to connect to Wi-Fi after you’ve tried these tips, keep reading.

Table of Contents

How to Fix Kindle Not Connecting to Wi-Fi

Reboot Your Kindle Reader

One of the most common reasons your Kindle may fail to connect to Wi-Fi is a functional error on the device. This error usually causes the Kindle reader to misbehave. For instance, the device could fail to recognize a book stored on its system, or in this case, fail to connect to Wi-Fi.

Luckily, you can remove the functional error on your Kindle by rebooting the device.

Follow these steps to restart your Kindle:

Search for the Power button at the bottom of your Kindle reader.
Press and hold the button until the Restart button appears on the screen.
Finally, tap the Restart button to reboot the device.
Your Kindle reader will go off and turn back on.

When the device comes back on, try connecting it to Wi-Fi again. If it fails to connect, move on to the next step.

Turn Off Airplane Mode on the Device

If your Kindle reader isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, you may have accidentally turned on Airplane Mode on the device. This will prevent the device from identifying or connecting to Wi-Fi signals around you.

Check the top right corner of your screen for an airplane icon. If you see the icon on your screen, your Kindle reader is on Airplane Mode. As such, you’ll need to disable the feature on the device.

Here’s how to turn off airplane mode on a Kindle reader:

Click on the 3-dot icon on the right side of the screen.
Select Settings.
Choose Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
You’ll see the Airplane Mode tab at the top of the screen.
The button on the tab should be toggled to the On position.
Press the button to disable Airplane Mode.

If your Kindle doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi after this, try the next tip.

Move Your Kindle Closer to Your Router

Wi-Fi routers work best with devices in close proximity. So, if your Kindle is too far away from your router, it might fail to connect to Wi-Fi.

Your Kindle must be within 30 feet of your router to connect to Wi-Fi. If your Kindle is farther than 30 feet from your router, you’ll need to move closer to the router.

Once you’ve closed the gap, your Kindle should connect to the internet. However, if the device doesn’t connect, continue to the next tip.

Move Your Kindle Reader Away from Other Electronic Devices

Your Kindle reader has low bandwidth. This means that it takes longer to connect to Wi-Fi than other electronic devices.

So, when your router transmits Wi-Fi signals to your Kindle reader, other devices around your house can hijack the signal before it reaches your Kindle. This process is called signal interference, and it’s more effective if the devices near the Kindle have high bandwidth.

If you want your Kindle reader to connect to Wi-Fi successfully, you’ll need to move the high-bandwidth devices away from the Kindle. Possible electronic devices that can cause signal interference are baby monitors, phones and microwaves.

If your Kindle reader remains offline after this, check out the next tip.

Switch to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Band

Amazon Kindle Devices don’t connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. Likewise, only a few readers work with 5GHz Wi-Fi networks. The only Wi-Fi band that is compatible with all Kindle readers is the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band.

So, it’s best to stick to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks when trying to connect your Kindle reader to Wi-Fi.

If your Kindle isn’t connecting to your Wi-Fi network, it’s probably because the network is on an incompatible Wi-Fi band. As such, you’ll need to switch to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network.

Consult your router’s manual to discover how to switch to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Band.

Disconnect Some Devices from Your Wi-Fi Network

Your Wi-Fi network can only connect to a limited number of devices at a time. So, if the network is already overloaded when you’re trying to connect your Kindle, the device won’t connect.

To fix this problem, you’ll need to disconnect some devices from your Wi-Fi network. Search for any device you aren’t using currently and disconnect it from your Wi-Fi network. Then, try pairing your Kindle reader with the Wi-Fi network again.

If the Kindle device fails to connect, move to the next tip.

Update Your E-Reader Software

When your e-reader software is outdated, the performance and security of your Kindle device deteriorate. As a result, the device will be unable to carry out its usual functions, such as opening a book, or connecting to Wi-Fi.

Updating your E-reader software should resolve this issue.

Follow these steps to update your E-reader software on your Kindle device:

Open the browser on your computer.
Enter E-reader software updates in the search bar.
The Amazon website for the software update will appear at the top of your search results.
Click on the link to go to the website.
Download the appropriate software update for your Kindle device.
Make sure your Kindle is turned on.
Using a USB cable, connect your Kindle to the computer.
Wait until the Kindle device appears on the computer screen.
Then, move the E-reader software update file from the Downloads folder on your computer to your Kindle reader.
Once you’ve successfully transferred the file to your Kindle reader, disconnect it from your computer.
Now, press the 3-dot icon on your Kindle homepage.
Select Settings.
Next, tap on the 3-dot icon again.
This time, choose Update Your Kindle.
Now, click on Ok to start the update.
You’ll get a message telling you that Your Kindle is Updating.

Your Kindle will restart when the update is complete.

After your Kindle reader has completed the update, try connecting it to Wi-Fi.

If the device doesn’t connect, go to the next tip.

Connect Your Kindle to Your Wi-Fi Network Manually

Your Kindle reader should connect to Wi-Fi once you turn on your Wi-Fi settings.

But sometimes, signal problems can prevent the device from connecting automatically to Wi-Fi networks.

If your Kindle reader doesn’t connect automatically to Wi-Fi after you’ve tried all the previous steps, you should consider connecting the device manually.

The guide below will show you how to connect your Kindle device to a Wi-Fi network manually:

Click on the Menu option at the top of the screen of your Kindle reader.
Select Settings or All Settings.
Choose Wi-Fi & Bluetooth or Wireless.
Then, tap Wi-Fi Networks.
Your device will detect the Wi-Fi networks around you and display them on the screen.
Click on your Wi-Fi network to connect your Kindle reader to it.

Has the reader connected to Wi-Fi now? If not, check out the next tip.

Check that Your Wi-Fi Network is Working Properly

Another reason why your Kindle may fail to connect to Wi-Fi is because your Wi-Fi network is problematic.

The only way to check if your Wi-Fi network is working properly is to connect other devices to the network. If other devices don’t connect to the network, the network is most likely faulty.

In that case, you’ll have to contact your service provider to fix your Wi-Fi network.

Connect Your Kindle to Your Phone’s Hotspot

If your Wi-Fi network is faulty, you won’t be able to use it to connect your Kindle reader to the internet. So, you’ll have to find an alternative.

While you wait for your service provider to fix your Wi-Fi network, you can connect your Kindle using your phone’s hotspot.

Here’s how to do that:

Drag down your phone’s screen.
Search for the hotspot icon.
Click on the icon to turn it on.
Then, press the 3-dot icon on your Kindle reader.
Choose Settings and select Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Then, click on Wi-Fi networks.
You should see your phone’s hotspot name on the network list.
Click on the hotspot to connect your Kindle device to it.

Your Kindle reader should connect now.

Factory Reset Your Kindle Reader

If none of the tips above fixes the Wi-Fi connection issue on your Kindle device, chances are the device is problematic.

A factory reset will remove all functional issues in the device.

Take these steps to factory reset your Amazon Kindle reader:

Click on the Menu option on the home screen.
Choose Settings.
Select Device Options.
Next, tap Reset.
If you are using an older device, you may need to press Reset Device
The device will ask you to confirm that you want a factory reset.
Tap Yes to confirm the reset.

After the factory reset, your Kindle device will be deleted from your Amazon account. You’ll have to register the device again on the account to use it.

Your Kindle device should connect to Wi-Fi after you’ve re-added it to your Amazon account.

Related: Does Kindle Track Reading Time?

Wrapping Up

If you follow all the guidelines in this article correctly, you’ll be able to connect your device to Wi-Fi easily.

If your Kindle device doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi after you’ve applied all these tips, contact the Help or Customer Service center at Amazon.