Kindle Won’t Connect to Store: How to Fix [2023]

I have been getting the following error when trying to connect to the Kindle Store:

Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time. Please make sure you are within wireless range and try again. If the problem persists, please restart your Kindle from the Menu in Settings and try again.

If your Kindle won't connect to the store, check the status of your network, update your Kindle, and try adjusting the settings, such as payment, date, time, and privacy settings. If the issue persists, factory reset your Kindle.

This article will explore each of these troubleshooting steps that can fix a Kindle that won't connect to the store.

Check the Network Status of Your Kindle

One of the first things you should check is the network status of your kindle. 

The Wi-Fi indicator is visible on the upper right corner of the Kindle screen irrespective of the page you are on, be it while you are on a page reading, on the homepage, or on the settings screen.

Make sure that the kindle is not in Airplane mode or disconnected from your Wi-Fi network. 

To check this, From the Home screen, navigating through Menu> All Settings> Wi-Fi Networks/Wireless will show you the network your kindle is currently connected to as well as other available networks along with their signal strength.

An additional note to remember is that the number of white bands (maximum of 3) on the Wi-Fi symbol is indicative of the strength of the Wi-Fi signal.

For your connection to be proper, you need to have good Wi-Fi signal strength and a good network connection.

Here's a video walkthrough from us that can help you solve the "kindle won't connect to store" issue,

Update Your Kindle

A popular reason for failing to connect to the store is that your kindle might not have been updated to the latest available version.

Also, keeping your Kindle up to date can help you resolve issues with the store like Kindle Store being unavailable at the moment issue.

Kindle updates are generally automatic, but it is worthwhile to make sure that your device is running the latest software.

To ensure that your device is up to date, follow these steps:

As before, from the Home screen, navigate to Menu> All Settings> Advanced options> Update Your Kindle.

A pop-up will show up notifying you that you are about to update your Kindle. Tap ‘OK” to continue with the update.

This will launch the updated software if your device has not yet been updated.

Once your update has been completed, your kindle will restart automatically launching the latest software.

In the event that your device is already up to date, the option “Update Your Kindle” will appear greyed out and unclickable. 

Add, Change, or Remove Payment Setting

If you are having trouble with purchasing eBooks from the store, it might not be a problem with your network, updates, or other settings.

It might be due to your payment method being outdated. 

When you register your Kindle with your Amazon account, the payment methods you have added on Amazon apply to your kindle as well.

Therefore, changing your payment method on Amazon will reflect in the orders you place on the kindle store. 

Alternatively, you can browse ‘Manage your Kindle Unlimited Membership’ to find the Amazon page which manages your Kindle subscription.

Upon logging into Amazon, navigate to ‘Edit Payment Settings’ under ‘Manage Membership’, then you can add or remove a card or select a different card to process your transactions.

Set Correct Date and Time Settings

To set your desired Time zone, navigate to settings> Device options> Date and Time> Tap on ‘Select Time zone’> Now you can choose the desired region and time zone to edit the date and time.

Checking Privacy Settings

Almost all Kindles are set to share data with Amazon unless explicitly set not to.

With the new Kindles set up with the feature to browse the internet, it makes sense to ensure that our surfing data is not made available to another party.

Here is how you enable the privacy setting:

From the Home screen go to settings> All settings> Device Settings> Advanced Settings> Tap on Privacy. 

Factory Reset and Restart the Kindle

A factory reset will restore the original settings on a Kindle as designed by the manufacturer.

It will remove all downloaded content, saved personal data, parental controls, passwords, amazon account settings, and other personalized settings you have saved on your Kindle.

So be prepared to configure your Kindle from scratch once you have decided to factory reset your kindle. 

In performing a factory reset, you could also tackle issues like the Kindle being slow.

How to perform a factory reset on Kindle?

From the Home screen, select ‘Menu’ and navigate to ‘Settings’ or ‘All Settings’. Then go to ‘Device Options’ and choose ‘Reset’.

A pop-up will show on the screen asking you to confirm your decision to reset your Kindle, select ‘Yes’ to confirm.

When should I restart my Kindle?

You can opt to restart your Kindle in the event that your device is unresponsive to your prods, or your screen is frozen.

To restart your Kindle, press and hold the power button for approximately 40 seconds and then release it.

During these 40 seconds, a prompt will pop up on the screen or the screen becomes blank followed by the lighting up of the charge indicator light which is a signal that your device is rebooting. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

My Kindle is old, can I still access the store?

Unfortunately, Amazon is stopping access to its eBook store from August 2022 for all Kindle versions 5th Gen and older. If you have one of these devices, you might not be able to access the store.

Will Amazon stopping store access to old kindles make my Kindle useless?

Amazon only restricts store access to old Kindles. This means that you can buy eBooks on your Amazon account and send them across to your Kindle device. Amazon is providing exciting discounts to old Kindle users to encourage switching to newer devices as well as eBook credits.  

How do I find the version/generation of my Kindle?

To identify your kindle version/generation, go to Settings> Device Options> Device Info. 

Does my Kindle update its software automatically? 

Generally, all Kindles are set to update their software automatically when being charged and simultaneously connected over Wi-Fi. However, if you want to check and make sure that your device is up to date, you can always navigate over to the Home screen> Menu> Settings> Menu> Update Your Kindle. 

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