Kindle Paperwhite · Customization
Reduce the lock-screen ads on the Kindle Paperwhite
What "Special Offers" ads are on the Paperwhite, how to remove them with a one-time payment, and what you can and cannot do without paying.
The lock-screen ads on a Paperwhite are a property of the hardware you bought, not a setting. The only real fix is the one-time payment through Amazon’s website, which converts the device to the ad-free version for good. Everything else is just reducing how often you see them.
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Check whether your Kindle even has ads
On the Kindle, open Settings and look for a "Special Offers" entry. If it is there, your device is the ad-supported version. If there is no such entry, you have the ad-free version and there is nothing to do — your sleep screen already shows book covers or Amazon artwork.
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Understand what the ads are
A "with Special Offers" Kindle shows a full-screen advertisement while it sleeps and a small banner strip at the bottom of the home screen. Ads never appear while you are reading a book. Amazon sold the device at a lower price in exchange for this.
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Remove the ads by paying the one-time fee
On a computer, go to "Manage Your Content and Devices" in your Amazon account and open the Devices tab. Select your Paperwhite. Find the "Special Offers" line and choose the option to unsubscribe. Amazon charges a one-time fee, usually around 20 US dollars, and the change is permanent for that device.
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Sync the Kindle so the change takes effect
Turn Wi-Fi on and, from the quick settings or Settings menu, choose "Sync" or restart the device. The sleep screen switches to covers or artwork within a minute or two of syncing.
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If you are not going to pay — what you can still do
You cannot replace the ads with your own images or turn them off in settings. What you can do is make them less intrusive: keep the Kindle in a case that sleeps and wakes it so you see the ad for less time, and turn off "Special Offers notifications" under Settings, then Notifications, so the banner is quieter. The home-screen banner cannot be fully removed on an ad-supported device.