ReaderTweaks

Kindle Paperwhite · KOReader

Install KOReader on the Kindle Paperwhite

The KOReader-specific steps for a jailbroken Paperwhite — installing the hotfix, KUAL and the KOReader package — plus how to protect it from firmware updates.

Tested on
Kindle Paperwhite
Software
KOReader 2024.11
Difficulty
Advanced
Estimated time
1 hour
Last tested
August 2026
Last updated
August 2026

Everything hard about KOReader on a Kindle is the jailbreak and keeping firmware under control; the KOReader part itself is a few actions in a menu. This guide covers only the KOReader-specific steps and assumes the device is already jailbroken for its firmware — the jailbreak method is firmware-specific and maintained by the community, so the right source for it is the MobileRead forums, linked above.

The single most important habit afterwards is the update hotfix plus airplane mode. A Kindle that quietly updates itself is the usual reason a working KOReader setup breaks.

Before you begin

  1. Confirm the Kindle is already jailbroken

    This guide starts after the jailbreak. If you have not done that, stop here and follow the current method for your exact firmware version on the MobileRead forums — it changes over time and per firmware, which is why it is not reproduced here. You can check your firmware under Settings, then Device Options, then Device Info.

  2. Put the Kindle in airplane mode and turn off automatic updates

    From the quick settings, enable Airplane Mode. A firmware update can remove the jailbreak, so most people keep Wi-Fi off except for brief, deliberate syncs. Installing the update-blocking hotfix in the next step makes this safer.

  3. Download the three packages on your computer

    From the KOReader releases page, get the file named like "koreader-kindle-2024.11.zip". From MobileRead, get the current "KUAL" package and the "Kindle update-blocking hotfix" (often called the update hotfix or "Prevent OTA"). Keep the zip files as they are for now.

  4. Connect the Kindle and copy the packages across

    Connect by USB and open the Kindle drive. Extract each zip and copy the resulting folders into the "extensions" folder and the "documents" folder as each package's own readme specifies — KUAL and the hotfix go where their instructions say, and the KOReader package is usually placed in the root or the "koreader" folder created by its installer.

  5. Eject the Kindle and open KUAL

    Eject the drive safely and unplug. On the Kindle, open the Library — KUAL appears as an item called "KUAL" or "Kindle Unified Application Launcher". Open it to get its menu.

  6. Install the update hotfix from KUAL

    In the KUAL menu, run the hotfix installer. This stops the Kindle from downloading and applying firmware updates on its own, which is what protects the jailbreak going forward. You can then turn Wi-Fi back on when you need it.

  7. Install KOReader from KUAL

    Still in KUAL, choose the "Install or update KOReader" action, sometimes shown as "MRPI" (the package installer). It unpacks the KOReader package you copied over. When it finishes, back out of KUAL.

  8. Launch KOReader

    Open KUAL again and choose "KOReader" to start it, or use the KOReader launcher item if the installer added one to the Library. The first launch takes 15 to 30 seconds. To leave KOReader, use its top menu and choose exit, which returns you to the Kindle interface.

  9. Set KOReader as the reader you land in, if you want

    KOReader can be set to start automatically instead of the Kindle reader. This lives in KOReader's own settings under "Start with" or in a KUAL "autostart" action. Leave it off at first so you can get back to the normal interface easily while you learn KOReader.

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