How to disable Kindle Firmware Auto Update

When Amazon release a new version of firmware, the new firmware will be downloaded to Kindle with OTA (Over the Air) method. The firmware is downloaded quietly, when the file is ready, Kindle update its firmware automatically when we are not using it, and, not asking us if we want to update it. So here comes the problem, what if I don’t want my Kindle’s firmware update automatically?

Turn on Airplane Mode

We know that the new firmware should be downloaded into Kindle, and downloading requires internet connection. So the solution is easy, we just need to disconnect Kindle from network connection, or we do it simply, just turn on the airplane mode.

How to turn on Kindle’s airplane mode?

  1. Click “Settings” (the gear icon) at the top of Kindle.
  2. You will see a big plane icon, click it you can turn on Kindle’s airplane mode.

turn on kindle airplane mode
This method can stop Kindle from auto updating, however it also has some disadvantages. For example, when you buy a book from Amazon, you need internet connection; when you need to sync the last page reading record, you need internet connection.

So if you decide to adopt this method, here is a tip: turn off Airplane mode only when neccessary, each time don’t last over 5 minutes, in this way you can delay the firmware auto update as much as possible. However, it will be completely downloaded some day.

Therefore, this is just a palliative method.

Stuff your Kindle’s storage

I personally don’t recommend this method. The theory is very simple, the new firmware file needs storage space, if we stuff a Kindle’s storage and make the free space less than 150MB, the Kindle will keeping fail to download and save the new firmware file. So it won’t be updated automatically.

But stuff your Kindle will make it act slowly, you lose more than you gain.

Manually create a fake firmware file

I mentioned this method in this Kindle jailbreaking post. You need to manually create a file called “update.bin.tmp.partial” without extension name. Kindle will see this file as a downloading firmware, then it won’t pull the real firmware file from Amazon’s server.

This method is very popular, but according to my blog’s readers, it’s not 100% working.

For now I didn’t figure out a solid reason why it fails, however, I guess it’s related with how the file is created. The recommended way is to create such a file in Linux operating system, then copy it into Kindle, because Kindle is a Linux-based device.

Install a hack plugin to stop Kindle firmware update

This plugin is called “BackDoorLock hack”, I found it from Mobileread forum. We can easily figure out the plugin’s feature from its name.

Before installing this plugin, please make sure your Kindle is already jailbroken, and installed the KUAL.

  1. Download BackDoorLock hack plugin and unzip it to a folder which I assume it’s called “backdoorlock”.
  2. Connect Kindle to computer with USB.
  3. Copy the “backdoorlock” folder into Kindle’s extension folder.
  4. Safely eject Kindle from computer, then launch KUAL.
  5. In KUAL, click “Back Door Lock” –> “Lock the back door”, then this plugin is activated, your Kindle’s firmware won’t be updated from now on.

Here are the 4 popular method to stop Kindle from updating firmare version automatically.

Actually I do recommend you always keep the Kindle with the latest firmware version, the new firmware brings new features and makes Kindle more stable. However, it’s your decision.

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