New to Kindle Keyboard? Start Here

About Kindle Keyboard

Kindle Keyboard is a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, newspapers, magazines and blogs. Books download in less than 60 seconds.

Designed to provide an exceptional reading experience, Kindle Keyboard utilises a revolutionary new display technology called E-Ink. Reading Kindle Keyboard's screen is as sharp and natural as reading ink on paper--and nothing like the strain and glare of a computer screen.

We wanted Kindle Keyboard to be completely mobile and simple to use for everyone, so we made it wireless. Kindle Keyboard allows you to connect your Kindle over a Wi-Fi network, and Kindle Keyboard 3G allows you the choice of connecting either via Free 3G or Wi-Fi. There are no confusing service plans, yearly contracts, or monthly wireless bills.

Charging and Powering Up Your Kindle Keyboard

Your Kindle Keyboard is delivered with a UK power adapter and a single cable that doubles as a power adapter and USB cable. The plug adapter comes connected to the charging cable and you can remove the plug adapter to use your charging cable as a USB cable.

You can charge your Kindle Keyboard by connecting it to your computer via the Kindle micro-USB cable or by connecting it to a wall socket using the Kindle micro-USB cable and the Kindle UK power adapter.

Note on third-party charging devices (not included with your Kindle Keyboard): Third-party charging devices, power converters, USB wall chargers, and other charging hubs are not supported nor recommended for your Kindle Keyboard.

Charging from Your Computer via Kindle Micro-USB Cable

When using the Kindle micro-USB cable to charge your Kindle Keyboard via your computer, charging time will normally take four to six hours. To charge your Kindle Keyboard from a computer via Kindle micro-USB cable:

• Connect Kindle Keyboard directly to a USB port on your computer. Do not connect through a hub, keyboard, or monitor.
  
  
• Connect Kindle Keyboard to a computer plugged into a power outlet. We recommend keeping your computer plugged into a power outlet while charging your Kindle Keyboard. Your computer may not supply sufficient power to the USB port if it is not plugged in.
  
  
• Make sure your computer stays on during the entire charging process. Disable Standby, Hibernate or Sleep mode, if necessary.
  
  
• Verify Kindle Keyboard recognises the USB connection. You can verify your Kindle Keyboard is charging if you see the USB drive mode screen. If you do not see this screen, unplug and reconnect your Kindle Keyboard. You may also need to select an alternative USB port.

Using Kindle Keyboard while Charging via Kindle Micro-USB Cable

You can use your Kindle Keyboard while it is connected via USB and charging from your computer by unmounting or ejecting it so Kindle Keyboard exits USB drive mode.

• Windows Vista and 7: Click on the Start button, select "Computer" from the options, right-click on the Kindle drive icon and select "Eject" from the pop-up menu.  
• Windows XP: Right-click on the "Safely remove hardware" icon in the lower right-hand corner of the task bar and follow the on-screen instructions to remove Kindle.
• Mac OS: Cmd-click on the Kindle device icon and choose "Eject."

Kindle Keyboard will then exit USB drive mode and display the Home screen. You'll see a lightning bolt on the battery status icon that indicates your Kindle Keyboard is still charging.

Using Kindle Keyboard's Power Switch

The Power switch on the bottom of Kindle Keyboard puts it to sleep, wakes it up and turns your Kindle on or off.

To wake up or turn on your Kindle: Slide and release the power switch again.

To put your Kindle Keyboard to sleep: Slide and release the power switch. Other keys and buttons are locked in Sleep mode. Your Kindle Keyboard will also go to sleep mode after 10 minutes if you are not using it.

To turn your Kindle Keyboard off: Slide and hold the power switch for four seconds until the screen goes blank and then release.

Tip: To conserve your battery life, turn off wireless prior to putting your device to sleep.

Using the Controls

To get around on your Kindle Keyboard, you use the buttons, menus, and the keyboard.

Back View

The back of your Kindle Keyboard contains stereo speakers for audio content.

Bottom View

Power switch: puts your Kindle Keyboard to sleep, wakes it up, and turns your Kindle Keyboard on or off. To put your Kindle Keyboard to sleep, slide and release the power switch; a full screen image appears on the display. While your Kindle Keyboard is asleep, other keys and buttons are locked so that you don't accidentally change the place in your reading. To turn your Kindle Keyboard off, slide and hold the power switch for four seconds until the screen goes blank and then release. To wake up or turn on your Kindle Keyboard, slide and release the power switch again. 

If your Kindle Keyboard does not power on or is unresponsive during use, try resetting the device by disconnecting your Kindle Keyboard from any power source, and then sliding and holding the power switch for 20 seconds before releasing.

Tip: Your Kindle Keyboard will also go to sleep by itself after ten minutes if you are not using it. If your Kindle Keyboard had wireless on prior to going to sleep, it will continue to receive your regularly scheduled subscriptions while in sleep.

Headphone jack: plug in headphones to listen to an audiobook, background music, or content read aloud through Kindle Keyboard's text-to-speech function. Attaching headphones turns off the built-in speakers.

Micro-USB/power port: Attach the USB cord that came with your Kindle Keyboard into the micro-USB/power port and into the Kindle power adapter. Plug the adapter into a UK-compatible wall socket to charge the Kindle Keyboard battery. You can also charge your Kindle Keyboard by detaching the USB cord from the power adapter and connecting it to a computer's USB port or powered USB hub. The charging status light will turn amber, indicating that the battery is charging; you can continue to use your Kindle Keyboard while it charges. A green light indicates that the battery is fully charged.

Check to make sure the power adapter is not covered by anything that could cause it to overheat. If the charge indicator light does not light up, make sure that the USB cable is fully inserted into your Kindle Keyboard and the power adapter or USB port. If Kindle Keyboard still is not charging, try another wall socket or USB port.

Using Kindle Keyboard's Menus

In addition to the physical buttons, you also navigate Kindle Keyboard using the menus. Kindle Keyboard's menus are context sensitive, but they all work the same way.

You use the 5-way controller to navigate within the menu and press the 5-way to select an item. The illustration below shows the Home menu; the bold line under "Shop in Kindle Store" indicates that it is ready to be selected.

You can display a menu from any screen on your Kindle Keyboard. When you press the "Menu" button, it displays choices related to the screen you are viewing. The sample screen below shows you the screen you would typically see when you press the "Menu" button from within a book.

Entering Text

To use the keyboard, most people find it easiest to hold the device in both hands, and use the tips of their thumbs to press the keys.

Lowercase and Uppercase Letters

To enter lowercase letters, press the appropriate letter key. To enter uppercase letters, hold down the Shift key, and then press the desired letter key like you do on your computer keyboard. Alternatively, you can press and release the Shift key and then press the desired letter. Only the next letter will be capitalized.

Numbers, Punctuation, and Symbols

If you need numbers, a punctuation mark or a symbol that is not shown, press the Symbol key on the bottom row of the keyboard. You will see a menu of numbers, punctuation marks and symbols.

Use the 5-way controller to choose the character you want and it will appear in your text entry box.

Screen Rotation

The Kindle Keyboard screen image can be rotated so you can see the entire width of a web page or magnify the page of a PDF file. The buttons work the same in either rotation, but the 5-way controller movements are switched to match the rotation.

Here's how to lock your screen into portrait or landscape mode:

1. Press the "Text" key located on the bottom row of the keyboard. Screen Rotation is displayed at the bottom of the menu.
2. Move the 5-way to select one of the four options to lock the display in a set orientation:
   • Portrait
   • Landscape with the keyboard on the left
   • Portrait with the keyboard at the top
   • Landscape with the keyboard on the right
3. Press the controller to confirm your choice.

You can view Kindle Store pages only in portrait mode.

Using the Home Screen

Your Home screen displays a list of all of your Kindle reading materials: books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, personal documents, as well as audiobooks. It serves as a personal bookshelf for all of your reading material, as well as a starting point to access other Kindle Keyboard features.

To display the Home screen: Press the Home button on the right edge of your Kindle Keyboard .

Here's what you'll see on the Home screen:

• Device name: The name of your Kindle Keyboard . You can edit this name on the Settings screen.
• Show options: Choose which types of content you want displayed in Home.
• Sort options: Choose the order you want content displayed in Home.
• Title: The title of the item.
• Author or Date: For books, the author of the item is listed. For periodicals and blogs, the date is listed.
• Unread title: The "new" label indicates the item has never been opened and is less than 24 hours old. Once you open a new document or more than 24 hours has passed since the item arrived on your Kindle Keyboard , the "new" label is removed.
• Archived Items: Downloadable items stored at Amazon.co.uk not currently on your device.
• Sample title: Indicates the book is a sample. If you like it, you can purchase the full book when viewing the sample.
• Progress indicator: The series of dots below the item shows how long the book is and bold dots show how far you have read in a particular item.
• Audiobook title: The "audio" label indicates the book is an audiobook.
• Pages in Home: Indicates the total number of pages in Home. Use the Next Page or Previous Page button to navigate the pages.
• Periodicals: Select to access older issues of newspapers and magazines.
• Wireless: Indicates Wi-Fi usage (or 3G if you have the Wi-Fi and Free 3G model and are outside Wi-Fi coverage).
• Collections: Sorts content based on categories you create on your Kindle Keyboard to organise your content.

Registering Your Kindle Keyboard

Watch this video to learn how to register your Kindle Keyboard.

Register your Kindle Keyboard to link your Kindle to your Amazon.co.uk account and access features such as purchasing and downloading content. You can register or deregister your Kindle Keyboard on the Manage Your Kindle page. If you no longer have access to your Kindle Keyboard or transferred it to another user, deregister your Kindle Keyboard from your account.

To register or deregister your Kindle Keyboard:

Registering if You Don't Have an Amazon.co.uk Account

If you don't already have an Amazon.co.uk account, you can create one at www.amazon.co.uk/myk. Here's how:

1. On the sign-in screen, enter the e-mail address you want to use for your Amazon.co.uk account. This e-mail address will be the one we use to send you updates about your orders.
2. Don't enter a password. Check the button next to "No, I am a new customer." and then click the Sign in using our secure server button to continue.
3. Enter your name and verify your e-mail address on the Registration screen.
4. Enter a password for your new account and click the Continue button. We'll ask you to enter the same password twice to make sure it is correct. (You might also want to write your login information so you'll have it later.)
5. Visit the Manage Your Kindle page. Enter the serial number for your Kindle Keyboard and click the Register a new Kindle button.You'll find the Kindle Keyboard serial number on the outside of the box or on the Settings menu on your Kindle Keyboard.
   If you are unable to locate your Kindle Keyboard's serial number, don't worry.You've successfully created an Amazon.co.uk account and can now register your Kindle Keyboard wirelessly by following the Registering Your Kindle instructions above.
   

Setting a Password on Kindle Keyboard

If you want to make sure that only authorised users will have access to your Kindle Keyboard, you can set a password on the Settings screen. You'll then need to enter the password to access your Kindle Keyboard if it enters sleep mode or is turned off.

To set your Kindle Keyboard password:

1. Navigate to Kindle Keyboard's Home screen and press the Menu button.
2. Select "Settings" from the Home screen menu.
3. Select the "turn on" option next to Device Password on the Settings page.
4. Enter your new password twice and also enter a hint to help you remember the password.
5. Select "Submit" when you're finished.

If you wish to change or turn off your password in the future, navigate to the Settings menu again and select the available options.

Note: If you forget your password, move the 5-way controller down to view your password hint. Your Kindle Keyboard will also give you the Kindle Support phone number so we can help reset your Kindle Keyboard password.

Setting Your Kindle Payment Method

Watch this video to learn how to set up your 1-Click Payment Method for Kindle.

When you buy books or other items directly from your Kindle Keyboard, you're paying with the default 1-Click payment method on your Amazon.co.uk account. Typically, this is the payment method associated with your default delivery address. For digital purchases, you can use a credit or debit card or Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates.

To check or change your payment method:

1. Visit the Manage Your Kindle page.
2. Click the "Your 1-Click payment method" link in the shortcuts box on the right-hand side of the page.
3. Click on "edit" to update your payment method, then follow the on-screen instructions for choosing or adding a payment method.

Updating 1-Click Settings for Gift Certificate Purchases

You are not required to have a credit or debit card on your Amazon.co.uk account to make digital purchases such as Kindle books, but you must establish a default 1-Click invoice address on your account to use Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates for digital purchases. If you don't already have a 1-Click invoice address on your account, follow the instructions below to add an address without entering a credit or debit card to your account.

To add a 1-Click Invoice Address for Gift Certificate purchases:

1. Visit the Manage Addresses and 1-Click Settings page in Your Account.
2. Click the Enter a new address button.
3. Enter the address information and click the Continue button.

Set the address as your default by clicking the link on the address labelled "Click here to make this your 1-Click default address". You may be prompted to associate a credit or debit card with the address, but entering one of these payment methods is not required.

Redeeming Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates

You must first redeem a Gift Certificate to Your Account. The funds will be applied automatically to your next Kindle book purchase on your Kindle or from the Kindle Store on Amazon.co.uk.

To redeem a Gift Certificate to Your Account:

1. Visit the Your Account page.
2. Click "Apply a Gift Certificate to Your Account."
3. Sign in with your e-mail address and password.
4. Enter your claim code and click "Redeem now." Your funds will automatically be applied to your next order.

Shopping for Kindle Content

After you've set up the payment method for your purchases from the Kindle Store (see Setting Your Kindle Payment Method), you're ready to shop for content. If your Kindle is connected wirelessly you can start shopping from your Kindle right away. You can also visit the Kindle Store on Amazon.co.uk and send your purchases wirelessly (using 3G or Wi-Fi) to your Kindle or download to your computer and transfer content using the USB Connection. These Help pages will get you started:

• Shopping for Kindle Content
• Transferring, Downloading, and Sending Files to Kindle

Kindle Tools

Know Your Kindle

Kindle FAQs | Manage Your Kindle | Troubleshooting Your Kindle|Kindle Wireless Settings