A jailbroken Kindle can be so much more than an eReader. Unlocking it lets you install third-party app stores and tackle some really wild projects. Not all of them are especially useful, but they can be a lot of fun.
1
Turn it into an e-ink gaming console
Turning your Kindle into a handheld console is a very simple undertaking. All you have to do is jailbreak your Kindle and install KindleForge, an alternative Kindle app store that contains all the goodies you’ll need.
Now you can either install games—KindleForge has a selection of simple games such as Chess, 2048, Tower of Hanoi, and more—or emulators. There are two emulators for Kindle at the moment. A Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulator, Gambatte-K2, as well as an emulator that lets you play classic interactive fiction games called Gargoyle, which supports all major interactive fiction formats. Note that you’ll have to provide ROMs and gamebooks yourself.
You don’t even have to jailbreak your Kindle to play some games on it. Just visit KindlePlay and play the four games available on the website: Sudoku, Hangman, Lost PIN, and Minesweeper.
Lastly, if you’re ready to get your elbows dirty, you can try to install Doom on your Kindle. There are two Doom projects for Kindle you can check out. The first one, Kindle Touch Doom, is only compatible with Kindle Touch devices. The second project, kdoom, works on Kindle Paperwhite and base Kindle devices, but it has issues on Kindles running hard-float firmware (5.16.3 and newer).
What’s With All the Different Kindles? Each Kindle Type Explained
Different Kindles got you confused?
2
Transform it into a picture frame
Kindlefusion is a project that allows you to display images generated by Stable Diffusion on your jailbroken Kindle. The installation is intricate, and the app is a bit buggy, but trying to make it work can be lots of fun for anyone who likes experimenting with their Kindle.
As with games, you don’t have to jailbreak your Kindle to turn it into a picture frame; you just need to create a custom ebook with the image you want displayed on the Kindle as its cover, then use the cover as wallpaper on your Kindle.
Just follow this guide, and don’t forget that the Display Cover feature has been moved from “Device Options” to “Screen and Brightness.” Also, this method won’t work if you own a Kindle with ads; you’ll either have to pay to remove ads or ask Amazon customer support to remove them.
3
Use it as a text editor
Want to use your Kindle as a writing terminal? No problem, all you need is some time and a Bluetooth keyboard. The text editor technically works with the on-screen keyboard, but it offers a very limited typing experience. If you want to type with the software keyboard, it’s highly recommended to use the terminal version of the app.
The first step is to install Textadept, a text editor that’s got a Kindle version. You can download it either from the Kindle modding tools and resources repository or the project’s GitHub page. Textadept is optimized for programmers, but you can use it for general writing. The editor only works on Kindles running firmware 5.16.2 or newer.
Next, you’ll need to connect the keyboard to your Kindle. There’s a MobileRead forum thread that includes everything needed to pair the keyboard with your Kindle. Despite the thread providing instructions, the procedure is complex; it’s almost certain you’ll need to debug, and you’ll also have to find the keyboard’s Bluetooth MAC address to pair it with your Kindle. Be sure you have the know-how to make it work before jumping in.
4
Turn it into a second monitor for your PC
A jailbroken Kindle can be used as a secondary monitor for your PC. The refresh rate will be painfully slow, making this more of a “because you can” hobby project than anything truly useful.
Our friends over at XDA Developers have a handy guide that walks you through the entire setup procedure. The process is complicated, and I don’t recommend it to newbies to the world of Kindle jailbreaks, but it should be a fun little exercise for those who are ready to get their hands dirty.
5
Turn it into a Bluetooth audio player
Turning your jailbroken Kindle into a music player capable of streaming music to Bluetooth headphones and speakers is fairly straightforward, especially compared to the last couple of projects.
Pocket-lint has a detailed guide on how to do this. The hardest part is collecting the MP3 files you want to transfer and sorting them in the order you want to hear them. Sox Media Player for Kindle doesn’t allow changes to playlist order, so you must arrange songs prior to transferring them.
6
Run a Minecraft server on it
Thanks to KindleKraft, you can run a Minecraft server off your jailbroken Kindle! Before installing KindleKraft, you’ll need to install Kterm, a Kindle terminal emulator, and make sure your Kindle is running a firmware version older than 5.16.3. If you’ve got a newer firmware, KindleKraft won’t work.
The server features should function without issues if you follow the installation guide available on the project’s GitHub page, but you might run into UI and login issues on newer Paperwhite models. KindleKraft is compatible with Minecraft clients 1.7.X and 1.8.X.
You can do some very cool things with a jailbroken Kindle. If you’ve gotten the itch, check out more stuff to do with your jailbroken Kindle. Jailbreaking a Kindle is quite simple with the WinterBreak method, as long as said Kindle runs firmware older than 5.18.1. If you own an ad-supported Kindle running firmware versions between 5.18.1 and 5.18.5.0.1, you can use the AdBreak jailbreak method. The AdBreak method does not work on Kindles without ads.
- Storage
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16GB
- Weight
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7.4 oz (211g)
The Kindle Paperwhite 11th Gen brings notable upgrades over its predecessor, including a larger display, an improved lighting system, Warm Light and USB-C.
- Storage
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16GB
- Weight
-
7.6oz (215g)
Amazon’s 16GB Kindle Colorsoft eReader offers a 300 PPI full-color display with an adjustable frontlight and a waterproof design. It’s excellent for readers who love comics, manga, or any other books that contain colorful images.
