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How To Remove Ads From Your Kindle Touch, Keyboard, or Kindle 4

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If you got a new Kindle for the holidays, chances are it came with Amazon’s Special Offers, which are ads that appear on the screen when the device is sleeping. The only Kindle product that doesn’t have a Special Offers component is the Kindle Fire. But if you have a new Kindle Touch, Kindle Keyboard, or Kindle 4 (3G or Wi-Fi) you’ve probably noticed the ads by now.

Chances are the person who gifted you the eReader didn’t know that they were also gifting you the pleasure of advertising. Amazon is being aggressive with the Special Offers versions. Not only do they advertise the lower prices as the default price, but Kindles sold in physical retail locations are all Special Offers enabled.

Consumers can buy ad-free Kindles from Amazon’s website. If you received one as a gift, there is a way to get rid of these ads. Unfortunately, it requires paying extra money unless you’re comfortable doing a little hacking.

The two e-ink Kindles

The Touch is on the left and the Kindle 4 on the right

To remove the ads by paying, sign in to your Amazon.com account from your browser and go to Manage Your Kindle. In the column on the left side under “Your Kindle Account” click Manage Your Devices.

You’ll see a list of registered devices plus columns for Type, Actions, and Special Offers. Click Edit under Special Offers to begin the process of unsubscribing.

Amazon will charge you the difference between the Special Offers price and the regular price ($30 – $50) to turn the ads off.

Once you’ve completed the process, turn on your Kindle’s Wi-Fi or 3G and sync it with Amazon’s servers (refreshing the library will start this process). Once it syncs, Amazon will turn off the Special Offers and you’ll have an ad-free Kindle.

The process is simple and quick, but I’m sure plenty of people got an unpleasant shock when they discovered that their gift contained caveats. While some will choose to ignore the ads or do so because they can’t afford to pay to get rid of them, others have an unexpected extra holiday expense.

If you’re comfortable with engaging in some hacking, an industrious developer named Pat Hartl has figured out a way to remove the ads using a security flaw in the Kindle Touch that allows users to root the device with an MP3 file. No hacking skills required. Do note, however, that this may not work with the Kindle Keyboard or Kindle 4.

The first part of the post on his site explains how to jailbreak then use some Linux commands to get rid of the ads. But if you scroll down to the bottom you’ll see that Hartl found a way to make it far easier.

  • First, create a new screensaver image to replace the ads. It needs to be 600 x 800 pixels and in PNG format. The Paint program that comes with Windows can save in this file format. Name the file screensaver.png.
    • You can choose a picture, a drawing, anything you wish. It doesn’t have to be grayscale, but it will help you see how it will eventually look if you convert it to grayscale before saving.
  • Click here to download Pat Hartl’s .zip file containing all the necessary components. Unzip it into a folder where you’ll be able to easily find it again (I usually create a special folder on my desktop). Replace the screensaver.png he includes in his zip file with the one you created.
  • Connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB cord, then copy all the files, including the Music folder, to the top folder of your Kindle.
  • Go to the MP3 player (Menu > Experimental > MP3 Player) and tap the track Press To Toggle Ads! Your device should reboot without ads and using the screensaver you created.

To turn the ads back on, just go back to the MP3 player and tap the track again. It will automatically reverse itself.

As with any sort of jailbreaking/hacking, there are some caveats. First, this may void your warranty with Amazon, which means if you need support for your Kindle or a replacement, you could be out of luck. Second, this hack is new, so there’s no way of knowing if Amazon will be able to tell if you’ve turned off the ads. It’s possible that they can tell. Since the Special Offers pricing is a subsidy, Amazon may charge you the extra money if they find you out, anyway. Last, this hack also breaks the Kindle’s ability to get software updates from Amazon.

Those are your two choices: pay to get rid of the ads and ensure that your warranty stays intact or get rid of them for free and possibly make Amazon angry. I know some people are mad enough about the situation to choose the latter.

68 Comments

68 Comments

  1. ChrisRS

    12/29/2011 at 1:26 pm

    This is obviously unethical. I am not associated with Kindle in any way.

    Since there is an option to pay to get rid of trhe ads, I think Amazon has done the right thing. I the cost is higher than you like, learn to live with the ads or return the Kindle.

    People, your integrity should be worth more to you that $20 or $30. I could see some justification to the hack if there was no “pay to be ad free” option, or if there was an unreasonable hit on performance.

    GBM, you usually take the high road on issues like this.

    • K. T. Bradford

      12/29/2011 at 2:16 pm

      Personally, the hacking bit is not something I would do. And I agree that since there is a non-shady way to turn off the ads people should take it if they can.

      The risk of Amazon finding out and either charging me the money, anyway, or something worse seems to me not worth the reward of an ad-free device. Thus the caveats.

    • MrMeem

      12/30/2011 at 10:10 am

      Agreed.
      Another fine example of the moral decay of society brought about by the ability to steal something without getting caught, and then attempting to rationalize the behavior as OK or, worse, noble.
      Pathetic.

      • DD

        03/17/2012 at 6:12 am

        Do you know what’s pathetic? Forgetting there are other countries in the world. I am from a particular country in the European Union where amazon doesn’t directly sell these. there are online retailers that charge more than double what you americans can buy these for AND THEY DON’T EVEN MENTION it comes with ads. that’s just for you to find out. so i’m sorry but when you pay 300 $ for one of these you kind of want to get rid of the ads because forking out another 30$ is out of the question. 

      • The_Dammed

        05/23/2012 at 8:38 am

        This user is obviously a pure cock!

        Nuff said!

    • Dan

      12/30/2011 at 9:05 pm

      I actually have to say I don’t agree with this. There is nothing “unethical” about removing ads from a device that you bought and paid $140+ for. The same argument could be said about facebook. You didn’t pay for facebook, yet with Firefox you can remove the ads with a simple addon. Is that unethical? How about TV shows you DVR? When you watch said show, do you watch every single commercial or do you fast forward through them? Nothing unethical about that. How about a movie theatre? They are now playing commercials and have tons of ads before the movie starts. You can opt to leaving the theatre and use the lavatory or pay 20 dollars for popcorn, 10 dollars for a drink and 8 dollars for candy (talk about unethical! More like EXTORTION!) then return once the ads and commercials are over. I am sorry, but you can say removing ads on a device you bought and paid for and that you own now as unethical, but I think the unethical thing is that a device costs maybe 20 bucks to make at most, and they sell it for a 120 dollar profit. THAT is unethical. If I buy a Kindle Keyboard, or any Kindle for that matter, and it has ads, after I bought and paid for it, then I am doing everything in my power to turn those ads off. Especially from what I have read from the reviews over at Amazon.com about some the the ads being questionable, showing half naked men in nothing more than a loin cloth and whatnot. I would like to get a Kindle for my 8 year old niece, but I don’t want to subject her to that rubbish in an advert! THAT is not only unethical, it is downright preposterous! For me, it is removing the ads any way I can. If it belonged to Amazon and I am borrowing it, then it would be unethical. But since I paid more that enough for the unit, it is mine and I will do what I wish with it.

      • Zalthan

        04/26/2012 at 4:53 am

        So Amazon should swallow all the cost associated with research and development, marketing, etc.., since the components only cost “$20 bucks to make at most”?  They are selling this device at a discount, subsidizing the discount via unobtrusive ads, and the buyer knows this up front.  Your argument holds no water, sir.

        • matt

          05/20/2012 at 4:06 pm

          Actually to be accurate, Amazon was subsidized by SELLING the add space to advertisers. They’ve already made their money, its the advertisers that make the money off the adds. So you might say this argument holds no water either.

        • douglas

          01/19/2013 at 6:16 am

          bull shit!

    • Kentjm

      12/30/2011 at 10:24 pm

      you are a fag.

      • ChrisRS

        12/31/2011 at 3:00 am

        No, But thanks for the thoughful reply.

      • jer

        09/13/2012 at 9:09 pm

        so, you got a problem with that? Are you really that insecure? Sounds to me like you got issues. it’s ok, we all got issues but yours seems to stem from a lack of libido and low self esteem.
        get help…

    • not fooled

      01/01/2012 at 1:04 am

      Think about all the money Amazon is making of the “ad supported” Kindles. I think this is a very clever strategy to make even more money from a device that already provides them with more than a 100% profit. The $40 extra has nothing to do with the full cost. It is more of a prohibitive measure that allows them to provide ad space directed to clients who want a very targeted audience. And that’s what bothers me. I’m basically paying to be sold to. And that’s unethical! If you’re going to make me look at ads then you should be paying me!

      • ChrisRS

        01/01/2012 at 8:10 pm

        Amazon is offering to sell you an ad free Kindle at one price and an ad supported Kindle at a discounted price. If you think the ad free price is too high, buy somthing else. If you think the discount is to little, buy somthing else.

        You are not forced to buy a Kindle. If you are not happy with what Amazon is offering, don’t buy from them. 

      • Morrownet

        01/13/2012 at 12:53 pm

        The extra 40 dollars as everything to do with the full cost. Did you know that it costs Amazon $84.25 to make and they are selling it for $79. Amazon looses money every time a Kindle is sold. The way that they get the money back is by selling advertizement space, that is how Amazon makes their profit. If you don’t want the adds, then buy a Kindle at full cost. If you use this hack then you steel money from Amazon. And if even 1/4 of the people who own add-enabled kindles were to use this hack, then Amazon would loose millions of dollars.

        • Hzxrql

          01/14/2012 at 3:57 pm

          Let’s not forget book, newspaper and magazine sales. Not to mention that a kindle owner is more likely to now go through Amazon to make non-literature purchases than otherwise would be true.  Simply making a device with a 1-click pay for it system is a cash cow. The ads are just more cash meant to fatten up this heiffer

        • guest

          03/21/2012 at 3:56 pm

          lol. poor amazon. 

        • GrammarNazi

          07/01/2012 at 3:15 am

          It’s “lose” and “steal” you idiot!

          • Book reader

            07/02/2012 at 5:19 am

            I’m going to defend the looser only because yesterday I sent a messege to my sister about whether to bring a stroller to Seattle and spellcheck changed the word stroller to the word artillery. WTF? Grammar Nazi? Or hyper critical of spellcheck technology? Wait, would’nt grammar refer to proper sentence structure which seemed correct, although the spelling was wrong. Your sentence however lacked a verb. Perhaps you should have said “you should have spelled the words ‘loser’ and ‘steal’ you idiot.”. Oh no, now I’m hyper critical. Not a Natzi though because a Natzi refers to a member a a political party that was responsible for the genocide of thousands of innocent Jews you insensitive a*sshole. Did I spell that right? Dick.

    • Mark Cogley

      01/05/2012 at 5:11 pm

      its mine ill do as i want if i buy a new car ill put any radio  in i want you might pay the 500 bucks when you get a new car for floor matts but i go to summit and pay 40 and if they bitch fuck them

      • ChrisRS

        01/05/2012 at 9:07 pm

        I fully ageree with you on the floor mat and radio.

    • Anonymous

      01/08/2012 at 9:54 pm

      People with integrity don’t worry about corporations nor do they complain with some faux morality.  There are greater sins in the world to be remedied.

      • Shmergin

        03/28/2012 at 4:51 pm

        People with integrity also�don’t agree to do�something, then not do it.�

    • firstName

      06/17/2012 at 6:58 pm

      Haha welcome to the real world. Stop being so gullible and stupid. These corporations are scraping up billions and you’re bitching about a simple jailbreak like a little girl! Why the hell would you put up with the discomfort of advertisements when there’s an easy way to remove them? Don’t try to give people a lecture on ethics, because they will not help you succeed in this life, and definitely will not accomplish anything on the internet!

  2. guest

    12/29/2011 at 6:22 pm

    ChrisRS,

    “This is obviously unethical.” – why?  Did I make a promise not to turn off the ads, and then broke my promise?  Do I not have a right to improve an item I buy?  Is it unethical, for example, to buy a car without buying the $40 floor mat at the dealer price, and then buy a floor mat for $10 and put it in the car?

    I am sure you are “not associated with Kindle in any way” as you say.  But whether you are associated with common sense, I am not sure.

    Best,
    m.

    • CStevens

      12/30/2011 at 7:08 am

      Why? If you have to ask you will not be able to understand.

      Did you make a promise? I don’t know. The licence probably says that. (I don’t read them either.) It really does not matter. If you by a CD or DVD with the express purpose of making and selleing bootleg copies it is still ot ethical. (“I promise I am going to blootleg this CD so it is OK to do so!”)

      Can you improve a product? This is the common sence you refer to later. Manufacturtes/Carriers often make stupid limiting changes to the hardware or stop supporting it prematurly. I don’t think this is ethical on their part and see where hacks may be needed and justified.

      In this case, an ad supported product is being offered at a discount from the normal one. You are allowed to upbrade for the price difference. Sorry, but this is reasonable.

      Your car floor mat analogy depends. It is ethical to buy $10 third party floor mats. It is not ethical to but $10 OEM lfoor mats from a guy in some alley when you know trhey were stoen from the dealers whare house.

      Just because you ans do somteing, does not make it right or ethical.

      This is not a big issue. Sorry I offended you.

      • Guest

        03/12/2012 at 9:36 am

        Barely understood the grammar, but I doubt I missed much. You, sir, are an idiot.

        • Shmergin

          03/28/2012 at 4:49 pm

          “Is it unethical, for example, to buy a car without buying the $40 floor mat at the dealer price, and then buy a floor mat for $10 and put it in the car?”You are comparing apples and oranges. The kindle side of your argument would be that you have a right to buy a kindle, then skip the high priced Amazon case and buy a $5 cheapie off Ebay, which you have every right to.Others have argued that because amazon are making a profit on the hardware cost of the unit then it is justified. Has anyone taken into account the R&D cost of creating the Kindle touch? The ongoing costs for whispernet? Yes, these costs are also offset by the sales of ebooks, however I am going to make the wild assumption that a large proportion (no, not all) of people willing to hack their kindles are also willing to torrent their ebooks.

          Simply put:�By buying the ad-supported kindle you are agreeing to Amazon’s terms of Service: subsidising your initial purchase price using revenue brought in by advertisers. The ads only show up either when the device is off or at the bottom of the main menu, which is about as non intrusive as is possible (they could have made an ad pop up every 10 pages). �Amazon give you the choice to remove these ads by paying the extra $40. No amount of arguing is going to get around this fact: Removing the ads is just trying to get something for nothing… Just because Amazon makes money it doesn’t make it ethical.

      • Peter Marshall

        04/03/2012 at 11:48 pm

        A better example would be the car comes with ads painted on the side but for an extra fee you can have a color of your choosing.  Thing is I have been a kindle customer for years and my kindle keyboard did not come with ads.  Now it does for the same price I bought mine.  I am sick of todays market mentality of justifying someone selling you something and then demanding that you only use it the way they want you too.  Not unless I can tell them how to spend the money I gave them.

      • Kat

        09/30/2012 at 1:56 am

        “It really does not matter. If you by a CD or DVD with the express purpose of making and selleing bootleg copies it is still ot ethical. (“I promise I am going to blootleg this CD so it is OK to do so!”)”

        Sorry, no, your analogy is a fail. Bootlegging CD’s and DVD’s is unethical because the bootlegger profits monetarily from doing so. It is perfectly acceptable to copy a CD or DVD you own (yes, legal) as long as you keep it for your own private use and do not try to sell it. You can also take the case, paper inserts (some of which are ads now) and do with them what you wish. Why? Because you purchased the item, therefore it now belongs to you.

        Is anyone profiting monetarily by removing ads from their own Kindle device?

        Try again.

    • Mark Cogley

      01/05/2012 at 5:13 pm

      sorry i used your floor mat comparison before i read this far

  3. Aonomyous

    12/29/2011 at 8:04 pm

    Just installed hack! Works great! I wouldn’t listen to the other reviews. Thanks Bradford.

  4. R Kusner

    12/30/2011 at 4:43 am

    why “might” this hack not work for keyboard kindle–seems like it either should or should not, and more specifically, does it work for kk 3.3?

    • K. T. Bradford

      12/30/2011 at 2:22 pm

      According to the guy who made it it’s supposed to work only for version 5 of the software (I believe). Check the link for the details. I don’t know how widespread the MP3 hack is and he didn’t test it on a Kindle Keyboard, only on a Kindle Touch. Thus the “might”. The way people usually figure out if things like this do work is to test them.

  5. jk

    12/30/2011 at 9:33 am

    I installed the hack yesterday and it worked at first. But when I woke up this morning, my KT was back to having an ad as the screensaver.  I “played” the MP3 a few more times to toggle it back on, and on the 2nd or 3rd try it successfully rebooted w/ my custom screensaver again.  Has anyone had problems with this hack “lasting”?

    • Another

      01/03/2012 at 4:42 am

      same here

  6. Anonymous

    01/01/2012 at 7:02 am

    Hi
    i have a question. the hack breaks the ability to get updates from amazon. but i can reverse the hack. so: it is possible to hack the kindle, then two months later i reverse the hack by clicking the mp3 file, then update with amazon and then hack the kindle. so it would possible to hack it and get the newest updates by amazon…
    is it possible?

    sorry for my bad english. 

    • Cthebadge

      01/15/2012 at 3:08 am

      That was my question as well. I wouldn’t have a problem paying the money to turn off the ads but the retarded thing is that you can’t put your own custom screen savers on an ad-free kindle either…so what’s the point?! Does anyone know if you reverse the hack as LtCmdTuvok asked, if it allows you to update again..?

  7. ElConquistador

    01/02/2012 at 3:55 pm

    Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou!!!!!! I just formatted a magnificent screensaver of my wife and my baby boy to show up on my Kindle Touch. Thankyou for the hack and the jailbreak.

  8. Guest

    01/16/2012 at 8:16 am

    What is the “top folder”? Do I just copy it over to the kindle itself or a certain folder? Thanks.

  9. Hotginx

    01/28/2012 at 9:43 am

    the essence is that the e-reader device shouldn’t have ads on it!
    people read books to get away from the constant barrage of advertisement.
    if it were a color enabled, web browsing kindle fire or an ipad i can somewhat understand but it is not, it is a e-ink reader.
    it is a very pure form of a book in a digital domain and it is beautifully executed, why destroy its integrity with advertisements?

    finally i suggest you all do what i just did, call amazon and tell them you will not accept the device the way it is, and let them credit your account for the $40 charge.  no hacking, no stealing, just voice your displeasure and request customer satisfaction.

    in my experience, amazon takes great measures to make its customers happy.

    • Shmergin

      03/28/2012 at 4:30 pm

      And people CAN read their books without a barrage of advertisments. The ads only come up as a small banner at the bottom of the page when you are in the main menu, or when the kindle is turned off. When you are actually in a book and reading there are no ads at all.

      As for the second half of your post, that is the most intelligent thing that i have seen on this page :)

    • Brent

      10/15/2012 at 7:29 pm

      This is THE BEST comment on this entire post! I fully agree with what you have to say!

      And i took your advice on calling Amazon (after spending the ENTIRE day trying to get rid of them myself) and they were more than happy to get rid of them at no charge just to retain my business.

      Thank You!!!

  10. Vincent Mariani

    01/29/2012 at 4:21 pm

    Will deleting the file or re-syncing/re-booting your kindle reverse it?

  11. Nexuskarthik3

    02/01/2012 at 8:49 am

    Is it possible to get the software update even after rehacking the device i.e turning the ads back on by using the mp3 file. ?

    • K. T. Bradford

      04/21/2012 at 10:35 am

       You should ask the dev who created the hack. He’d have a better idea than I do.

  12. Hotginx

    02/01/2012 at 8:02 pm

    just call amazon and mention that the “nook” has “no annoying ads” see link.

    BARNES & NOBLE | NOOK Simple Touch™

  13. Egetunca

    02/22/2012 at 8:18 am

    Hey guys anybody have a problem with screensaver? mine doesnt show up? Any ideas on what to do?

  14. VoxT3R

    05/15/2012 at 2:43 am

    Hi.

    After a lot of messing about and playing with DNS servers, I finally managed to get this working :)

    Two questions if I may… firstly, how would I manage to change the screensavers currently being used?

    Secondly. Lets say I want to keep my images currently stored on my kindle. I understand that its not an issue if i hook up the kindle to my wifi, but what if i hook it up to the wifi at work? Will this allow the kindle to access new advertisements and remove the images I’m currently using? How would I stop connections to another wifi point removing my stored screensavers etc?

    Thanks in advance for any help offered guys.

  15. Kodi

    05/19/2012 at 11:14 pm

    I think I should be able to do whatever I feel with something I purchased. I also think its my right to. Its also the companies right to try and stop me from doing so, but if I find a way around it so be it. Cant we do what we want without being criticized? Jimbob is going to do some hacking to remove the ads while your to morally right not to. Who cares? You shouldn’t care about what that other dudes doing.
    If I get a Kindle I will remove the ads and no one will stop me. If I am stopped or punished Ill be angry and get over it fairly quick. My point of view is how are they losing money when I would have never paid them to take the ads off? Hacking it is just a free alternative. I was never going to buy the ads away so if you stop me removing them their not gaining any money at all from me.

    I hope you see it my way and if you can prove me wrong somewhere I’d love to hear it. =]

  16. Rusteee

    05/28/2012 at 11:44 am

    If they did the ads differently, like if it could show your amazon recommendations for new e-books I’d be okay with that. But I don’t care to see what’s on HBO tonight like the other dumb ads they have.

  17. James

    05/30/2012 at 4:24 pm

    Hi, just wondering if there is any way to reverse this hack — or change the screensaver from the originally uploaded image.

    Thanks!

  18. book buyer

    06/16/2012 at 2:13 pm

    If I bought a book and there were ads in the first 5 pages would i get in trouble for ripping them out?there should be a free rip option for everyone. corporations keep thinking they have the right to bombard us with advertisement. Didn’t Microsoft get in trouble for making it impossible to remove programs that were marketing? Isn’t this the same thing?

  19. BikerBrent

    06/19/2012 at 10:26 am

    Gee, let me see if I get this right!

    It is unethical to remove the ads from a kindle which I purchased without paying them their bribe money to do so!

    However, it is apparently ethical for kindle to price-fix the units cost(since they are the same price, on or off-line at every store)!

    It is also apparently ethical for smart phone networks to use up the storage space you paid for, for applications you don’t want, then then charge you data usage to update these unwanted applications!

    Also, for what it is worth, the networks are saying that it should be ILLEGAL to fast forward through the commercials, even if you are already paying for the content through your cable or satellite subscription.

  20. Ben

    07/10/2012 at 11:04 am

    I just tried the mp3 method on my wife’s Kindle, but nothing happened. Is the mp3 player supposed to open up some sort of music browser, or do you only have the forward/backward options to choose tracks? Maybe hers has a newer firmware that this hack doesn’t work for?

  21. Draco

    10/08/2012 at 12:55 am

    I’m looking at the box for the Kindle I purchased and no where does it say among it’s features that it includes ads trying to sell me crap every time I turn it off and use up more of my battery life. I paid money for an E-Reader not an ad platform and that is what I intend to receive.

    I never agreed to a EULA when I purchased this device and therefore I shall do what I want with my new device. If I want to break it in half, that’s my choice, if I want to paint it solid gold and treat it as bling, that is also my choice, if I want to make a few changes to the software in it, that is again, my choice. We are not licensing this software from Amazon we own what we pay for, end of story. The only thing Amazon can say anything about is if you find a way to make a profit using their device such as removing the ads for people for a fee of your own, or making Kindle knockoffs and selling them.

    • Adele Simpkins

      10/25/2012 at 6:22 pm

      Does the box say “With Special Offers”? If so, that means WITH ADS.
      Now, have removed ads from both Kindles (yes, purchased from a 3rd party site NOT knowing they were with ads) successfully.
      Can I do a ‘manual’ firmware update without having the ads turned back on?
      If not I think I will do as another poster has done and ring Amazon, as I have purchased 8 kindles to date and see whether they will also remove the ads for free…just because!

      • Adele Simpkins

        10/26/2012 at 2:36 am

        Good news….contacted Amazon and explained my situation and they kindly unsubscribed both kindles for free..gotta love that! =0)

  22. Peter

    11/28/2012 at 2:45 pm

    you feel sorry for Amazon? Which pays next to no tax in the UK by bending the tax laws? Get a life you lot.

  23. marckole

    11/29/2012 at 5:17 pm

    To those who said it is “unethical to remove ads,” Scre\/\/ You! I am so sick of ADs. Why should I pay more to remove ads? In fact, why should I pay less to get ads? Why am I getting ads in the first place? We’re forgetting ethical/moral issues that is happening all around the world and it’s those businesses laughing their way to the bank!

  24. N.

    12/07/2012 at 6:04 am

    Seems the world is going even further down the insanity road…
    Just a few years ago the idea of “paying NOT to see something” on a device you bought was laughable. Hack the hell out of that thing, and be sure to have a clear conscious doing it. You’re not doing anything wrong. It’s You who owns the device, and don’t let others tell you what you can do with it by the threat of punishment.
    How I hate the direction where we are all heading…

  25. Omar

    01/05/2013 at 5:44 am

    I bought my kindle for almost 400 dollars and it comes with ads is ridiculous

  26. Bryan

    06/07/2013 at 11:51 pm

    Amazon now (2013-06-08) seem willing to remove ads for no fee (at least New Zealand customers). Transcript follows (with identifying bits obfuscated; I’m AAAA)
    Here’s a copy of the chat transcript you requested:

    Initial Question: I’m annoyed that I keep getting ads. How do I turn them off?
    05:36 AM(GMT) BBBB(CSA): Hello, my name is BBBB. I’ll be happy to help you today.
    05:38 AM(GMT) BBBB(CSA): I will look into this.
    05:39 AM(GMT) BBBB(CSA): Are you still getting adds?
    05:39 AM(GMT) AAAA: There was a new one a few minutes ago when I looked, and they seem to arrive every day or so
    05:40 AM(GMT) BBBB(CSA): Okay, I am going to transfer your chat to our concern department and they will look into this.
    05:40 AM(GMT) AAAA: thanks
    05:41 AM(GMT) CCCC(CSA): Hello, my name is CCCC. I’ll be happy to help you.

    I am sorry about this. I will certainly help you with this.

    05:43 AM(GMT) CCCC(CSA): I have remove the special offers from your kindle and also waive of the charges.
    05:44 AM(GMT) AAAA: thank you for sorting that out for me
    05:44 AM(GMT) CCCC(CSA): You’re welcome.
    Is there anything else I can do for you today?

    05:44 AM(GMT) AAAA: no thank you. you’ve been very helpful
    05:44 AM(GMT) CCCC(CSA): Thanks for visiting Amazon.com. We hope to see you again soon!Have a good day, Bye!!

  27. Puppydog

    06/22/2013 at 10:37 am

    I loved the idea of doing it was easy ,but i did spend 30$

    Thanks anyway!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :)

  28. Helen

    07/12/2013 at 3:12 pm

    This hack is awesome. We are a corporate run country now. Corporations call the shots now and are mingled with our political system. Advertising is everywhere. They put it in movies, we paid to watch. They should be paying us to watch that crap. They put it in reality shows, which aren’t even reality shows. They are made up to keep us watching. They advertise to us every chance they get, that is why we are such consumers. They didn’t ask us for permission to advertise to us, they just shove it in our faces and we sit around obediently taking it, just like they want. An easy to manipulate crowd of consumers. So, those speaking about ethics should really look at who is really being the unethical party here. Corporations don’t become big entities by playing nice. Those of you who sit and take this crap and try to convince the rest of us to follow your lead, you are the ones who sit on the sidelines and coward. We are the ones who make things happen for the better.

  29. zeus

    10/03/2013 at 7:15 pm

    HAHA you people and your ethics. Corporations like Amazon are all about profits, they do not care at all about you, their only goal is to please the stockholders, board of directors, etc.

    Its just like with recycling, it appears to be ethical and the “right thing to do”, thats the idea that is pushed onto today’s generation, but in reality it does little benefit, in fact the money that goes into recycling would be better spent on researching/distributing safer and more productive technology, but I digress.

    I legally paid for my device, I own all of it, and I reserve the right to do whatever I want with the software inside. It is not illegal, it only breaks the warranty with the company itself. As long as I do not turn it around for profit, I am not breaking the law, and Im not stealing from the company. They merely provided the service to remove the ads at an additional cost, and Im sure they were fully aware of the risks involved.

    If you still think this is wrong, then ask yourself this, why do you think its wrong? What source determines what is right and wrong? And do you think that source is completely ethical itself? If you think that a loss of profit is unethical, then that is just an opinion, but it is by no means a fact. It is your choice and perspective, but as such you cannot logically disprove the opposite, because it will always be an opinion.

    Anyways, Ill just happily enjoy my cheap kindle with no ads because I chose the logical and guilt free choice.

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