How and why to jailbreak your Kindle in 10 minutes and unlock custom apps, EPUB support, and full control.
There are two ways to use a Kindle: Amazon’s way, or your way. This guide is about the second one.
Most Kindles can be jailbroken, and the process takes around ten minutes. Even the Kindle Scribe 2 Kevin reviewed this week.
There's no need to open the device or mess with the command line. Once jailbroken, you can install better reading apps (Kevin's favourite KOReader), support a wider range of file formats, and finally make your Kindle feel like it actually belongs to you.
And yes, the whole thing is safe, legal, and fully reversible. Also, this doesn't replace any of your Kindle-functionalities. It's like adding additional apps to your smartphone (KindleOS is basically just Linux), so you can still use Libby, access and purchase books, and more.
Why jailbreak at all?
The Kindle experience is good, but it’s heavily curated. Amazon doesn’t offer native EPUB support, custom lock screens, or much in the way of personalization. Even something as basic as sideloading PDFs or syncing over Wi-Fi feels more annoying than it should.
Jailbreaking doesn’t just fix these annoyances, it unlocks a whole layer of functionality that most Kindle users never see.
Once jailbroken, a Kindle can:
- Open EPUB and PDF files natively
- Sync wirelessly with Calibre
- Run custom screensavers
- Launch apps and tweak system settings
- Even boot into a lightweight Linux desktop
What you need
- Any modern Kindle (Paperwhite, Oasis, Scribe, etc.)
- A USB-C cable
- A computer
- The Kindle Modding Wiki
The jailbreak tool is called WinterBreak. The steps are simple (follow the video for step-by-step instructions):
- Download the files listed in the guide
- Turn on Aeroplane Mode on your Kindle
- Reboot the device
- Transfer them to your Kindle
- Open the Kindle Store and click yes when prompted to turn off Aeroplane Mode
- Run Winterbreak
- Once WinterBreak says "Now you are ready to install the hotfix" turn on Aeroplane Mode again
- Download, and copy the hotfix to your Kindle
- Go to Settings and click on "Update your Kindle". Confirm the Update.
- Install the hotfix by clicking on "Run Hotfix" or "Run Bridge"
That’s it. Just drag, drop, and restart.
What changes after jailbreaking?
The biggest change is access to better tools thanks to KUAL and MRPI. Here is how you install both of these. (It's more drag and dropping files onto the Kindle and then typing ;log mrpi into the Search bar.)
The best next thing you can now do is install KOReader. (Kevin uses it on both the Palma and the Boox Go Color.)
KOReader replaces the stock reading app with one that’s faster, more flexible, and actually supports the file formats people use (EPUB, PDF, DJVU, CBZ, etc.). It includes:
- File browser with cover previews
- Install custom fonts
- Two-column mode on any device
- Custom screen orientation
- Continuous scroll or paged view
- Sync with Readwise (Kevin's favourite feature)
- Margin notes, progress stats, and more
Nice-to-have extras
Not essential, but fun:
- Custom lock screens – replace ads or stock images with your own
- AskGPT – adds a ChatGPT search bar mid-read
- Rakuyomi – lets you search and download manga from the device
- Games – yes, there’s Tetris and Minesweeper. There’s even a Game Boy emulator (it runs... technically)
- Linux – boot into Alpine Linux with a desktop environment. Doesn’t remove the Kindle OS.
How stable is this?
Surprisingly solid.
The jailbreak doesn’t break regular Kindle features unless you want it to. It’s still possible to log in to an Amazon account, download books, and use WhisperSync as usual.
And if something ever goes wrong or feels too experimental, everything is reversible.
Who’s this for?
Jailbreaking isn’t required. For a lot of people, the default Kindle experience is fine. But for anyone who:
- Reads sideloaded books
- Uses multiple formats (especially EPUB or PDF)
- Wants more control over the look and feel of the device
- Enjoys tinkering, or just wants to future-proof their content
…it’s absolutely worth doing.
Most people buy Kindles because they’re simple. Jailbreaking keeps that simplicity — and adds everything that should’ve been there in the first place.
