If you’re a Kindle owner who was unfortunate enough to receive Amazon’s latest software update, you might have noticed some odd behaviour. Like the battery draining at an alarming rate, or perhaps the ultra-sluggish UI. What about page-turn speeds degrading? Some users reckon the 5.19.3 firmware update is the culprit for your Kindle’s recent failings.
Amazon is on the case, after creating the case
Amazon obviously thinks so, too. It has since paused the update’s wider rollout, leaving those lucky few who dodged it on the still-buggy 5.19.2 version. If your e-reader has already downloaded and installed the update, there is unfortunately nothing you can do. Except, well, wait. Even factory resetting the device won’t help.
Whatever firmware your Kindle is stuck with — the update appears to only be for the 11th and 12th Gen Paperwhites, Colorsoft, and all Scribe models — it’s a bit of a mixed bag. While many have reported dire bugs in the now-gone 5.19.3 update, it seems the 5.19.2 update is causing similar issues — specifically the battery drain.
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The 5.19.2 update was itself meant to relieve Kindle owners from the just-as-bad 5.18.6 version, which caused severe lag, among other issues. It seems that Amazon has released one stinky update after another, with nothing to stop it from unleashing another poorly-coded update again. With Amazon’s love for AI, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the company take the Microslop route. That means vibe-coding and fewer humans to step in when things go rogue. Of course, this hasn’t been confirmed, but it isn’t anything we haven’t seen before.
To check what version your Kindle is currently running, visit Settings, followed by Device Info. Locate the firmware version, and voila. If you’re yet to make the update, consider sticking your e-reader into flight mode. That should halt Kindle from catching your Kindle unawares with another round of sloppy updates.
