How to remove ads and Special Offers from your Kindle or Kindle Fire

If your Kindle has ads or “Special Offers” showing onscreen, it’s because you made a deal. You chose to save money on your Kindle’s purchase price by accepting the “With Special Offers” discount. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now you’re sick of the ads.

The good news: You can back out of this deal. The bad news: It’s going to cost you. 

Why does my Kindle have Special Offers? 

You might not have given this much thought when you bought your Kindle, but Amazon offers a lower price for the E-reader if you accept Special Offers. As Amazon explains, “If your Fire tablet or Kindle e-reader includes Special Offers, you’ll receive Sponsored Screensavers and special offers, including personalized advertising, from Amazon directly on your device.”

The With Special Offers button is set by default when you shop for a Kindle, and it looks like this (see lower-left corner of the screen below): 

By keeping the With Special Offers option—the default setting for this purchase—this Kindle Paperwhite’s cost is $119.99.

Watch what happens if we instead choose Without Special Offers:

Once we select Without Special Offers, the price of the Kindle Paperwhite goes up $20 to $139.99.

How do I remove ads and Special Offers from my Kindle? 

Removing ads and Special Offers from your Kindle is easy, but Amazon’s not letting you go for nothing. Yes, you’ll have to pay to get rid of the ads—or “Unsubscribe from Special Offers,” as Amazon puts it. 

Here’s how to do it: 

1. Sign into your Amazon account, and go to Manage Your Content and Devices > Devices. 
2. Select the Kindle device from which you wish to remove Special Offers. Information about the device will appear below the device’s listing onscreen.
3. Look for a line that says Special Offers / Offers and Ads. If you have Special Offers, it will say “Subscribed.” 
4. Click the Edit link next to Subscribed, and follow the instructions to unsubscribe. Amazon will tell you the amount you need to pay, and charge you via your 1-Click Payment setting. 

At this point, we won’t judge you if you pause and decide not to pay to get rid of the ads. Money is money. We understand. Enjoy your Kindle, and bookmark this page in case you get desperate.