What Does Ad-Supported Kindle Mean?

An Ad-supported Kindle (also called Kindle with special offers) is an Amazon device that features Ads on the lock screen related to Amazon products. For Amazon to use targeted advertising on your Kindle device, they provide the Ad-supported Kindle at a reduced price.

You can get the Ad-supported on Kindle devices such as Amazon Kindle Oasis, Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, and the basic Amazon Kindle.

There are two Kindle devices where users don’t get the Ads. They include;

• Ad-free Kindle devices – You can get an Ad-free Kindle device by purchasing one from Amazon or paying an extra amount to Amazon to remove Ads on your Kindle Ad-supported device. 
• Children’s Kindle device – This Kindle device usually has no Ads. Instead, it features kid-friendly screen savers when the cover view is off.

Related: What Is Kindle Unlimited? Features And Prices

What Do Ads on Kindle Mean?

Ads on your Kindle device are a way for Amazon to encourage you to buy more products and services from their platform. These Ads can either be an ebook that Amazon’s algorithm thinks you may enjoy or even a Prime video.

And in case you’re wondering whether the Ads are random, they are not. Amazon’s algorithm uses history from your shopping habits and the products you browse to develop suitable Ads to show you on your Ad-supported Kindle device.

Amazon does this to provide meaningful Ads that may elicit a sale on an Amazon product or service in the future.

Related: Kindle Vs. Kobo- Which Brand Should I Buy?

Kindle Paperwhite Ad-Supported Meaning

The Kindle Paperwhite is a mid-level ebook reader that falls between the basic Kindle and the high-end Kindle Oasis. Kindle Paperwhite is popular because of its impressive user-friendly reading features like the E-Ink Carta display that is anti-glare.

With the Kindle paperwhite, you can get an Ad-supported one that displays screensaver Ads on your Kindle device lock screen. To access the kindle device, simply tap the wake button to turn it on, then swipe to unlock the device. Turning off the Kindle Paperwhite Ad-supported device brings another Ad to the screen.

The Kindle Paperwhite with Ads retails at $90, getting you a $20 discount.

What Does Lock Screen Ad-Supported Mean

Lock screen Ad-supported means that the Kindle displays Ads on the lock screen. You can remove the Ad and continue where you left off with your book by swiping the lock screen to open the Kindle device.

The lock screen Ad is one of two ways in which Amazon displays its Ads on Kindle devices. The other way that Amazon shows Ads is through a banner at the bottom of the homepage, which, unlike the lock screen, can’t be closed or swiped.

Related: Amazon Kindle: Is It The Best E-Reader Under $100

What’s the Difference Between Kindle With Ads and Without?

Amazon offers Kindle devices with the option of getting one with Ads or special offers or without. So apart from this fundamental difference in featuring Ads, what other difference exists between these Kindle devices?

• Price – Kindle with Ads costs $20 less than Kindles without Ads. If you first purchase an Ad-supported Kindle but wish to transition to an Ad-free Kindle, you can always do so by paying an extra $20 to have Amazon remove the Ads.

• Turning Kindle device on – Kindle with Ads require an extra step when turning them on. You first press the button, then again swipe the screen to unlock the Kindle device. Ad-free Kindles don’t have this extra step, as pressing the on button takes you directly to where you left off.

• Screen Saver – Ad-supported Kindles will display targeted Ads as the screen saver. For Ad-free kindles, you can turn on the cover view whereby the book cover of the recent book you are reading displays as the screen saver. You can also set it to display random screen saver images.

Related: Kindle Fire 7 vs. Kindle Fire 8 – What’s The Difference?

Are Kindle Ads Annoying?

Well, it depends on user preference. But most users will report that the Kindle Ads are annoying. The reasons why people may view the Ads as annoying is because of the following reasons;

• After switching on and off the Kindle device for a while, the ads look repetitive, whereby you see the same Ads repeatedly. This can be annoying.
• Sometimes the Ads are unrelated to the genre you are reading, which may be annoying to some people. For example, some people report getting plenty of romance titles as Ads on their Kindles.
• The extra step of opening the Kindle device may be annoying to people. Even after pressing the open device button, a user still has to swipe to unlock the Kindle device. This is true even when the Kindle device has a cover. The cover does not automatically open the device to the last reading position or page.

How Do I Get Rid of Ad-Supported Kindle?

Suppose you are tired of those annoying Ads on your Kindle device, then it’s probably time to remove them. And removing the Ads means you have to dig deeper into your pockets. You can follow these steps to have an Ad-free experience with Kindle successfully.

1. Sign in to your Amazon account on a web browser. 
2. Once you are signed in, on the homepage, go to ‘Accounts & List’
3. Under the drop-down menu in this section, click on ‘Manage Your Content and Devices
4. Next, select the ‘Devices’ tab and the Kindle icon.
5. You will then see a list of all your Kindle devices. Click on the device that you want to remove the Kindle special offers.
6. A device summary box will show when you click it, including one written as ‘Special Offers.’ In this box, click on ‘Remove Offers.’
7. Agree to the terms that will show, then click on ‘End Offers and Pay the Fee.’

When you do this, Amazon will deduct some money from the payment method listed in your Amazon account. You will also get an order acknowledgment in your email, and Amazon will automatically remove the adverts from your Kindle device.

Another way that you can remove the Ad-supported Kindle is to have a chat with Amazon Customer Service. You can call them at 1-888-280-4331 or connect through live chat. Simply explain to the customer care agent that you wish to have no adverts on your Kindle device. 

It is important to note that Amazon doesn’t set it in stone that once you remove the Ads, you can’t go back to the Ad-supported Kindle. On the Amazon website, you can decide to revert to Kindle with special offers.

Related: Kindle Unlimited Vs. Amazon Prime Reading: Which One Is Worth it?

How Much Does It Cost to Remove Ad-Supported Kindle?

Amazon charges $20 to remove Ads from your Ad-supported kindle. This amount equals the discount on the Kindle device when you purchase a Kindle device with special offers.

Related: What Is Kindle Vella? All The Answers

Final Thoughts: Kindle Ad-Supported vs. Without

Choosing the right Kindle depends on whether you find the Ad-supported experience annoying and whether you can bear the cost of a Kindle that doesn’t have Ads.

Most people will usually go for the cheaper Kindle because of the simple reason that it is more affordable. The Ad-supported button is set as default in Amazon when buying a kindle device.

What usually happens after some time is that users find the Ads annoying, especially if they are heavy users of the Kindle device. Fortunately, Amazon provides a way to remove the Ads at an extra added fee.

So if you would rather not have the annoying Ads, you can purchase the more expensive Kindle without Ads.

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