Turning your Amazon Kindle on and off is as easy as finding the power button—except the location of that button has varied from model to model over the generations. Our handy guide will help you, and we’ve included photos of a variety of models, working our way from the latest down to some older vintages.
How to turn your Kindle on or off
The process to turn your Amazon Kindle on or off is the same regardless of the model or generation. Depress or flick the button, and hold it for one second. Then, let it go. If your Kindle was powered off, its display will now power on.
Not sure of where your Kindle’s power button is located? This comprehensive list, organized by model and moving from the latest to the older generations, will help you track it down.
Find the power button on Kindle
Amazon Kindle (8th and 10th generations)
Michael Ansaldo/IDG
Amazon’s All-new Kindle (10th generation) locates the power button along the bottom edge.
Look along the bottom edge of the All-new Kindle (above). You’ll find the power button right of center.
Amazon Kindle (4th and 5th generations)
Michael Brown/IDG
The Amazon Kindle 4th/5th generation locates the power button along the bottom edge, in the “chin” that also includes the charge port.
The Amazon Kindle 4th and 5th generations (DO1100) have a lot of buttons along the bottom of the front panel. However, the power button is in a thicker “chin” along the bottom edge.
Kindle 2nd generation
The power switch for the 2nd-generation Kindle is located on the top edge of the device, next to the headphone port.
Kindle 1st generation
You’ll find the power switch for Amazon’s original, 1st-generation Kindle e-reader on the back of the device, adjacent to its wireless switch and speaker.
Find the power button on Kindle Oasis
Amazon Kindle Oasis (8th, 9th and 10th generations)
Michael Ansaldo/IDG
Amazon’s All-new Kindle Oasis (10th generation) locates the power button along the top edge.
On all generations of the Kindle Oasis (the original 8th generation, plus the 9th and 10th generations), the power button lies along the top edge, near the right side. This location is convenient given that you’ll likely be holding the Oasis along the wide right edge. The 10th generation is shown above.
Find the power button on Kindle Paperwhite
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (7th and 10th generations)
On the 7th- and 10th-generation Kindle Paperwhites (not pictured), the power button is along the bottom edge, right of center.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (6th generation)
Melissa Riofrio/IDG
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 6th generation locates the power button in a “chin” in the middle of the bottom edge.
On the 6th-generation Kindle Paperwhite (above), the power button is located in a slightly wider “chin” area along the bottom edge, to the right of the charging port.
Kindle Paperwhite (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations)
In the first four generations of the Kindle Paperwhite (not pictured), the power button is located on the bottom edge of the device, next to its charging port.
Find the power button on Kindle Voyage
Kindle Voyage (7th generation)
Michael Brown/IDG
The Kindle Voyage (7th generation) locates the power button along the back panel, near the right side.
Amazon did something very different with the Kindle Voyage (above), locating the power button on the rear panel, in the top righthand corner. We’ve flipped the Voyage in the photo above, so you can see what the button looks like.
Kindle Touch (4th generation)
On the Kindle Touch (not pictured), the power button is located on the bottom edge of the device, next to the headphone port.
Kindle Keyboard (3rd generation)
The power switch for the Kindle Keyboard (not pictured) is located on the bottom edge of the device, next to its microUSB port.
Kindle DX
The power switch for Amazon’s Kindle DX e-reader is located on the top edge of the device, next to the headphone port.
How to put your Kindle to sleep
To put your Kindle to sleep, flick the power switch or push the power button once again. If you find that your Kindle refuses to power down or isn’t working as it should once it’s been powered on, you may need to reset your Kindle, which we’ve covered in the guide linked here.
Turn your Kindle on or off when it has a cover
Séamus Bellamy
If your Kindle has a cover, like this 2016 Kindle Oasis does, you can turn it on or put it to sleep by opening or closing its cover. It’s power button will still do the trick too, though.
If you own any generation of Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis, the now-discontinued Kindle Voyage, or the last few generations of Amazon’s base model Kindle e-reader, you’ll find that Amazon’s proprietary Kindle covers and many third-party accessory covers have been designed to turn your device on whenever the cover is opened. A magnet in the cover interacts with the device, powering it on when the magnet is moved away from the display. To power off your device at the end of a reading session, simply close the cover as you would with a book.