You should factory reset your Kindle Paperwhite if it stops working correctly or you’re going to give it to someone else. Here’s how to wipe your e-reader, along with when a hard restart of your Kindle Paperwhite might be a better idea.

What to Know

  • Factory reset: From the Home screen, go to Menu (three lines) > Settings > Menu > Reset Device.Hard restart: Hold the Sleep button until the Paperwhite restarts (about 20 seconds).A factory reset will delete all of your books and settings.

How Do You Do a Hard Reset on a Kindle Paperwhite?

A hard reset removes all of the data from your Kindle and returns it to factory conditions. You do it through the Settings menu.

How Do I Reset an Unresponsive Kindle Paperwhite?

If your Kindle Paperwhite is frozen or otherwise unresponsive, you may want to do a hard restart. A hard restart differs from a reset because it doesn’t reset the settings or delete your library. Instead, it just forces the device to reboot. It’s a less drastic measure than a factory reset, which you should only do if you have regular issues using it or are planning to sell, trade, or give away the device.

Charge your Kindle Paperwhite before doing a hard reset to avoid potential errors.

From the Paperwhite’s home screen, select the More menu, which looks like three horizontal lines.

Tap Settings.

Select the More menu again.

Different options will appear in this More menu. Tap Reset Device.

A warning message will appear, reminding you that resetting your Kindle will return the device to factory defaults. The process will delete your settings and library, so if you’re keeping the Paperwhite afterward, you’ll have to download all of your books again.

Tap Yes to continue.

To do a hard restart on a Paperwhite that isn’t responding, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the bottom edge of the device. After about five seconds, the Power Menu may appear, which contains options to restart the Paperwhite or turns off the Paperwhite’s screen, but you should keep holding the button down even if you see this. Eventually, the device will shut down and restart. The time you have to hold it may vary, but it normally takes about 20 seconds before the device responds.

The process to restore a Kindle Fire tablet to its default settings is similar to doing it for an e-reader. Go to Settings > Device Options > Reset to Factory Defaults > Reset. If you can’t find the setting there, try Settings gear > More > Device > Reset to Factory Defaults > Erase everything.

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