Kindle Touch Troubleshooting

“The Kindle won’t respond to inputs, the screen remains blank.”

Plug the provided USB cord into the Kindle and the other end into a USB port. Charge for at least 30 minutes. The amber light on the bottom will turn green if it is fully charged. Press and hold the button on the bottom for at least 30 seconds to turn it on.

“Battery will not respond to charging.”

First, plug the Kindle into a proper power source with the provided USB cable. After waiting 30 minutes, while the device is still plugged in, hold the button on the bottom for at least 30 seconds to turn on the device. On the top right of the screen, there should be an indication of the charge percent available. Unplug the charging cable. If the device turns off or rapidly loses power, then the battery is no longer properly working and needs to be replaced.

First, check the USB cable plugs for possible wear, damage, or obstructions. If there is any, then the USB cable needs to be replaced.

After this, check the USB ports on the Kindle, if there are any bent pins, discoloration, or blockages, the Kindle will not be able to charge or upload new information. If the pins are bent, because they are soldered to the motherboard, motherboard replacement is the only option. If the pins are discolored, then oxidation may have occurred. Using a cotton swab, place a drop of isopropyl alcohol on the tip of the swab and gently rub around the port to remove any residue. Wait at least 5 minutes to let fully dry and attempt to charge the device again.

If there is a blockage, then using a pair of fine point tweezers, remove any obstruction and check for damage. If there is no damage or discoloration, then attempt to charge the device.

“The screen is cracked, smudged, or stained.”

First, ensure the device still works properly. Because the screen is multiple layers, but depending on the severity of the damage, most likely the entire display will have to be replaced. Smudges are the result of damaged pixels and will require replacement of the screen. For stains, if they are not able to be cleaned with electronic safe cleaning methods, then the screen will have to be replaced.

“The screen does not respond to touch, load a page, or change pages.”

Because touchscreens require thermal energy (heat) to be responsive, first make sure that there are no obstructions preventing proper contact with the screen. Such as gloves, non-touchscreen capable screen protectors, or dirt/oils/residue. When cleaning electronics, make sure to use solutions and techniques safe for electronics.

There are times when software goes bad, but these occasions can usually resolved by resetting the device. To do so, hold the power button for 20-30 seconds till the device reboots.

There are times the screen fails before the rest of the device. To see if this the case, plug your Kindle to a computer and see if it can transfer data. If it can, that means the screen needs to be replaced.

If none of the other solutions work, then the culprit is probably the Motherboard. This will require replacement of the Motherboard.

“The screen will not adjust its brightness levels.”

Because the Kindle Touch uses e-Ink technology, there is no backlight installed. It uses reflected light to enable reading. First, ensure there is adequate lighting in the reading environment. Next, if that does not solve the problem, reboot the device and see if that enables readability. If that does not work, then the problem is in the screen or the motherboard.

“Neither the speakers nor the headphone jack produce sound.”

All sound controls in the Kindle Touch are controlled through the software. Refer to the user guide to check the sound levels. Use headphones to ensure that sound is actually produced. If there is sound coming from the headphones, then the speakers may have to be replaced, which are part of the rear casing. Otherwise the problem may reside in the motherboard.

If sound can be produced from the speakers, but not from the headphone jack, the problem is either a blockage in the plug or the port itself is bad. To check the plug, shine a light down the plug and check for obstructions and see if the connectors are clean. If there is then respectively remove/clean it. If that’s not the case, then the plug itself is bad and will require the motherboard to be replaced.