Most people have experienced the frustrating experience of attempting to use an electronic device while it is charging, only to find that its functionality is compromised. Often, this is due to using a suboptimal charging cable.
Can you use a kindle while charging?
If you don’t mind your Kindle charging at a slower speed than usual, you can use it to read eBooks while it is plugged in. Doing so should not prevent you from using any of the Kindle’s features, but because you’ll be using power, it won’t reach full charge as quickly.
Other factors come into play here, including the quality and suitability of the charging cable and plug you use, along with the type of Kindle and its condition.
Although you can use your Kindle while charging, this isn’t recommended if you want to charge it quickly. We’ll cover all of this and more in our detailed guide.
Can You Use Kindle While Charging?
In some cases, it’s not advised to use an electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet when it is charging. Users can experience glitches and problems when doing this, especially if the charging cable is not optimal.
Kindles, on the other hand, can always be used when they are being charged. You can plug the device into a wall plug or another power source and use it in the same way you do when it is unplugged.
Caution:
The only downside to using a Kindle while plugged into a power source is that it will inevitably lead to the device charging slower than usual. This is because the Kindle will simultaneously use battery life as it is being charged.
The amount of power supplied when a Kindle is being charged is greater than the amount used to read an eBook, for example. Therefore, the Kindle will still charge, but it will be considerably slower.
If you need to charge your Kindle quickly, it’s not a good idea to use it until after the battery is sufficiently charged.
How Long Does Kindle Take to Charge?
If a Kindle’s battery is dead, you can expect it to take between 3-4.5 hours to reach full charge. However, some variables can impact the total charging time.
It takes around 20 minutes for a Kindle to charge enough to turn on if it is completely dead, then an additional 30 minutes of charging will leave you with around 25% battery life.
The condition of the Kindle battery, which is directly linked to the number of charging cycles it has undergone, may cause it to charge at a faster or slower speed. A Kindle battery has around 300 to 500 charging cycles before it becomes unusable.
A charging cycle is simply when the Kindle is charged from dead to full battery power. Each time you do this, the battery nears the end of its maximum lifespan.
Most Kindle batteries last for at least four years, and some users report having them for even longer. Keeping the device in good condition by using it responsibly will help to boost its longevity.
- The lightest and most compact Kindle, now with a 300 ppi high-resolution display for sharp text and images.
How to Tell If a Kindle is Charging
When you plug the charging cable into your Kindle and then connect the other end to a wall plug or other USB power source, there are two simple ways that you can figure out whether the device is charging.
Firstly, when a Kindle is charging, there should be an orange light that is positioned on the side of the USB port where the cable is plugged in. This light may take a second or two to switch on when you plug the connector into the Kindle.
Another way that you can check whether your Kindle is charging is by looking at the battery icon on the display of your Kindle. You should see a lightning bolt inside the battery status icon.
When the Kindle is not charging, neither the orange light that is found next to the charger nor the lightning bolt inside the battery icon will be visible. This may mean the power source is not turned on or the cable is faulty.
Here’s a YouTube video explaining reasons on Kindle not charging:
Is Kindle Always On?
The Kindle is a unique tablet-style device because it uses an E-Ink screen rather than the LCD screens commonly found on iPads and other tablets. This E-Ink screen is much more power efficient, as it doesn’t use electricity to display the words of an eBook.
Power is used to generate the initial image on the E-Ink screen, but it isn’t needed to maintain the image. That’s why Amazon Kindles can last long without needing to be charged.
Unless you manually turn off your Kindle by pressing the power button for 10 seconds, it will remain in standby mode when you are not using the device.
Due to the lack of battery power used by a Kindle, it’s probably not worth turning it off when you are not using it as this will cause more battery to be drained by constantly powering it back up.
Related Questions
Is it okay to leave a Kindle plugged in all the time?
Leaving your Kindle plugged in all the time will not harm the battery or use much power, as the charging circuit disconnects once the full charge has been reached. Unplugging the charger is still advised to save energy.
How often should I charge my Kindle?
Kindle users can get over a month of usage out of their device from a single full charge, depending on how frequently they use it. It is advised to monitor the battery life and charge it once it drops below 5%.
How long does it take for a Kindle to charge enough to turn on?
If your Kindle is completely dead, it will take around 20 minutes for the battery to be charged enough for it to turn back on. You’ll then need to leave it plugged in for around half an hour to get a 20% battery charge.
