My Kindle Is Flashing

By Andrea Ruiz

You can store thousands of books on a single Kindle.
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The Amazon Kindle e-Reader uses state-of-the-art e-ink technology that rearranges pigmented polymers between two screens using electrical charges. Each time you toggle to a new page, the Kindle sends a new pattern of electrical charges to the screen to re-arrange the e-ink into displaying the correct text and images. You may find the Kindle screen's brief flicker or flash before showing the correct page content annoying or troublesome. How to solve the problem depends on the root cause of the flashing or flickering.

Normal Page Refresh

When you toggle between pages on your Kindle, the e-ink requires a brief moment to rearrange itself on the screen into the images and text for the page you've toggled to. In this brief moment, your screen may appear to flash momentarily before transitioning to the next page. Depending on several factors, such as the age of your Kindle and how much charge it has left, the screen may even turn completely black for a split second before flashing to the appropriate page. All of this may seem unusual or unexpected, but it is all perfectly normal and doesn't indicate that your Kindle is malfunctioning in any way.

Speeding Up Screen Refresh

If your screen flashes several times before transitioning to the next page you've toggled to, or if the transition seems to take an unusually long time, check the charge on your Kindle. When the Kindle is running low on battery charge, sometimes the screen flicker becomes sluggish. Try recharging it without using it for several hours; it may speed up the Kindle's screen flicker between page toggles.

Hard Screen Reset

If your Kindle screen is flashing repeatedly and you own a Kindle 2 or later model, you can try a hard screen reset, which can clear the screen of any number of problems, including screen flashing, partial screen permanence and "ghost" images left behind by screen savers. You can reset it by turning on your Kindle, then holding down the ALT button as you press the G key. When you release both keys, the screen should reset itself and clear the problem.

Kindle Warranty and Repairs

If the Kindle screen continues to flash or the problem persists, you may be able to get a replacement from Amazon.com. If you've purchased the Kindle within the last 30 days, you can return it to Amazon.com and get a new Kindle immediately. If you've purchased your Kindle within the last 12 months and your problem isn't caused by physical damage or anything else that might void the warranty, you can return your Kindle to Amazon.com for repair. If Amazon.com can't repair your unit, it may send you a new or refurbished unit in its place.

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