Move off the unsupported legacy Kindle desktop app
Identify the retired Kindle for PC app, preserve synced reading data, and choose the current Windows, Mac, or web path without signing out too early.
Direct answer
The shortest reliable path.
Amazon ended support for the Legacy Kindle app, previously called Kindle for PC, on June 30, 2026. The current desktop app supports Windows 11 and macOS 10.14 or later; Amazon directs unsupported operating systems to Kindle for Web. Confirm that reading position, notes, and highlights are synced before signing out or removing the legacy app, because signing out deletes downloaded content from that installation.
System view
Check the whole path.
- 01Legacy Kindle installation
- 02Amazon account sync
- 03Supported operating system
- 04Current desktop app or Kindle for Web
- 05Verified notes and reading position
Scope before steps.
Readers using the legacy Kindle desktop application formerly named Kindle for PC, plus users checking whether their computer can run Amazon’s current desktop app.
Kindle e-reader firmware support, DRM removal, account recovery, corporate Windows migration, or availability of a particular book in Kindle for Web.
Procedure
Do this in order.
- 01
Identify the app and operating system
Record the Kindle app name/version and the computer’s Windows or macOS version before downloading a replacement.
- 02
Prove cloud sync before removal
Open a recently read title, sync the legacy app, then verify its position, notes, and highlights on another registered Kindle surface.
- 03
Choose the supported destination
Install the current desktop app on Windows 11 or macOS 10.14 and later. If the operating system is unsupported, use Kindle for Web.
- 04
Register and verify the new reader
Sign in with the same Amazon account and check the library, several notes, a highlight, and recent reading position before retiring the old app.
- 05
Remove the legacy app last
After verification, sign out or uninstall the old application and remove any local downloads according to the computer’s storage plan.
Diagnostic matrix
Read the result, not the guess.
| What you see | Check next | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| The computer runs Windows 10 | Use Kindle for Web or complete a supported OS migration first. | Amazon lists Windows 11—not Windows 10—for the current desktop app. |
| Books appear but notes do not | Return to the legacy app and sync before signing out. | Library access does not prove annotation data has reached the account. |
| The computer runs macOS 10.14 or later | Use Amazon’s current Mac download and verify the account library. | That meets Amazon’s published minimum macOS requirement. |
| The legacy app still launches | Treat launch as temporary local function, not ongoing support. | The official support end date has passed even if installed software opens. |
Stop conditions
Know when not to keep changing things.
- Do not sign out or uninstall until important synced data is visible somewhere else.
- Do not enter Amazon credentials into unofficial replacement readers or download sites.
- Use Amazon account support when the correct account does not show purchased content or sync state.