How to Make a Book Cover Your Kindle Screensaver

Kindle's 'Special Offers' has to be turned off in order to enable this feature

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on July 23, 2022
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed by Jessica Kormos
  • Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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What to Know

  • Tap the top of the screen > All Settings > Device Options, then tap the Display Cover toggle.
  • To show a book cover on your lock screen, open the book you want to display and lock the Kindle. 
  • You can only set a book cover as your Kindle screensaver if special offers are turned off.

This article explains how to set a book cover as your Kindle screensaver, including how to upgrade your Kindle to unlock this feature.

How Do I Get the Book Cover on My Kindle Lock Screen?

If you’re tired of the default screensaver art, or you just want to remind yourself which book you are reading, you can set a book cover as your Kindle lock screen. If you have a Kindle with Special Offers, you can’t show a book cover as a screensaver. To access this feature, you will first have to pay a fee that’s equal to the discount you received when you purchased a Kindle with Special Offers.

  1. Tap the top of the screen on the Kindle home screen.

    Tapping at the top of the Kindle screen

  2. Tap All Settings.

    All Settings highlighted on Kindle

  3. Tap Device Options.

    Device Options highlighted on a Kindle

  4. Tap the toggle in the Display Cover section.

    The Display Cover toggle highlighted on a Kindle

  5. When the toggle is On, the book you are currently reading will appear on the lock screen.

    A Kindle with the Display Cover toggle turned on

Can Kindle Show a Book Cover as a Screensaver?

Your Kindle has a selection of art it uses as default screensavers. Amazon also provides a discount if you allow them to show special offers and advertisements as screensavers. If you opted for a Kindle without the special offer discount, you can switch from the default screensavers to instead display the cover of a book.

This feature is only available on the ads-free versions of 8th-generation and later Kindles, 7th-generation and later Kindle Paperwhites, Kindle Oasis, and Kindle Voyage. To see whether you can use this feature, you need to identify which Kindle you have.

To display a book cover on the lock screen, make sure you have that book open when you lock your Kindle. If you lock your Kindle on the home screen or library, it will display default screensaver art.

How Can I Unlock My Kindle to Get the Book Cover Screensaver Feature?

The book cover screensaver feature is only available if Special Offers is disabled on your devices. Special Offers is an option you can choose when you purchase a Kindle that gives you a discount in exchange for allowing Amazon to display advertisements on your Kindle's lock screen.

You can disable this feature at any time by paying the same amount you originally received as a discount. Disabling this feature removes advertisements from your lock screen and allows you to set a book cover as a lock screen.

It can take up to 24 hours for Special Offers to stop appearing. If you don't see book covers immediately, try restarting your Kindle.

Here’s how to remove special offers from a Kindle:

  1. Navigate to the Amazon device management page, and tap Kindle.

    Kindle highlighted in Amazon device management

  2. Tap a Kindle.

    A Kindle highlighted in a list of Kindles

  3. Tap Remove Offers.

    Remove Offers highlighted in Kindle management

  4. Tap End Offers and Pay the Fee.

    End Offers and Pay the Fee highlighted in Kindle management

  5. The next time you use your Kindle, tap OK to complete the process.

    OK highlighted on a Kindle
FAQ
  • How do I change the screensaver on a Kindle?

    The only option you have to change the Kindle's screensaver is setting the book cover, even if you remove the "Special Offers." You may have more options by jailbreaking your device, but that process voids your warranty.

  • How do I stop a book from showing as a Kindle screensaver?

    Reverse the above steps to prevent the book you're reading from showing up on the lock screen. Go to Settings > Device Options, and then turn off Display Cover.

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