Should I change my Kindle email address?

A unique Kindle email is automatically generated when you register a new Kindle. For security and convenience, you should consider changing the default Kindle email address.

Send to Kindle is a special email address that you can use to add own ebooks to your Kindle. It’s created and assigned automatically to any new Kindle device or app you connect with your Amazon account.

Kindle email – the highlights

• Kindle email is based on the email address you use to log in to Amazon – it takes the first part of your email and adds a sequence of random letters & digits.
• As a rule, the Send-to-Kindle system accepts only the files send from your email address and other emails that were authorized by you.
• However, it’s technically possible that someone spoofs your email address to send their own files to your Kindle – it may be a source.

The rule how Kindle emails are created

Each of the unique Kindle emails generated for your connected devices is constructed the same way:

• The part after the “@” sign is being replaced by kindle.com.
• The part before the “@” sign is being followed by an underscore and a sequence of random letters and digits.

Therefore, if your Amazon login email is myemail@gmail.com, your auto-generated Kindle emails will look like this:

Device 1 – myemail_43A1q0@kindle.com
Device 2 – myemail_NM3a9A@kindle.com
Device 3 – myemail_7218Qj@kindle.com

2 reasons to change your Kindle email address

1. Convenience

• If you have several devices connected to your Amazon account, Kindle email addresses differ only in the random auto-generated part (see examples above).
• You can modify the email to add the name of your device, so that you would easier find the right one when sending ebook files.

2. Security

• Even if you don’t use your Kindle email address, it exists and it can receive and process email attachments – it may be a source of problems.
• According to Realmode Labs, a Kindle email address may be used to remotely execute code on the associated Kindle letting attackers use the victim’s credit card.
• The attackers may send a malicious ebook file by spoofing an email from your email address.
• If the attackers know your email address and know you are an Amazon customer, they can run a brute-force attack by sending email attachments to email addresses generated the same way Amazon does.
• This known vulnerability is limited only to Kindle e-readers, and it has already been fixed by Amazon.
• Changing the Kindle email is another layer of protection. It’s enough if you break the pattern – replace the auto-generated _<> string with anything else, or modify the part taken from your original email address.

How to change Kindle email address

Although you can find the address in the settings section on your Kindle or Kindle app, you can’t edit it there.

To change the Kindle email, you will need to visit Amazon website.

1. Go to Amazon website » Accounts & Lists » Your Content and Devices.

2. Click on “Preferences” in the top navigation bar and scroll down to see the section called “Personal Document Settings.” Click on the title to reveal its content.

3. Find a list of Kindle email addresses in the “Send-to-Kindle E-Mail Settings” list.

4. To change the address, click on “Edit” link on the right side, in the “Actions” column.

5. Please note, that you can only change the part before the “@” sign. Make sure to make it as uncommon as possible.

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