How Many Accounts Can Your Kindle Be Linked To?
By Jack Gerard
The Kindle e-book reader is one of Amazon.com's top sellers. In fact, Amazon claims to have sold more Kindle units than any other item on its website. To access purchased books and other materials, a user has to register the device to use his Amazon.com account. Your Kindle can only be connected to one Amazon account.
Kindle Registration
Before a Kindle can be used with an Amazon account, it must be registered with the account. The registration option is located in the Settings menu. With the Kindle's wireless functions turned on, access the Settings menu and select the "Register" option, then enter the username and password for the Amazon.com account you wish to associate with the device. A new account can be created from the registration screen if desired for those who don't have Amazon accounts or those who wish to have dedicated accounts for their Kindles.
Registration Limitations
A Kindle can only be registered with one Amazon.com account at any given time. Once registration is successfully completed, the option to register the device disappears from the Settings menu; the Kindle simply isn't designed to link with multiple accounts at one time. There are no limitations to prevent multiple Kindle devices from being registered to the same account, however, so a single user with multiple Kindles or with a Kindle and additional Kindle reader apps for mobile devices or computers can register all of them to her account.
Deregistration
Once a Kindle is registered with an Amazon.com account, a new option appears in the Kindle Settings menu. The "Deregister" option is used to disconnect a Kindle from its association with a specific Amazon account. Once deregistered the device no longer has access to the e-books and other content associated with the Amazon account and can't use the account to made additional purchases. The device can be then registered with the same account again if desired to regain this access.
Multiple Accounts
Though a Kindle can only be registered with one account at a time, it is possible to use a single Kindle device with more than one Amazon account. Once a Kindle is deregistered from one account it can be registered with another account and gains access to the e-book library associated with that account. When you wish to switch back to the original account, you can then deregister again and reregister with that account. There are no limitations on the number of accounts that a Kindle can be used with, provided that it is used with each account separately.
Writer Bio
Born in West Virginia, Jack Gerard now lives in Kentucky. A writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience, he has written both articles and poetry for publication in magazines and online. A former nationally ranked sport fencer, Gerard also spent several years as a fencing coach and trainer.