# Kindle Lockdown



## ameger (Jan 14, 2009)

Hi All-

I've been hunting around various FAQs and could not find an answer to this question. A friend pointed me to this board as The Place To Ask.

Before I enter into the long wait for a new Kindle, I wanted to know if it is possible to 'lock down' a Kindle to make sure that other people do not download material I don't want, fiddle with screensaver settings, and the like. I ask this based on previous experience where friends/loved ones have 'accidentally' ended up charging my account by downloading iTunes or Xbox Live content or have fiddled with settings so much it takes ages to restore my preferences (if anyone has a curious child, they may have also experienced this).

So is it possible to lock down a Kindle so I don't have to worry about weird content being loaded on it via USB, having stuff downloaded and charged to my account, and so on. I'm stuck between my urge to share (show off) my new toy and "don't move my cheese" tendencies! 

Thanks for your help!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

You can't "lockdown" your Kindle, put a password on it, etc.

If you handed over your Kindle to someone and wandered away, they could figure out how to turn on the Whispernet, go to the Kindle store and buy stuff which would be charged to your card. But really, that would take alot of fast learning on their part to do this.

Hooking up the Kindle via USB, downloading screensavers, etc. would be really hard for someone to do quickly and easily. I suppose if you lent it to someone overnight they could make these sort of changes. So, your best protection in all cases would be for your to demo your Kindle and only let someone else touch it when you are there and supervising.

L


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie,

If you turn off one-click, would that impact buying through the Kindle?

Betsy


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Leslie,
> 
> If you turn off one-click, would that impact buying through the Kindle?
> 
> Betsy


No...you can still shop in the Kindle store on your Kindle, even if one-click is turned off on you Amazon account. I think that even if you are not logged in to Amazon on any computer, you can still buy stuff on your Kindle.

L


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi, Ameger,

welcome to Kindleboards and congratulations on your first post and on your pending Kindle!  Be sure to head over to Introductions and tell us a little bit more about yourself.  When you order your Kindle, you will officially be on Kindlewatch.  We love sharing Kindlewatch with prospective owners, there's a separate thread for it!

As Leslie said, downloading books onto the Kindle is not quite as straightforward as in iTunes.  And fiddling with the screensavers is not simple at all, many people trying to change the screensavers find it difficult.

There also aren't a whole lot of preferences that can be individually set.  I think the only issue would be the downloading, and you always have seven days to return a book.  If you're concerned, I would just keep an eye on your content.  You can sort content by recently added and make sure that anything on there is something you added.

Betsy


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## ameger (Jan 14, 2009)

Hi All-

Thanks so much for your prompt replies. 

I find it weird that there isn't at least a password prompt (like there is on the iPhone, or even on Amazon's own webstore) for purchasing content over the Kindle.

I guess I'll have to watch it like a hawk and extract oaths in blood to not run up my bill if I let a friend borrow it for a few hours!


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## Panjo (Dec 21, 2008)

If you do find that someone downloads a book by accident, someone told me that there is a 7 day return period.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Yes, I believe you have to call customer service to return it.

Betsy


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

ameger said:


> I guess I'll have to watch it like a hawk and extract oaths in blood to not run up my bill if I let a friend borrow it for a few hours!


If you are anything like the rest of us, once you have your Kindle, you won't be able to lend it to a friend for a few hours!

L


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

Here's another hint for you:

When showing off whispernet to onlookers, downloading a sample is just as impressive as buying a new book.


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Leslie said:


> No...you can still shop in the Kindle store on your Kindle, even if one-click is turned off on you Amazon account. I think that even if you are not logged in to Amazon on any computer, you can still buy stuff on your Kindle.
> 
> L


I have One-Click turned off on my regular Amazon account and it does not affect using my Kindle. Also I buy things in airports and places where I am not logged on to Amazon and it still works from my Kindle. You do need to have a credit card on file.


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## Dori (Oct 28, 2008)

Once you have your kindle in your hand I think you may not be lending it to folks.  Do you lend your toothbrush to anyone that asks?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Dori said:


> Once you have your kindle in your hand I think you may not be lending it to folks. Do you lend your toothbrush to anyone that asks?


Hahahahah, good one, Dori!

L


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

If there was a purchasing lock on the kindle...I think my mom could regulate my one-click. It would be good for parents with tweens/teens with no credit card.


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

You mean to tell me, with all the accessorizing around here, that nobody’s come up with a fancy cover that locks?


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

can probably make one if someone finds a journal w/ a lock at is the right size to lock.


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Vegas_Asian said:


> can probably make one if someone finds a journal w/ a lock at is the right size to lock.


I was actually kidding but that's not such a bad idea.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

I know you were kidding, but I love accessorizing my K (although on a collegestudent budget)...I also like the idea of locking my K...considering I have been keeping my journal entries on my K, now. (recently been typing them out) There are certain members of the family that have admitted they read my journals (grr!), which is why I prefer to carry my journals with me. Adding it to my K, laptop, and flashdrive labelled as にっき or Nikki (the japanese word for diary/journal...although on my K its labelled as Nikki on my K, since Jap isn't supposed by the K)
my journals from the last five years...not including my current two or digitized ones:


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

Jeff said:


> You mean to tell me, with all the accessorizing around here, that nobody's come up with a fancy cover that locks?


Childproofing the Amazon Kindle


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

MonaSW said:


> Childproofing the Amazon Kindle


I'm not sure how to respond to that.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

MonaSW said:


> Childproofing the Amazon Kindle


That's just scary. Really scary.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

MonaSW said:


> Childproofing the Amazon Kindle


 
Wow....okay

Any ways to mom/brother-proof journal or kindles with journal entries in them? jk lol.


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

Me neither. It seems -  excessive.


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

MonaSW said:


> Me neither. It seems - excessive.


Ya think?


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm not thinking of childproofing it, but if there was way to password protect them if you lose it it wouldn't be usable by the finder and it would give you time to deregister the Kindle from your account and report it.  If I remember correctly Amazon is of no help for a lost Kindle and someone coudl do a lot of damage if they found a kindle and bought a lot of books on your account.  Sort of like password protection on your computer.  Does this make sense or am I being paranoid?


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## SusanCassidy (Nov 9, 2008)

I think you are being paranoid.  How many books could someone buy before you noticed your Kindle was missing?  Even so, I'm sure Amazon would refund the money.  It isn't like they can buy anything except Kindle books.  Assuming they even know how.

If they ever do have password protection for Kindle, I really hope it is optional.  I put mine to sleep and wake it up way too often to want to fool with a password.


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

Everytime you order something through whispernet you immediately get an email from Amazon telling you about your new order.  If you access your email on a regular basis, you're going to know when someone is purchasing books on your Kindle.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

SusanCassidy said:


> If they ever do have password protection for Kindle, I really hope it is optional. I put mine to sleep and wake it up way too often to want to fool with a password.


I don't think they need to password protect the whole Kindle, they need to password protect buying items in the store. Perhaps before you access the store, you should have to enter your password. I need to do that if I'm online from my computer... (Of course, our Kindleboards members buy their books through the boards here so that KBoards gets a small commission, so none of us would ever use the password on their Kindle!)

Betsy


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)




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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

luvmy4brats said:


> That's just scary. Really scary.


Glad I'm not the only one who was frightened by that website.


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## kim (Nov 20, 2008)

MonaSW said:


> Childproofing the Amazon Kindle


It took me a while to figure out why everybody was making their comments - I didn't realize right away that this was a link. I finally figured it out and read the article.

Ha! And my daughter thinks I"m over protective because I won't let her stay out all night. These kids better stay close to mom and dad their whole life, because they won't know how to deal with things when they get into the real world. How about if you tell your kid, "son, don't turn on that button"? That might work and you wont have to build a fortress around a little helpless Kindle.

And the article mentioned that another kid got into naughty stuff and they where so glad that his parents weren't angry. Another Ha. I got news for you buddy, it's not the first time the other little kid has been someplace naughty on the internet.

How about teaching kids what is right and wrong instead of hiding them from the world.
<ok, I'm getting off my soapbox now>


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## ScottBooks (Oct 28, 2008)

Kids that are old enough to be left alone with my Kindle are also old enough to vote (by definition  ) and thus have seen the worst of the Internet already. Quite possibly even the end of it.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Did anyone else notice that their link to the "great children's books on amazon" was just a link to children's chapter books and find it ironic that the top one is, of course, _Breaking Dawn_?


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

marianner said:


> Did anyone else notice that their link to the "great children's books on amazon" was just a link to children's chapter books and find it ironic that the top one is, of course, _Breaking Dawn_?


Actually, I did and got quite a giggle out of that. If a kid needs to have their Kindle locked up, they don't need to be reading Breaking Dawn!


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

KindleMom said:


> I'm not sure how to respond to that.


ROFLMAO!


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