Simplifying Kindle setup
through cross-device onboarding
Designing a cross-device onboarding that lets users set up their Kindle E-reader through the app - for a faster, simpler start.
Role
Lead Designer
Product
Kindle E-readers
Areas
Design, Strategy, Document
Launch
Dec 2021
Background
The legacy out-of-box experience (OOBE) for Kindle e-readers presented significant friction for users—especially those in the 45+ age group—who consistently flagged setup as burdensome. From 2019 to 2020, customer service received over 26,000 support contacts specifically related to device setup.
The process was lengthy, requiring users to complete over 20 steps (including two device reboots), and often involved extensive manual text entry. This was particularly painful on the E-reader’s slow, e-ink-based keyboard, which lacked support for alternative input methods like Bluetooth keyboards. Creating a new Amazon account, entering payment details, and filling out billing information all had to be done on the device, making an already slow experience feel even more frustrating.
Internally, the setup flow had also become overloaded, with multiple teams competing to surface their features during onboarding, adding to the complexity. This project set out to reimagine that experience by shifting the onboarding process to the Kindle mobile app—eliminating unnecessary steps and reducing friction at a critical first moment.
In the legacy experience, users were required to do a lot of manual typing required as part of the process, especially if creating a new Amazon account.
Approach
To reduce friction during device setup, we introduced Simple Setup, a new experience that allows users to pair their Kindle S-reader with the Kindle mobile app. This enables automatic transfer of account credentials and saved Wi-Fi passwords; removing the need for slow, manual typing on the E-reader’s on-screen keyboard.
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Given that 80% of Kindle E-reader users already have Amazon accounts, this significantly streamlined the process. Because legal and privacy requirements prevented automatic syncing, we also designed a clear opt-in flow that met compliance while remaining user-friendly. Users now choose between app pairing or manual setup, with both options presented equally to ensure clarity and avoid bias.
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​During beta testing, 83% of users discovered Simple Setup easily, with another 14% finding it through exploration. We identified that over 35% of failures were caused by connection timeouts. To address this, we extended beaconing during the first three steps, balancing usability and battery life. The update added just a 1% battery impact, which was an acceptable tradeoff for a smoother, more reliable setup experience.
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By shifting critical setup steps to the mobile app, we overcame the inherent hardware limitations of the E-reader - turning a slow, text-heavy process into a seamless cross-device experience centered on ease, speed, and user control.
The new onboarding process automatically detects and shares your Amazon account and any previously saved WiFi passwords.
Impact
Three months post-launch, Simple Setup achieved an 80.3% global success rate across 68,000+ Kindle devices—outperforming the Amazon-wide average of ~72.8% for similar cross-device onboarding flows.
Internally, the Amazon Frustration-Free Setup team recognized Kindle’s implementation as having the highest quality and most streamlined customer experience among all 1P, 2P, and 3P device teams using the framework.
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Anecdotally, customers praised the ease of use, noting that "typing on a Kindle can be very annoying sometimes," and expressing appreciation for the seamless transfer of saved Wi-Fi credentials;"I just pressed my Wi-Fi, didn’t even have to enter a password. it automatically brought that over to my Kindle."