Kindle Lockscreen Creator

Formats images for use as custom Kindle lock screens.


Important Compatibility Note

This tool currently creates images for the 11th Generation Kindle (2024 Release) (1072×1448) and the 1st Generation Kindle Scribe (1860×2480). Other Kindle models may require different image dimensions/settings and have not yet been tested with images from this app.

Critical: Ads Must Be Disabled

Custom lock screen images will only display when ads are disabled on your Kindle.

If you haven't purchased your Kindle yet:

  • DO NOT pay extra for an ad-free Kindle at purchase
  • Buy the ad-supported version
  • The current jailbreak method for new Kindles (AdBreak) requires ads to be present to work
  • After jailbreaking, remove ads from your Kindle

Remember: Jailbreak first (while ads are present), then remove ads.

Step 1: Jailbreak Your Kindle

Before installing custom lock screen images, you must jailbreak your Kindle. Detailed instructions for all Kindle models can be found at kindlemodding.org.

Step 2: Install USBNetLite

Install USBNetLite through KUAL on your jailbroken Kindle. This enables SSH access to your Kindle's root shell. Download it here: github.com/notmarek/kindle-usbnetlite

Step 3: Connect to Your Kindle via SSH

  1. Ensure your Kindle is connected to the same local network as your computer
  2. Open USBNetLite on your Kindle
  3. Tap "Toggle USBNetwork" to enable SSH
  4. On your computer, open a command prompt or terminal and type:
    ssh root@[kindle-local-ip]

    Don't know your Kindle's IP? Use Angry IP Scanner to find it.

  5. When prompted for a password, type: kindle, all lowercase
  6. You should see a notice about the rootfs being read-only and a prompt like:
    [root@kindle us]#

Step 4: Upload Your Custom Images

  1. Make the root filesystem writable:
    mntroot rw
  2. Exit the SSH session:
    exit
  3. Navigate to the directory where you saved your custom images:
    cd /path/to/custom-images
  4. Copy all images to your Kindle (this will overwrite the default lock screen images):
    scp bg_ss*.png root@[kindle-local-ip]:/usr/share/blanket/screensaver

    For Kids Mode: Use bg_kids_ss*.png instead. Kindles in "For Kids" mode use a different set of lock screen images with the "bg_kids_ss" naming convention.

  5. Reboot your Kindle to see the custom images when you lock the screen

Step 5: Configure KOReader (If Applicable)

If you use KOReader, you'll need to point its settings to the stock lock images directory, as KOReader overrides default Kindle locking behavior.

  1. Go to Settings → Sleep Screen → Wallpaper
  2. Set it to "Show random image from folder on sleep screen"
  3. Go to "Custom images" and enable "Cycle through images in order" (if you want default Kindle behavior)
  4. Tap "Choose random image folder" and navigate to:
    /usr/share/blanket/screensaver
  5. Set that folder as the random image folder
  6. Go back to Settings → Sleep Screen → Sleep Screen Message
  7. Disable "Add custom message to sleep screen"

Now locking within KOReader open should display your custom images exactly as the default Kindle UI would.

Restoring Original Images

If you want to restore the original lock screen images, you can download them at: https://github.com/sykesgabri/kindle-lockscreen-creator/tree/main/stock-lockscreens

1. Upload Image

Preview

Upload an image to see preview

About This Tool

Full disclosure: This app was vibe-coded (I suck at JS so I made an AI write it for me) and so far has only been tested on an 11th Gen Kindle (2024 Release), as that's what I have. While it should work for the 1st Gen Kindle Scribe based on documented specifications, this hasn't yet been verified.

I have still gone over the code and manually tweaked phrasing, and ensured that all instructions are accurate to the best of my ability.

Special thanks to:

  • Joshua Stein for the invaluable resource that helped determine where default lock screen images are stored, the correct export settings and naming conventions, and the 1st Gen Kindle Scribe's resolution.

  • The Kindle modding community for making this possible in the first place, and allowing people to free the hardware they own from Jeff Bezos' clutches.

  • Marek Veselý for creating USBNetLite for Kindle, among many other great contributions to the Kindle modding community.

  • The Angry IP Scanner devs for creating a tool that makes it easy to find out the local IP addresses of devices on your network.

  • The KOReader devs for creating an incredibly feature-rich E-book reader that's compatible with pretty much everything, and a must-have for jailbroken Kindles.

  • All contributors to this tool for helping improve the codebase and adding support for other models of Kindle.

Contributions Welcome!

This project needs your help! If you have access to other Kindle models, please contribute by:

  • Testing these generated images on your Kindle model
  • Submitting resolution and image specifications for your model
  • Sharing the default lock screen images from your Kindle
  • Reporting any issues or bugs you encounter
  • Suggesting improvements or new features

Submit pull requests and issues at: https://github.com/sykesgabri/kindle-lockscreen-creator

Your contributions help make this tool compatible with more Kindle models.