Adding User Accounts to a Kindle

Adding multiple users to your Kindle could negate having to spend hundreds of extra dollars on additional devices for your spouse or children. Kindle’s Free Time service makes this possible; with it, you can loan out your Kindle without worrying if others are accessing content you don’t want them to see. While adding user accounts isn't very complicated, you’ll need to consider what types of content you want each person to have access to.

In order to set up user accounts, you’ll need to tap “Apps” from the home screen and then select “Kindle Free Time.” Touch “Next” and then create a Parental Controls pass phrase. If you've already set a pass phrase, enter it here. Select the “Add Child Profile” page and then press “Tap to Set Photo.” Select a photo for the user and then enter his or her name, gender and birthday. Touch “Next” to complete profile creation. You’ll need to repeat this process for each person you want to have access to the Kindle.

Kindle Free Time’s parental controls focus on setting up a few allowed activities rather than having to manually block everything. For instance, if you choose to enable only book reading and music, everything else will be automatically disabled. This mentality of allowed content differs from devices like the iPad, which focuses on selective blocking instead.

Once an account has been added, you can configure its allowed content and time limit settings. If the account is for a spouse, you might choose to enable all content and forgo any time limits. For a child, you may decide to only allow educational activities rather than any gaming, Web browsing or movie watching. You can also compromise between the two by putting time limits on entertainment activities but keeping access to educational activities unlimited. Note, however, that if you purchase specific content for users to view, you’ll need to manually make those materials available in each profile.

Free Time’s Learn First feature lets you take content control another step further by prioritizing activities. For instance, you can set the Kindle to only allow Netflix and "Angry Birds" once a certain quota of book reading has been filled. This means you can ensure your kids do their homework before moving on to more recreational activities.