Paperwhite: how to turn off backlight completely?

[DuckieTigger]

Back on topic. There is now a new version of my KUAL light button. It now can turn the light off automatically. See here for more info and download.

[ProDigit]

Gravedigging,

For about $5 (or less), you can totally turn off the backlight, without needing to do any sort of hardware hack, or rooting the firmware at all!

1- You can disable the screensaver, by typing "~ds" in the search bar (disable screen saver). This will allow the Kindle to remain in operation, even when it should be in sleep mode.

2- The $5 will buy you a magnetic strip like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Roll-N-Cut-Fl.../dp/B005HYDC68
You probably will be able to find fridge magnets at an even cheaper price,
like these ones:
https://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Ow.../dp/B008VE62E0


You turn up the screen brightness, and test the fridge magnet on the bottom right corner of the Kindle. Depending on the location, direction, and orientation of the magnet, it will either work, or appear to do nothing. If it doesn't, try rotating the magnet, moving it around a bit, or reversing it.

Once you found the magnet's best location and direction, take a scissors and cut out a small square, about 1/2" sq of the magnet.
You can either glue it on the kindle on the exact spot you've tested it with, or just place it in between the kindle and the cover.

The backlight will be turned off, but you're still able to use the kindle like normal.

You can also remove the magnet, to enable the light again.
For this reason, I think it's a better solution for those that want a more 'permanent' light off-solution, with still the ability to resell later on; and without the hassle of difficult hardware hacks, that may void warranty.

Battery savings?
Depending on usage and settings, you'll see a max savings of round about 50% of useable time (24/7 usage), and about 5-10% of battery savings in standby and occasional use with Wifi off.
Wifi on, and mostly in standby, the savings are negligible.

[ProDigit]

.. Seems like Amazon disabled the '~ds' feature with their latest forced firmware update on the PPW!

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

.. Seems like Amazon disabled the '~ds' feature with their latest forced firmware update on the PPW!

Are you certain about this?

Can anyone with a PW confirm or refute?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Are you certain about this?

Can anyone with a PW confirm or refute?

Refute, at least on a PW3 with 5.9.2 and a PW1 with 5.6.1.1 ~ds works as advertised.

ETA: just for fun, I am manually installing 5.9.2.0.1 right now, but this update was not forced, neither was 5.9.2

ETA2: Finished installing 5.9.2.0.1, and ~ds still works correctly. Magnet will turn off light, short press on power button does not put PW to sleep or turn light off. Reverts back to enabled screensaver after restart.

[ametzler]

Originally Posted by Jackie7

But why is it not possible to turn it of? The other kindles don't have that light, and therefore much longer battery life. Why did Amazon sacrifice that?

It is a usability feature, imho. Enter a dark-room, switch on your kindle. The light is just bright enough to allow you to adjust the brightness using the touchscreen.

[ProDigit]

Sadly my PPW no longer has battery life to test this.
But it still seems to work on my Oasis; with the con, that unless if I have a magnetic lid, the screen light will continuously be on at a minimum setting.