Digital notebooks are supposed to take your productivity up a notch. They replace stacks of notebooks, eliminate pens that run out of ink, and sync notes across your devices. They aren’t known for interrupting your workflow like a scratched record when your stylus and screen decide they don’t want to play nice — which is exactly what happened to me earlier today.
This morning, I was taking notes rather vigorously — I’m a speed-writer, after all — when my scribblings suddenly didn’t appear where they were supposed to on my brand new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. It appeared that when I reached a certain spot on the screen, my writing would warp and bend around it or plainly refuse to show up at all.
The problem persisted on other pages and notebooks. I was annoyed — my Kindle Scribe Colorsoft was barely a month old, and I was already running into dead zones on the screen. Luckily, I wasn’t alone, and there are a few very simple, quick fixes to remedy the irksome issue.
- Brand
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Amazon
- Color
-
Yes
- Resolution
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150ppi
- Storage
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32GB, 64GB
Restart your Kindle Scribe
Tale as old as time, but it still works
Did you try turning it off and back on again? No matter how far we’ve come in technology, there’s still one universal truth: shutting a device down can shake out the fuzzies and fizzles and make it work like new again.
To fully restart your Kindle Scribe (not just lock it or put it to sleep) press and hold the power button for 40 seconds until the screen turns off. You may even be prompted to press a button to ‘Restart‘ it if you have a newer model, like the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.
Restarting and rebooting will not cause you to lose your progress or any writing in notebooks.
Remove the case
Magnetic interference
That cute third-party case you got off Etsy might be causing the dead zone. No amount of hardware aura farming (as the kids say) will make software challenges acceptable. Some users report third-party folios interfering with the Scribe’s EMR (Electromagnetic Resonance), which is what allows the screen itself to power the pen. It’s also the reason you don’t need to charge the Scribe’s stylus at all.
Put a magnet (like in some folio cases) behind the Scribe, and the tech gets mixed signals — literally. This is very likely the cause of any warping, skipped strokes, or localized dead zones on your screen. To test it, remove the case and write on your device with nothing underneath it.
To avoid this issue, only use Amazon-official Scribe cases. It’s just another unfortunate warning sign keeping you inside the walled garden, but like I said: a Scribe that actually works is much more important than one that looks cooler.
Make sure your stylus isn’t the problem
You may have to replace the tip
It’s highly unlikely that a stylus nib is only affecting one part of your screen, but it’s good housekeeping to keep tabs on it anyway. If your Scribe isn’t responding to stylus movements, it might be because the nib has been worn down, flattened, or has too many burrs or sharp edges. There are also cases where the wear is uneven, which may result in it working at one angle but not another.
As frustrating as it is, wear is inevitable — even if you have good habits to stretch out the tip’s longevity. A damaged or over-worn nib can cause the stylus to lose the consistent contact it needs with the screen. If that’s the case, replace the nib.
- Brand
-
Amazon
- Compatibility
-
Basic and Premium Pens
- Color
-
Black, White
These replacement tips are compatible with both Amazon’s Basic and Premium Pens for its Kindle Scribe line.
Update your Kindle Scribe’s software
Another old tale with a similar ending
It’s another obvious troubleshoot, but one that’s only brought up so much because it works as often as turning it back on and off again. Sometimes, software issues like this can be part of a bug that updates can patch and fix.
If you haven’t already, check your Kindle Scribe for system updates. On the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, you can do this by tapping More at the bottom of your screen > Settings > Device options > Software updates. There, it will tell you if your device is up-to-date. On earlier Kindle Scribes, tap the top of your screen > click the stoplight menu in the upper right > choose Settings > Device options > Software updates.
Even if a software update doesn’t explicitly state that it’s addressing dead zones or response issues, the refresh could trigger an internal reset that fixes the problem without you even realizing it.
If none of these work
Get in contact with Amazon
If your device is relatively new (or you bought it within the last year), there’s a good chance it’s still under Amazon’s device warranty. If that is the case, it’s worth reaching out to Amazon directly to troubleshoot the issue or even get a replacement device when applicable.
