AMAZON TABLET NEWS

Amazon Kids Tablet vs Fire Kids: what changed and what to do now

Updated October 17, 2026 · 8 min read · By the Ejuu team

Amazon's new Kids Tablets run Android and add Google Play with parent approval, while Fire Kids tablets run Fire OS with the Amazon Appstore. Amazon has reportedly stopped making new Fire tablets, but yours is not going dark: Amazon lists security updates for current Fire Kids models into 2029, so there is no rush to replace one that works.

The short answer

Amazon just changed the kids tablet aisle. On October 8, 2026 it announced two new tablet families: Alexa Tablets for grown-ups and Amazon Kids Tablets for kids. Both run Android and come with Google Play. On the kids models, every Google Play download goes through a parent first.

At the same time, Quartz reports that Amazon told CNBC it has stopped making new Fire tablets but plans to keep supporting the ones people already own. So the Fire Kids tablet on your kitchen counter still works. It is just not the future of the lineup anymore.

Here is the quick version for busy parents:

• Your Fire tablet works and your kids are happy? Keep it. Amazon publishes security update dates for current Fire Kids models that run into 2029.
• Your kids need apps that are not on the Amazon Appstore? That is the main reason to look at the new Kids Tablet.
• Buying a first tablet? Compare the price, the case, the warranty and the app store before you decide. The details are below.

What Amazon announced

These numbers come from Amazon's own announcements, US starting prices as of October 2026. Prices can change, so check the listing before you buy.

What Amazon says comes in every Kids Tablet box:

• A kid-proof case. There are separate versions for younger kids (ages 3 and up) with a soft bumper, and for kids 6 and up with a slim hard case. Amazon says the hard case has a built-in kickstand.
• One year of Amazon Kids+. After that year, Amazon says ongoing subscriptions start at $7.99 a month for Prime members and $8.99 a month without Prime.
• A 1-year limited warranty.
• Parent Dashboard pre-installed, plus a free Parent Dashboard app for iOS and Android.

On hardware, Amazon lists the 8.7-inch model with up to 14 hours of video playback and 64 GB of storage, and the 11-inch model with a 2.5K display, 8 GB of RAM and stylus support. Amazon's developer spec sheets list both Kids Tablets as running Android 16.

The Kids Tablets start at the same price as the matching Alexa Tablets. The difference is what is in the box: the case, the year of Kids+ and the kid setup. One more thing to know if you are eyeing a cheaper adult model for a child: TechRepublic, citing Droid Life, reports that the base Alexa Tablet 8 and 11 show lockscreen ads, and removing them costs $20 more.

Amazon says shipping started October 14 in the US, Mexico and Canada (and Japan for the Kids Tablets), with the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain following on October 19. Amazon also lists Best Buy and Target as retail partners.

Fire Kids vs the new Kids Tablet for parents

Specs matter less than how the tablet fits your family. Here is the side-by-side that matters at home, as of October 2026.

The guarantee. Amazon's Fire Kids listing promises that if the tablet breaks within two years, you return it and Amazon replaces it for free. The new Kids Tablets list a 1-year limited warranty instead. Amazon has not said, in anything we found, whether that warranty covers drops and cracked screens. If your kids are hard on devices, read the warranty terms before you buy.

The app store. This is the real change. Fire Kids tablets use the Amazon Appstore, where kids can request apps and parents approve them from Parent Dashboard. The new Kids Tablets open the door to Google Play, so school apps and other apps that never came to the Amazon Appstore become possible. A parent still says yes or no to each one.

What happens to the Fire tablet you already own

Take a breath. Nothing changes overnight. Here is what the sources say.

• Support continues. According to Quartz, Amazon told CNBC it plans to keep supporting existing Fire tablets, while production of new units has ended.
• Stock may sell for a while. TechRepublic, citing WIRED, reports that Amazon plans to stop shipping Fire tablets in about one to two months, and that remaining inventory may still be sold.
• A reported support window. The same WIRED report, via TechRepublic, says Amazon plans to support existing Fire tablets for four years after their final shipment date.

Amazon's own help page is the one to bookmark. It says Amazon will provide software security updates until at least four years from when you bought the tablet new from Amazon as the seller on Amazon.com, or until the date in its table if that is later. If you bought it somewhere else, the table date applies. As of October 2026, the table lists:

Amazon also notes that the update period is not a promise about how long the device will last, and that Manage Your Devices shows details for your specific tablet. Older models not in the table have their own dates there.

What about your apps and Amazon Kids? Amazon says Kids+ works across compatible devices, Fire tablets included. Your Amazon Kids profiles, time limits and Parent Dashboard settings are part of the same system, so you can keep using them as you do today. If you have not set them up yet, our guides to setting up a Fire tablet for kids and Fire tablet screen time limits walk through it.

What is not clear yet: Amazon has not said, in the sources we read, how long the Amazon Appstore will keep getting new apps for Fire tablets. We are not going to guess.

Parental controls on the new tablets

The good news for parents who already use Amazon Kids: the control panel is the same one. Amazon says Parent Dashboard on the new Kids Tablets lets you:

• Set screen time limits and monitor activity.
• Find age-appropriate books, apps, games, videos and audiobooks.
• Set Learn First goals that put Kids+ reading and educational apps before entertainment. Our Learn First guide explains how that works.
• Control web browsing.
• Pause or resume a child's tablet remotely.
• See what kids make in Storybuilder, Stories with Alexa and Art Studio.
• Create profiles for up to four children.

For Google Play, Amazon's wording is simple: parents manage access through Parent Dashboard, and every download goes through parental approval. The product page describes it as reviewing and approving additional apps on Google Play.

One more thing parents ask: will Amazon Appstore apps you already paid for carry over? Amazon's developer FAQ for the Alexa Tablets says that, unless an app is part of Kids+, developers need to publish on Google Play to reach those tablets. We did not find the same statement for the Kids Tablets. Either way, do not assume an app your child loves on Fire will be waiting on the new tablet. Look it up on Google Play first.

Should you buy now, wait, or keep your Fire?

It depends on what your kids use and what you already own.

Keep your Fire if it runs well, your kids have the apps they want, and its security date on Amazon's table is years away. A working tablet is a working tablet. Spend the money on something else.

Look at the new Kids Tablet if your child needs an app that never came to the Amazon Appstore, like a school app. Parent-approved Google Play is the cleaner path. Check that the exact apps you need are on Google Play before you buy.

Consider a Fire Kids tablet while stock lasts if you are on a tight budget, your kids mostly live in Kids+ content, and the 2-year replace-it guarantee matters to you. If you go this way, buying new from Amazon as the seller gets you the four-year security window counted from your purchase date, per Amazon's help page.

Wait a few weeks if you are not in a hurry. Hands-on reviews of the parental controls and the warranty details will fill in what the announcements leave out. Waiting costs nothing.

One Kids+ detail before you buy anything: Amazon's product pages say that if you already pay for Kids+, setting up a new kids device replaces your current subscription with the included one, starting from activation. Our Is Amazon Kids+ worth it? guide covers prices and how renewal works.

Where Ejuu fits

Ejuu, where kids ages 4 to 12 earn tablet minutes by answering math, spelling and grammar questions, is on the Amazon Appstore for Fire tablets today and has been tested on the Fire HD 8 (12th generation). It is also on Google Play for Android tablets. We have not tested Ejuu on the new Amazon Kids Tablets or Alexa Tablets, so we cannot say it works there yet. If you have a Fire tablet, the Fire tablet setup steps show how to get started.

Weighing other tools for your Fire? Our roundup of Amazon Kids alternatives compares a few fairly.