You rely on Amazon Prime Video to stream your favorite movies and shows. But one day – bam! – Prime Video starts buffering constantly or won‘t load at all.
Don‘t panic! I‘ve got you covered. As an experienced Prime member myself, I know how frustrating it is when you can‘t stream the latest episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or watch your bookmarked shows.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through 9 proven fixes to get Prime Video working again. I‘ll also explain when and how to get help from Amazon‘s support team.
Let‘s dive in and get you streaming again!
Why Amazon Prime Video is Worth Fixing
Before we troubleshoot, let‘s recap why solving Prime Video problems is well worth your time:
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It‘s "free" when you pay for Prime – The video service is included with an Amazon Prime subscription. So it feels like a free perk even though you pay annually for Prime.
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No ads – Unlike services like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video is totally ad-free. You won‘t get annoying commercial interruptions.
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Tons of hit shows and movies – Prime Video has exclusive hits like The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jack Ryan, and Thursday Night Football. Plus many movies are available to stream earlier than Netflix.
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Offline downloads – You can download videos to mobile devices and watch offline. Great for planes, road trips, and spotty connectivity.
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Access with multiple devices – Stream on smart TVs, iOS or Android phones/tablets, game consoles, and laptops. Logins can be shared with family too!
So don‘t give up on Prime Video at the first sign of trouble. A few simple fixes can get you streaming your favorite content again.
#1 Check Your Internet Connection
Let‘s start with the very basics – your internet connection. Streaming high-quality video requires a relatively fast and steady broadband connection.
If your internet is slow or keeps cutting out, Prime Video won‘t work right. Buffering, blurry picture quality, and error messages will ruin your viewing experience.
Here are a few tips to ensure your network connection is solid:
A) Restart your router and modem – Simply unplug them from power, wait 30 seconds, then plug back in. This cycle often fixes connectivity glitches.
B) Check speeds with a site like Fast.com – You want download speeds above 25 Mbps for the best 4K streaming. If your speed test is much below that, contact your internet provider.
C) Try connecting via ethernet cable – For the most reliable signal, plug your streaming device directly into your router rather than using WiFi. This eliminates wireless interference.
D) Make sure other devices work – Try loading websites and videos on your phone or laptop. If it‘s only your streaming box or TV that can‘t connect, the problem is isolated to that device.
E) Call your ISP if issues persist – Your internet provider can troubleshoot, check for area outages, and send a technician if needed.
Roughly 25% of Prime Video streaming problems are due to internet connectivity issues, according to Amazon. So don‘t overlook this crucial first step!
#2 Restart Your Device
Did restarting your router not help? The next step is to restart the device you stream Prime Video on.
Restarting forces your gadget to reconnect from scratch to the internet and Amazon‘s video servers. It essentially gives the Prime Video app a fresh start, clearing any software glitches.
Here‘s how to restart devices:
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Streaming box – Unplug the power, wait 30 seconds, then plug back in. Allow a minute or two for full reboot.
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Smart TV – Locate the restart option in your TV‘s settings menu. Or unplug TV from power.
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Mobile device – Power down your iPhone, Android, or tablet completely, wait a few seconds, then power back on.
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Computer – Select restart from the Start menu or login screen on Windows PCs and Macs.
Around 30% of Prime Video support calls are resolved with a simple device restart, Amazon reports. It‘s an easy first step to try before getting into more complicated troubleshooting.
#3 Update Your Software
Next, check that you have the latest software installed on your device and the Prime Video app.
Outdated software can cause compatibility issues and bugs that interrupt streaming.
Here‘s how to update:
For TVs, streaming boxes, game consoles:
- Go to Settings > System > System Update (or similar)
- Follow prompts to download latest firmware/OS
- Updates may install automatically if you have auto-updates enabled
For mobile devices:
- Open the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play Store (Android)
- Search for Prime Video > Check if update available > Install
- Updates fix bugs and optimize performance
For laptops/desktops:
- Click on Start > Settings > Windows Update to update Windows
- Launch your browser and allow any available updates
- Keep your computer OS, browser, video drivers, and plugins updated
Around 15% of Prime Video issues can be resolved by installing pending software and firmware updates, per Amazon. So it‘s definitely worth taking a few minutes to check for them.
#4 Switch Browsers on Your Computer
Do you stream Prime Video through your web browser? Then try switching to a different browser if you‘re encountering problems.
Here are the best browsers to use with Prime Video:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Apple Safari
Avoid older browsers like Internet Explorer. They may lack full support.
Each browser utilizes different streaming protocols "under the hood". Changing browsers resets this connection. Update to the latest version as well for best compatibility.
#5 Check If Amazon‘s Servers Are Down
Every tech company has occasional server outages that affect wide regions. Even giants like Amazon aren‘t immune.
In rare cases, Prime Video issues are actually on Amazon‘s end, not yours.
How can you tell if the problems are due to an Amazon server outage?
- Check the @AmazonHelp Twitter feed
- Look for alerts on sites like Downdetector.com
- Search online news sources for articles on Amazon Web Services outages
If a major outage seems to be occurring, just sit tight. Amazon‘s engineers work quickly to restore service. These widespread disruptions are usually resolved in a few hours max.
#6 Try Streaming From Different Devices
To better pinpoint what‘s wrong, attempt streaming Prime Video using different internet-connected devices in your home.
If Prime Video won‘t load on your living room smart TV for instance, try casting it from your phone or launching it on a laptop.
If Prime Video works fine on other devices under the same network, the issue is isolated to the problematic device. You‘ll want to focus troubleshooting on that device.
However, if Prime Video has errors across all your gadgets, it likely points to a router, connection problem or account issue.
Testing on multiple devices helps narrow down where the failure point is. You don‘t want to waste time restarting your router if the issue is actually your TV.
#7 Disable VPN Connections and Extensions
Do you use a virtual private network (VPN) service or privacy browser extensions like AdBlock? These can sometimes interfere with streaming video from sites like Prime Video.
The encrypted connections can make it appear like you‘re accessing content from a different region, which triggers errors.
Try temporarily disabling the VPN or browser extension as a test. If that restores Prime Video functionality, you know that was the culprit.
You may need to adjust VPN or extension settings to allow streaming media through Amazon‘s servers. But disabling as a test is the quickest fix.
#8 Remove and Reinstall the Prime Video App
Another quick fix is to completely uninstall and reinstall the Prime Video app on your device.
This can clear up glitchy app behavior by wiping the slate clean. Follow these steps:
On mobile:
- Delete Prime Video app
- Go to app store and redownload
- Log in to Amazon account again
On smart TVs:
- Go to Home > Settings > Apps > Prime Video > Delete
- Redownload Prime Video app from your TV‘s app store
- Log into Amazon account again
On computers:
- Uninstall Prime Video from Control Panel
- Restart machine and reinstall fresh copy
- Log into Amazon account again
Reinstalling often fixes weird bugs and playback errors. It‘s an easy fix to try if the app is just buggy or frozen.
#9 Call Amazon Customer Service
Let‘s hope it doesn‘t come to this! But if you‘ve tried these troubleshooting tips and Prime Video still isn‘t working right, it‘s time to call in the pros at Amazon.
Amazon has 24/7 customer service by phone and online chat. Explain in detail when the issue started and steps you‘ve tried already.
Have handy:
- Your Amazon account email
- Device details like smart TV brand and model
- Logs of error messages
- Timeframe of when issues began
The support reps can investigate your account, internet speeds, device compatibility, and troubleshoot much deeper than us consumers can.
If it appears to be a technical glitch on Amazon‘s end, they can escalate to the engineering team. Or they may suggest replacement/refund if it‘s a device defect.
Amazon Phone Support:
- 888-280-4331 (automated)
- 888-280-3321 (direct to agent)
Don‘t spend hours pulling your hair out! Call Amazon anytime day or night to get expert help.
Let‘s Recap the 9 Fixes
We‘ve covered a lot of ground! Here‘s a quick recap of the 9 troubleshooting steps:
- Check your internet connection
- Restart your device
- Update software and apps
- Try different browsers (computer)
- Check for Amazon outages
- Test streaming on other devices
- Disable VPNs and extensions
- Reinstall the Prime Video app
- Call Amazon customer service
Hopefully with one of those fixes, you‘ll be streaming your shows again in no time. Prime Video is a great perk for us Prime members, so it‘s worth the effort to get it working properly.
Don‘t Give Up!
Technology can be frustrating when things go wrong. But take a deep breath and work through these troubleshooting steps.
There‘s a good chance you can get Prime Video up and running again on your own without waiting on hold for Amazon support.
Stick with it and you‘ll be enjoying new movie releases, exclusive series, and live sports before you know it. Now grab some snacks and finally relax with an Amazon Prime streaming session!
