How to download Amazon Prime Video for offline playback

In terms of content, it’s hard to say which of Amazon Prime Video and Netflix is more deserving of your streaming money. Amazon has more titles available – over 20,000 compared to the circa 4,000 on Netflix – but Netflix still has an edge in terms of original programming. Being able to download titles for offline playback was once an Amazon-exclusive feature, though now Netflix does offer it for certain titles.

Amazon Prime Video lets you download films and television shows for offline playback on a range of devices, including their Fire tablets and phone, plus Android and iOS devices. This doesn’t extend to PCs, laptops and Amazon’s own Fire TV boxes, though. In any case, this offline playback feature can be a lifesaver if you’re travelling with your smartphone or tablet and won’t always have access to the internet – on a flight, for example. And even if you do have a connection, the high data cost of streaming all that video may put you off.

Unfortunately, not all of the content on Amazon Prime Video is available for offline playback. That’s thanks to content owners giving Amazon permission on whether to let people download them as opposed to simply streaming them. As a result, you’ll have to cross your fingers that the film or television show you want to watch is available.

While there’s no easy way to find content specifically available for downloading, if you do come across something with the right permissions then downloading is at least incredibly straightforward. Here’s how to download Amazon Prime Video in order to watch titles offline.

• Make sure your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
• Search for the Prime Video title you want (for television shows find a particular episode you want).
• Open the video details.
• Tap the ‘download’ button.

After downloading, the content will then appear in your Downloads list. Be warned though – you can’t hang on to your downloads forever. The amount of time the content remains available on your device differs, so be sure to check. You’ll get a notification to let you know when your time is nearly up. You can also manage your saved content from the Downloads list (press the top-left menu button) if you don’t want to keep files hanging around and clogging up space.

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Prime Video isn’t the only benefit of doling out £79 a year for Amazon Prime, by the way. There’s the expedited delivery, of course, plus Amazon Prime Music, Prime Reading, early access to Lightning deals, and more – click here for a full rundown of the advantages of going Prime.