How to Download a Film From Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video lets subscribers download titles for offline viewing — useful for flights, commutes, or anywhere your internet connection is unreliable. But the process isn't identical across every device, and a few limitations are worth understanding before you start.
What "Downloading" on Amazon Prime Actually Means
When you download a film from Amazon Prime Video, you're not saving a standard video file to your device. You're storing a DRM-protected (Digital Rights Management) copy that can only be played through the Prime Video app itself. You can't move it to another app, share it, or play it in a media player like VLC.
These downloads are also temporary by design. Most downloaded titles expire after 30 days, or within 48 hours of first pressing play — whichever comes first. Amazon can also remove download access if licensing agreements change, even before your personal deadline hits.
Devices That Support Amazon Prime Downloads
Downloads are available on:
- Android smartphones and tablets (via the Prime Video app on Google Play)
- iPhones and iPads (via the Prime Video app on the App Store)
- Amazon Fire tablets and Fire TV devices (natively supported)
- Windows PCs (via the Amazon Prime Video app in the Microsoft Store)
- Chromebooks (via the Android version of the Prime Video app, where supported)
Mac computers and web browsers are not supported for downloads. If you're on a Mac or trying to download through Chrome or Safari, you won't find a download option — this is a deliberate platform restriction, not a bug.
Step-by-Step: How to Download a Film 📱
On a Smartphone or Tablet (iOS or Android)
- Open the Prime Video app and sign in to your account.
- Browse or search for the film you want to download.
- Open the film's detail page.
- Tap the Download button (a downward arrow icon) next to the title.
- If prompted, select a video quality — Standard, Good, Better, or Best.
- The download runs in the background. Track progress under Downloads in the app's menu.
On a Windows PC
- Install the Prime Video app from the Microsoft Store (not the website).
- Sign in and find your film.
- Click the Download icon on the title's detail page.
- Access downloaded content under the Downloads section of the app.
On a Fire Tablet
The process mirrors the mobile app — locate the title, tap the download arrow, and choose your quality setting. Fire tablets are natively built for Prime Video and tend to offer the most seamless download experience within Amazon's ecosystem.
Download Quality Settings: What They Mean
Amazon offers multiple quality tiers for downloads. Higher quality means larger file sizes.
| Quality Setting | Approximate Use Case |
|---|---|
| Standard | Saves the most storage space; suitable for small screens |
| Good | Balanced file size for most phones |
| Better | Sharper picture, noticeably larger files |
| Best | Highest available resolution; can be very large |
A full-length film at Best quality can use several gigabytes of storage. If your device has limited space — say, 16GB or 32GB — downloading multiple titles at Best quality will fill it quickly. Adjusting your default download quality in the app's Settings > Download Quality saves you from making that choice each time.
Not Every Title Can Be Downloaded 🎬
This is a common source of confusion. Even with an active Prime membership, not all titles are available for download. Licensing agreements between Amazon and content owners determine which films can be saved offline. A film available to stream may still be marked as not available for download.
If the download button doesn't appear on a title's page, the film isn't licensed for offline viewing — there's no workaround for this.
Additionally, films you've rented or purchased through Amazon (as opposed to included with Prime membership) have their own download rules, which may differ from included titles.
Download Limits and Account Restrictions
Amazon imposes a 25-title download limit per device at any one time. Each Amazon account can have downloads active on up to two devices simultaneously for most included Prime titles, though some titles from certain studios carry stricter limits — sometimes only one device at a time.
If you hit these limits, you'll need to delete existing downloads before adding new ones.
Variables That Affect Your Experience
How smoothly this works in practice depends on several factors specific to your setup:
- Device storage capacity — directly limits how many films you can keep downloaded
- App version — an outdated Prime Video app may behave differently or lack newer quality options
- Operating system version — older iOS or Android versions can affect app stability and download functionality
- Account type — standard Prime membership, Prime Student, and add-on channel subscriptions each have slightly different content libraries
- Geographic region — download availability for specific titles varies by country due to regional licensing
Someone downloading on a newer iPad with ample storage and a fresh app install will have a very different experience from someone on an older Android phone with limited space running an older OS version.
The right download settings, quality level, and management approach depend entirely on which device you're using, how much storage you have, and how often you actually watch offline — your specific setup determines what trade-offs make sense for you.