How to download movies from Amazon Prime for offline viewing

Amazon Prime subscribers have access to a vast library of movies and shows available for streaming, but what can you do if you’re going to be without a good internet connection and want to catch up on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? Whether you’ve got a long flight ahead of you or are going to be stranded in a cabin in the woods for the weekend, you can rest easy — it’s possible to download Amazon Prime videos (some of them, anyway) for offline watching. Here’s how.

The process

Step 1: Install the Prime Video app and log in

First of all, you’ll need a subscription to Amazon Prime. Also, you’ll need the Prime Video app, meaning you’ll need a compatible Fire, Android, or iOS device. Once installed, launch the app and sign in to your Amazon Prime account.

Step 2: Select a video

Next, select a film or show that you want to download and open the video details. Note that not all videos are available for download, and you can only download content if you are in certain areas (the U.S., for example). Once you’ve chosen a movie or show, tap the Download button — for shows, you can also download individual episodes.

Step 3: Choose where to save the file

If you have an SD card in your phone, you’ll be asked to decide whether you want to download the video to it or use your phone’s internal storage. Keep in mind that video files can get quite large, so if possible, you may want to install an SD card. SanDisk just launched one that holds a terabyte of data — that’s a lot of entertainment.

Step 4: Choose the video quality

Next, choose your desired video quality. The higher the quality, the larger the file size. Tap Start Download.

Step 5: Browse your downloads

To browse the films and shows you’ve previously downloaded, select the My Stuff button on the bottom.

Your downloaded titles will appear here. Tap the one you want, then tap Watch Now.

Although the Prime Video app is only available for mobile devices such as tablets and phones, you can still watch downloaded content on a bigger screen. Here’s how:

Casting your content

Step 1: Hit “Watch On”

If you wish to do so, select the video you want to watch, then tap the More button.

Then, select Watch On.

Step 2: Choose a location

The app will then check for devices that you can cast the video, such as a Fire TV stick.

How much space do I need?

The storage needed for a file depends on the quality. We downloaded the film Annihilation at the Best quality setting, and it took up 1GB of storage, while at Good quality (the second-lowest), it took up a mere 308MB. Season 1 of The Wire, 13 episodes in all, took up 3.5GB when downloaded on Good quality.

What’s available?

Amazon states that only select titles are available for download. In our time browsing the Prime Video selections, every title available to Prime subscribers that we looked at was downloadable. Users can count on Amazon originals to be available for download, ostensibly. Typically, users can only download videos while in the U.S. and U.S. territories, although once you’ve downloaded them, you can watch while abroad.

How do I delete titles?

Deleting a single title

Step 1: To delete a single film, go to your My Stuff section, find the film you want to delete, and tap the Three Dots.

Step 2: Next, tap Delete Download.

Deleting a show

Step 1: To completely delete a show, navigate to Downloads, find the show you don’t wish to see anymore, and then tap Edit.

Step 2: Tap the circle next to the show you want, then choose Delete.

To delete individual episodes

Step 1: Navigate to Downloads, choose the specific episodes you want to delete, then tap the arrow icon.

Step 2: Highlight the episode you want to delete, tap the three dots, and then press Delete.

Amazon Prime offers very convenient ways to download media and content, but the service comes with a few drawbacks, too. Firstly, Amazon won’t let you download anything to a laptop or PC, and some titles restrict the time you’re allowed to watch them in. Finally, if you cancel your Amazon Prime subscription, you won’t get to keep any of the titles you purchased. It’s still a useful service if you want to catch up on your favorite shows, though.