Reasons & Fixes for Amazon Prime Video Not Working on Samsung TV

Watching movies and shows on your Samsung TV through Amazon Prime Video is a great way to relax after a long day. However, it becomes a great cause for irritation if Amazon Prime Video is not working on Samsung TV for some reason. There are many potential causes as to why Amazon Prime Video may not be working on your Samsung TV. Here we’ll learn more about why Amazon Prime isn’t working on my Samsung TV.

Why is Amazon Prime Video not working on Samsung TV?

Here we will share several possible reasons why Amazon Prime Video is not working on Samsung TVs. So, if your Amazon Prime Video app keeps crashing, lagging, or freezing, you can try out the fixes mentioned below.

Amazon Prime Video is not compatible with Samsung TV

Amazon Prime Video appeared preinstalled on Samsung TV from 2015 and onwards. Even if it isn’t pre-loaded, you can simply look for the app on your TV’s app store and install it.

So, for some reason, if you cannot find Amazon Prime Video on your Samsung TV and you are using an older model, then there is a chance that your device is not compatible.

However, there is no reason to get disappointed as there are two other methods you could try to stream Amazon Prime Video on your Samsung TV. First, you could pair a streaming device that is compatible with Amazon Prime Video with your Samsung TV. Or you could play Amazon Prime on your iPhone and then mirror your iPhone to the Samsung TV. We’ll explore methods in great detail at the bottom.

Amazon Prime Video servers are down

If your Amazon Prime Video is not working on your Samsung smart TV, then the simplest reason would be their servers are down. It is not uncommon, and Amazon is usually swift in responding to this issue.

However, even with their swift response time and customer service representatives, Amazon customers can still suffer from long periods of downtime due to outages.

These outages can be caused by any number of factors. But the main reasons are technical issues and they stem from server overloads due to the massive number of users accessing the service at once.

As a result, the streaming platform’s infrastructure is not able to handle the high volume of traffic, leading to server outages that can impact users’ ability to access the content.

So, visit Amazon Prime Video’s social media handles to find more information. And to confirm whether Amazon Prime’s servers are down, then you can visit the Down Detector’s site.

Poor Internet speed

If your Amazon Prime Video keeps buffering on your Samsung smart TV, then your internet connection is the most likely culprit. You need to have at least 3 MB/s internet speed to stream SD quality content and 5 MB/s for HD content. Also, 25 MB/s speed is recommended for streaming Ultra HD 4K quality.

If you don’t have these bandwidths, you’ll face issues like your Amazon Prime Video lagging on your Samsung smart TV. So, the solution here would be to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to upgrade your current plan. You can check your internet speed using an online speed tester tool.

Issues with WiFi network or router

Another reason why Amazon Prime Video is not loading on your smart TV is that you have a problem with your connection. For instance, your internet speed is fine, but maybe there is a problem with your WiFi network. In such a case, you can try disconnecting and then reconnecting to your WiFi network. This usually does the trick.

If this doesn’t work, you can also try resetting your WiFi router. Here’s how you do it.

1. First, disconnect from the WiFi on your smart TV.
2. Then unplug the WiFi router from the power source.
3. Now, wait for at least 60 seconds.
4. Next, plug the WiFi back into the power outlet and turn it on.
5. Again, wait for at least 60 seconds and then reconnect to the WiFi on your Samsung TV.

Furthermore, there are a few other solutions you can try to get better results. And they are:

1. Disconnecting other devices from your WiFi network when streaming Amazon Prime Video on your Samsung TV. You get the full bandwidth when viewing Amazon Prime.
2. Connect your Samsung TV to the internet using an Ethernet cable. This will give you a more stable internet connection.
3. Try to move your router as close to your TV as possible. This will give your smart TV the strongest WiFi signal.
4. Upgrade your router to the dual-band 5 GHz WiFi router.

Amazon Prime Video is not available in your country

Unlike some streaming platforms, Amazon Prime Video is available in almost all countries of the world. However, there are a few exceptions: Mainland China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria.

Moreover, if you change your location or travel abroad, then you’ll be able to view a select number of Amazon Original titles. And the number of content you’ll be able to stream will be reduced.

Amazon Prime Video not working on Samsung TV due to an outdated app

If your Amazon Prime Video app is not up-to-date, then this might cause issues such as a black screen, lagging, or app crashes. New app updates usually fix many glitches or bugs from the earlier versions. So, it is important to update your apps.

The best way to make sure that Amazon Prime Video is always up-to-date on your Samsung TV is to enable the ‘Auto Update’ feature. This will ensure that all your Samsung TV apps are up-to-date.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to turn on Auto Update on your Samsung smart TV remote.

Step 1: On your smart TV remote, press the Home button first.

Step 2: Now, from your Home menu screen, choose Apps.

Step 3: After that, navigate and click on the Settings icon from the top-right corner.

Step 4: Next, the Auto Update option will appear in the top-right corner. So, click on it to turn it ON for automatic app updates.

However, if you prefer to update individual apps manually, you can do that too. So, when an app becomes available for your Amazon Prime Video, then a gray update feature becomes available on the app icon.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to update the Amazon Prime Video app on Samsung TV.

Step 1: On your smart TV remote, press the Home button first.

Step 2: Now, from your Home menu screen, choose Apps.

Step 3: Next, click on the Amazon Prime Video app from the list of apps that appear.

Step 4: After that, on the Amazon Prime Video page, you’ll find the ‘Update Now‘button if there is an update available. If there is not, then you’ll only find the Open button instead.

Amazon Prime Video not working on Samsung TV due to outdated TV firmware

Sometimes the outdated TV OS can be a reason why the Amazon Prime Video keeps crashing, lagging, or getting stuck on the loading screen on your Samsung smart TV. Like most software, the Tizen OS, which powers the latest Samsung smart TVs, requires regular updates. These updates are essential to fix any bugs, glitches, or other technical issues.

You can manually update your Samsung TV software or enable the Auto Update feature for automatic updates in the future.

Here are the steps to update your Samsung TV firmware on your Samsung smart TV.

Step 1: On your smart TV remote, press the Home button first.

Step 2: On your Home menu, head over to Settings.

Step 3: On Settings, choose Support > Software Update.

Step 4: After that, select ‘Update Now’ to manually update your TV software. Or select Auto update and turn it ON to automatically update your TV software in the future.

Tips & Fixes for Amazon Prime Video not working on Samsung TV

Here are some fixes you can try to troubleshoot any issues faced because your Amazon Prime Video is not working on Samsung TV.

Reinstall the Amazon Prime Video on Samsung TV

Sometimes deleting and then reinstalling the app is a simple way of fixing any issues. However, Amazon Prime Video is one of those apps that come preinstalled on your Samsung TV. This means you cannot delete this app from your TV. But with the ‘Reinstall‘ feature of your Samsung TV, you can reinstall the app. So, the Samsung TV will delete the app for you and then reinstall it back. Moreover, this process won’t delete your app data or log.

Here’s how to reinstall Amazon Prime Video on your Samsung TV:

1. On your smart TV remote, press the Home button first.
2. Next, head over to Apps from the home screen.
3. After that, click on the Settings icon from the top-right corner.
4. Now, navigate to the Amazon Prime Video app and then select the Reinstall option.

Clear Cache for Amazon Prime Video on Samsung TV

Cache files usually make your app load faster and run smoothly on your device. However, when your TV gathers many of these cache files, it can do the opposite, like lags and app crashes. This is why it is generally considered a great practice to clear your app caches regularly.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to clear the Amazon Prime video cache on Samsung TV.

Step 1: On your Samsung TV remote, press the Home button.

Step 2: Next, you need to head over to Settings from your home screen and click on Support.

Step 3: After that, you need to click on Device Care. Next, you need to select Manage Storage.

Step 4: Afterward, you need to choose the Amazon Prime Video app from the list of apps.

Step 5: Then you need to click on the View Details option after you’ve selected the app.

Step 6: In the final step, you need to click on the Clear Cache option to remove your Amazon Prime Video cache from the TV.

Other Samsung TV models have a different process for clearing the cache. However, it is straightforward and simple too.

Just like the earlier process, you need to head over to your TV’s home screen and navigate to Settings.

After that, you need to choose Support > Self Diagnosis > TV Device Manager.

The next step would be to click on the Show App List option under Manage Storage.

Now you need to select the Amazon Prime Video app from the list and click on View Details. Afterward, you need to click on Clear Cache to remove the cache files.

Power Cycle your Samsung Smart TV

Shutting down and restarting your Samsung smart TV is the simplest and most common fix. When the Amazon Prime Video freezes or is stuck on the leading screen on your Samsung TV, the safest troubleshooting fix would be switching off and then turn on your TV. Doing this would delete any corrupted cache files and resolve app crashes and unresponsiveness issues.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to power cycle your Samsung smart TV.

Step 1: To turn off your Samsung TV, press the Power button on the remote control. Sometimes (though rare), when the Amazon Prime Video freezes, pressing the Power button on the remote doesn’t work. If that does happen, then the next step should do the trick.

Step 2: Next, unplug the cable for your smart TV from the power outlet. This should fully cut off the power from your TV. After this, you need to wait for a minute or two.

Step 3: After that, you need to remove any residual power from the TV. For this, you need to press and hold the Power button on your Samsung smart TV for 30 seconds, not the remote. You can skip this step entirely if your TV doesn’t have a Power button.

Step 4: After waiting a minute or two after unplugging the cable from the power, plug it back again. Then turn on the power back on the TV. This entire process should let Amazon Prime Video start working again.

Reset Samsung Smart TV

If all the above-mentioned tips don’t work, you can try resetting your Samsung TV to the factory setting. This would delete every app data, cache files, logs, or any other corrupted files (if any) from your TV. It will restore your Samsung TV to the default factory setting.

This process is also called resetting your Samsung Smart Hub. Although the process itself is straightforward they differ slightly based on the model of your Samsung smart TV. You can find out more about resetting your Samsung Smart Hub from their site.

Here’s how to Reset Samsung Smart Hub for TV models from 2016-2019:

1. On your smart TV remote, press the Home button first.
2. Then click on the Settings icon
3. After that, choose Support > Self Diagnosis
4. Next, click on Reset Smart Hub
5. Finally, enter the PIN code of your TV to start the reset process

Here’s how to Reset Samsung Smart Hub for TV models from 2020 & 2021:

1. On your smart TV remote, press the Home button first.
2. Then click on the Settings icon
3. After that, choose Support > Device Care
4. Next, select Self Diagnosis
5. Now, click on the Reset Smart Hub option
6. Finally, enter your PIN code for your Samsung TV to start the reset process

Here’s how to Reset Samsung Smart Hub for TV models from 2022:

1. On your smart TV remote, press the Home button first.
2. Then head over to Menu and click on the Settings icon.
3. After that, click on All Settings and then select Support > Device Care > Self Diagnosis
4. Next, click on the Reset Smart Hub option
5. Finally, enter the PIN code for your Samsung smart TV to start the reset process

Note: The default PIN code of your Samsung TV is 0000.

Contact Amazon Prime Video or Samsung customer support

If none of the above troubleshooting fixes work, then you need to contact the customer help center, Amazon Prime Video, or Samsung. Hopefully, they’ll be able to provide you with solutions to your issues.

• Customer support page for Samsung
• Customer support page Amazon Prime Video

If some of your other apps are not working on your Samsung smart TV, then check out our other related articles on this matter:

• Reasons & Fixes for HBO Max App Not Working on Samsung TV
• Reasons & Fixes for YouTube Not Working on Samsung TV

Alternate ways to watch Amazon Prime Video on Samsung smart TV

If for some reason, your Samsung smart TV doesn’t support Amazon Prime Video, then there are other ways to watch them on the TV. It includes pairing external devices with your Samsung TV. In this section, we’ll explore two such methods.

Method 1: Pair your Samsung TV with a Streaming device or stick

With this method, you can connect your Samsung TV, regardless of the model, with a streaming device. And Amazon Prime Video is a popular app that comes preinstalled on most streaming devices. Moreover, Amazon has its own streaming device called Amazon Fire Stick. Also, other streaming devices you could use with your Samsung TV are Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, etc.

For the pairing process, the best way would be to use an HDMI cable. The connection will be stable and reliable by using an HDMI cable to connect a streaming device to the Samsung TV. This is due to the fact that wired connections don’t suffer from the same signal loss and interference that wireless connections do. With a wired connection, your streaming experience will be smoother and with fewer interruptions.

Method 2: Screen mirror Amazon Prime Video from your iPhone to Samsung TV

By mirroring your phone’s screen onto your TV, you can enjoy videos and other content from your iPhone directly on the big screen. It is a great way to watch your Amazon Prime Video content from your iPhone to Samsung TV. Here’s how:

Step 1: To do this, you’ll need an iPhone with screen mirroring and a Samsung TV with Wi-Fi Direct enabled. Next, connect both your devices to the same WiFi network.

Step 2: Next, you’ll need to open the ‘Control Center’ on your iPhone and select ‘Screen Mirroring.’ From there, you should see your TV appear in the list of available devices.

Step 3: Then you should select your Samsung TV from the list and establish a pairing. After that, your iPhone should now be mirrored on your TV. So, you’ll now be able to open the Amazon Prime Video app on your iPhone and play a title but watch it on your TV.

Is Amazon Prime valid in all countries?

Amazon Prime Video is available locally in almost all regions, barring few exceptions. You won’t find Amazon Prime Video in countries such as Mainland China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria.

Can we change the location in Amazon Prime Video?

If you have changed your physical location from one region to another and want to maintain the same Amazon Prime Video account, then you have to transfer the account. It is only possible if you are eligible to make digital transactions in that country/region.

However, there is one instance where this rule doesn’t apply. You cannot transfer your account to another country or region if you have an Amazon Japan or China account. Find out more about this on Amazon’s page on account transfers.

How to reset Amazon Prime Video on Samsung TV?

The best way to reset the Amazon Prime Video app on your Samsung smart TV is to clear all cache and app data. Instead of initiating a full factory reset of your TV, you can just reset the Amazon Prime Video app.

Here’s how you would do it.

First, on your Samsung TV remote, you need to press the Home button. Next, you need to navigate to Settings from your home screen and click on Support. After that, you need to click on Device Care > Manage Storage. Now you need to choose the Amazon Prime Video app from the list of apps. Next, you need to click on the View Details option after you’ve selected the app. Now finally, you need to click on the Clear Cache option to remove your Amazon Prime Video cache from the TV. After that, you need to click the Clear Data option to remove all app data from your TV.

How to watch Amazon Prime Video on Samsung TV?

The Amazon Prime Video app comes preinstalled on your Samsung TV, especially the newer models. So, you can open Amazon Prime Video on your smart TV and start enjoying its titles. However, if you don’t have an Amazon Prime Video on your Samsung TV or cannot play it for some reason, then there are other ways.

One way is to pair a streaming device that supports Amazon Prime Video with your Samsung TV. And another way is to mirror your iPhone to your Samsung TV and play Amazon Prime Video on your phone.

Wrapping Up

We’ve covered everything there is on why Amazon Prime Video is not working on Samsung TV. So, if something ever went wrong with Amazon Prime Video on your Samsung TV, then you can check out our article.

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