Amazon Prime video now available on android

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

You should be able to sideload it. First install the Amazon app from the playstore (phone version, not tablet version), then install the video app from AnemicOak's post.

I give up. It won't let me install the phone app on my nexus, I don't get an install button. It tells me its designed for phones and my device isn't compatible with this version.

I'll wait until maybe one day its easy enough for someone like me to figure out.

I really hate it when I feel like a complete idiot this early in the morning.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Atunah

I give up. It won't let me install the phone app on my nexus, I don't get an install button. It tells me its designed for phones and my device isn't compatible with this version.

I'll wait until maybe one day its easy enough for someone like me to figure out.

I really hate it when I feel like a complete idiot this early in the morning.

Android Police has download links for the phone version. Some download providers try to trick you into downloading their own download app so just make sure what you choose to download is an apk not an exe.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/09...ant-video-app/

[Crowl]

While they appear to have cocked things up, perhaps the process allows them to push updates to the player more rapidly without waiting on approvals and if they are expecting to need to make regular updates then maybe that might also explain why they only did phones to start with.

[markbot]

About time!!!!! sheesh. Took them long enough....

I still don't get the business logic for not having the app on android from the very beginning. They lose money, or at best break even, on these kindle fire devices. They should prefer that people access Amazon via third party hardware.

What where they going to do next? build their own desktop computers and only allow those people to buy stuff in the Amazon store?!?!?! luckily they changed their strategy.

Maybe they were getting a reduced cost to stream the movies if they only allowed streaming on fire devices....

[Atunah]

Sigh. All I get is this video is not available for your device, I don't get a play button in the amazon app. I am sure I am not doing it right as I am beyond confusion now with not knowing anymore what app I have, play store, amazon store, instant app etc. I tried to do what some in those comments on that android site said, but nothing is working. Some say to get the play app, some say get the amazon store app and then click play and get the instant video thingy. I don't get a play button so nothing works.

Others report problems with that apk thingy and its locks up their nexus so I am worried to fiddle with that. What if I still don't get a play button. I am still really unclear on what exactly I need. They have a instant video app in the store at amazon, but I guess that one doesn't work? So it has to be through the amazon cart app and then there is still some other app needed in addition?

All these explanations on those sites are just so confusing to me. I don't know what I need or don't need. I tried to go to some website amazon guided me and got something in the email, but all that did was throw me into the play store for the same tablet app I already tried and have no play button. I tried the play store one and the amazon app store one and they seem to be the same.

[DiapDealer]

I'm really surprised by the restrictions placed on this app--not to mention the level of complexity in installing using it. I know people often get frustrated with Amazon's policies/business practices, but they've always done one thing "right": make it simple for customers to use their apps on all devices to buy all their products. This decision to almost make Prime Videos available on Android seems out of character and disappointing. Make the damn thing available from the Play Store or forget about it.

I suspect the reasoning is because making it so readily available might prevent the sale of a Fire tablet, Fire TV, or a Fire phone. But when you think along those lines, the Android Kindle reading app could also prevent the sale of Amazon hardware. It's definitely out of character with the long-established "anything that allows customers to consume Amazon content" approach.

[Anthem]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

It's definitely out of character with the long-established "anything that allows customers to consume Amazon content" approach.

Yeah, that is what has always puzzled me about it as well. They mostly throw their apps on anything they can so that people can get access to their content and goods, so it is a weird thing to see them both procrastinate heavily with a release and subsequently make the initial release so... strange.

In their infinite wisdom, I'm sure it made sense to the Prime leader or in some board meeting.

[Barty]

Weird. It had been on iOS for a while. Doesn't amazon itself use android? This seems like they just want to mess with Google.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Sigh. All I get is this video is not available for your device, I don't get a play button in the amazon app. I am sure I am not doing it right as I am beyond confusion now with not knowing anymore what app I have, play store, amazon store, instant app etc. I tried to do what some in those comments on that android site said, but nothing is working. Some say to get the play app, some say get the amazon store app and then click play and get the instant video thingy. I don't get a play button so nothing works.

Others report problems with that apk thingy and its locks up their nexus so I am worried to fiddle with that. What if I still don't get a play button. I am still really unclear on what exactly I need. They have a instant video app in the store at amazon, but I guess that one doesn't work? So it has to be through the amazon cart app and then there is still some other app needed in addition?

All these explanations on those sites are just so confusing to me. I don't know what I need or don't need. I tried to go to some website amazon guided me and got something in the email, but all that did was throw me into the play store for the same tablet app I already tried and have no play button. I tried the play store one and the amazon app store one and they seem to be the same.

You should be able to just sideload the Amazon app and the instant video app downloaded from that link. Then just go into the Amazon app and choose a video to watch. After I went through all the crap to install on my phone, I just installed those same apps on my Nexus 7 and it worked.

Maybe if you just uninstall what you have already installed including the Amazon tablet app if you have that it will work for you. When you uninstall go to settings then apps. Before you uninstall clear data - I did that because I had restored to my tablet the apps from my phone with all my phone settings and I wanted to make sure everything was cleared out. It works fine on my Nexus 7 now.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm really surprised by the restrictions placed on this app--not to mention the level of complexity in installing using it. I know people often get frustrated with Amazon's policies/business practices, but they've always done one thing "right": make it simple for customers to use their apps on all devices to buy all their products. This decision to almost make Prime Videos available on Android seems out of character and disappointing. Make the damn thing available from the Play Store or forget about it.

I suspect the reasoning is because making it so readily available might prevent the sale of a Fire tablet, Fire TV, or a Fire phone. But when you think along those lines, the Android Kindle reading app could also prevent the sale of Amazon hardware. It's definitely out of character with the long-established "anything that allows customers to consume Amazon content" approach.

That's what really surprised me too. This doesn't look so good for them especially after reducing the price of the fire phone. The reviews on Amazon.com are pretty bad. Usually the app reviews there are by clueless people, but this time they're right.

[whitearrow]

I got it working on my Samsung Galaxy 3 tablet fine. For some reason I needed to separately download the Prime Video App from the Amazon app store, rather than doing it from within the main Amazon app itself. But once I did that, all was good.

I'd rather have a separate video-only, non-shopping app, but after such a long wait, I will take what I can get.

Oh, and it installed as it was supposed to on my phone, a Galaxy S4.

[ApK]

Geesh, as with many DRM matters, it seems like it's easier to do it the unofficial way that has worked on Android all along.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by ApK

Geesh, as with many DRM matters, it seems like it's easier to do it the unofficial way that has worked on Android all along.

I've done this all along. After a few tries to install the new app it was just a challenge to get it to work on my phone even though I wouldn't use it there. Also, I needed to get the correct apks to install on my Nexus 7.

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

You should be able to just sideload the Amazon app and the instant video app downloaded from that link. Then just go into the Amazon app and choose a video to watch. After I went through all the crap to install on my phone, I just installed those same apps on my Nexus 7 and it worked.

Maybe if you just uninstall what you have already installed including the Amazon tablet app if you have that it will work for you. When you uninstall go to settings then apps. Before you uninstall clear data - I did that because I had restored to my tablet the apps from my phone with all my phone settings and I wanted to make sure everything was cleared out. It works fine on my Nexus 7 now.

Thank you. I went ahead and got the apk's and I had to uninstall the stuff I already had installed first. So once it was all gone from my Nexus I went to my dropbox and installed the apk I stored there. It installed and for some reason I was already signed in to it. I think because I have the kindle app already on it. The prime music did the same thing when I installed it. It remembers my account. Then it wanted the instant app so I got that apk from my dropbox too. Video now plays.

Thanks again and everyone else that helped. This shouldn't be this difficult though.

I have a Fire where this wouldn't be an issue, but its getting long in the tooth now and has trouble holding a charge anymore. Its a 8.9 HD. I had decided to get a Nexus instead of the small HDX a few months ago as I wanted to use it for reading books also and didn't like the blue outline on the HDX. So far I been able to get all my Amazon stuff on it and was glad to hear about the prime instant. Glad to have it working now too.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Thank you. I went ahead and got the apk's and I had to uninstall the stuff I already had installed first. So once it was all gone from my Nexus I went to my dropbox and installed the apk I stored there. It installed and for some reason I was already signed in to it. I think because I have the kindle app already on it. The prime music did the same thing when I installed it. It remembers my account. Then it wanted the instant app so I got that apk from my dropbox too. Video now plays.

Thanks again and everyone else that helped. This shouldn't be this difficult though.

I have a Fire where this wouldn't be an issue, but its getting long in the tooth now and has trouble holding a charge anymore. Its a 8.9 HD. I had decided to get a Nexus instead of the small HDX a few months ago as I wanted to use it for reading books also and didn't like the blue outline on the HDX. So far I been able to get all my Amazon stuff on it and was glad to hear about the prime instant. Glad to have it working now too.

You're welcome. And you're right, it shouldn't be this difficult. It seems to be very un Amazon like.