Amazon Prime Video Not Working? Here’s What to Do

You’ve finally found time to catch up on The Boys, but your Amazon Prime Video does not want to play along. What do you do when your Prime Video is spitting out error codes?

Here are some basic troubleshooting steps you can follow to get back on your As We See It game.

Before we jump into specific error codes, we suggest that you follow these simple steps for any problems you’re experiencing while streaming Amazon Prime Video.

Extra troubleshooting tips: 

• Check your internet connection. If your network is experiencing disruptions due to outside issues, like network congestion during peak times, you may need to look into getting a faster connection.
• Try disconnecting your Wi-Fi router for 30 seconds, then reconnecting it.
• Sign out of your Amazon Prime Video account and then sign back in.
• Delete the Amazon Prime Video app that you’re using from your device, and then re-download it and log in.
• Restart the device you are using.

There are a ton of different error codes you might see pop up on your Prime Video screen. We’ve compiled a list of the most common codes, so you know you’re not getting a weird one.

If you want to know exactly what all those codes mean, you’re a bit out of luck—Amazon Prime doesn’t publish a guide to its error codes. And your screen probably just says something like, “Video Unavailable.” But there are some general guidelines you can follow no matter what error code you’re getting.

Before we dive into those, here's the best tip: Amazon Prime runs a handy Twitter feed. You can check it just to make sure the Amazon Prime Video app or the servers are still working fine. If there's an issue for all users, check this feed and see if there is an announcement.

If you haven’t already done it, try the first step in solving any IT issue: turning the thing off and on again. Refresh your browser window, restart the Amazon Prime video app, turn off your TV: you get the drill. However you’re trying to consume your Prime Video content, turn that baby off and then switch it back on.

Still not working? At least you did Roy from The IT Crowd proud.

Some codes, like number 7031, you get when you’re using a specific browser (like Chrome). And for whatever reason, Prime Video and Chrome aren’t getting along that day. (It wouldn’t be the first time Amazon Prime and Google Chrome have made their differences our problem.)

Try switching to a different browser, like Firefox or Safari. And no matter which browser you’re using, make sure it’s up to date. If you’ve pressed that “update later” button too many times on your software, your browser might not be up with the times anymore.

Streaming video takes a lot of bandwidth, and if your internet connection isn’t fast enough, then you’re not going to have a good experience. We recommend that you have reliable download speeds of at least 25 Mbps for streaming video.

Keep in mind that if you or your partner or kids or relatives or all of the above are working from home or trying to relax, and you’re all trying to run Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, then you’re probably going to have bandwidth issues.

If the real problem is that you need a better, faster internet plan in general, you can check out some of the speediest providers.

Make sure the HDMI cable you’re using to connect your TV to your streaming device has the right compatibility. Your cable needs to work with either HDMI 1.4 or HDMI 2.2 (depending on if you want to stream regular ol’ high-definition content or if you’re going full 4K).

If you have a full-on smart TV, then you can ditch your streaming device entirely and avoid any HDMI debacles. Just download the Prime Video app from your smart TV’s app store.

If you still have that hand-me-down router you got from your friend six years ago, it might not be up to the task of streaming HD video. You can try moving the router to a better position or hardwiring the router to your TV or streaming device, but at the end of the day, you might just need a better one.

If you have a big house, then you might also need better network coverage. In which case, Wi-Fi range extenders can help with that.

Finally, we know it’s really convenient to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on German Netflix from the comfort of your United States-based home, but Prime Video doesn’t always play well with VPNs.

Disconnect your VPN and accept the fact that, at least with Prime Video, you’ll have to stick to shows available in your own country. (German Netflix, we still love you.)

If you're still struggling with Amazon Prime Video not working, you might want to jump ship to another streaming service entirely—at least for the day. You can also check out our Best Live TV Streaming Services for a full rundown of the best streaming providers out there.