Sign up for Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, or most other services that stream movies and TV shows, and you can browse the content library, hit play, and start watching.
Amazon Prime Video has always been a little different — because Prime Video isn’t all that Amazon offers.
The company also rents and sells new releases and back catalog content through Amazon Video. And when you search or browser the Amazon Prime Video app, you have to look for the Prime banner to see if a video is actually “free” with your subscription.
Now Amazon may finally be addressing that inconvenience with a new “Free to me” filter.
As spotted by the folks at xda-developers, there’s a new “Free to me” toggle in the upper right corner of the upper right corner of the Prime Video Android app.
Flipping the switch rearranged my home screen a bit, removing the “Rent or Buy” listings for new releases and recommendations, and removing links to optional add-on channels such as HBO or Britbox.
The feature may still be in the testing stages — not every user seems to see the toggle. And it’s unclear if or when this will be available beyond the Amazon Prime Video Android app.
But it’s a welcome, and long overdue addition to the Prime Video experience… albeit one that may make the service more user-friendly, but which could cost Amazon money if it becomes too popular. I imagine the reason the company hasn’t offered this filter until now is because some number of folks looking for free content do stumble upon other videos they’re willing to pay to watch from time to time using the normal Prime Video user interface.
The latest version of the Prime Video app also adds support for “following” actors to receive an alert when there are new videos featuring some of your favorites.
That and country filters. Within a week, I can move between three or four countries in Europe (or, as last September, between continents, for that matter) and I think most of the stuff that I am shown does not work with where my account is located. Then why show it at all? I mean, maybe Amazon has addressed that in the recent year, because I exclusively used Netflix, since it’s so much easier. But, at this point in time, when I eventually cancel Prime, it is because I am not buying enough stuff anymore to justify the added expense. Video or audio, at this point, doesn’t even figure into my considerations.
Should really say “Free to me with commercials” because thats what Prime Video is/moving towards. Just about every single “Free with Prime” title, starts with an ad for an Amazon show, most times one I’m NEVER going to watch. I hop on with their “support” staff every so often to give them crap about showing me commercials on a service I’m paying for…..or at the very very VERY least, let me tell them I’m not interested in Miss Maisel and IDGAF how many awards it has.
Edit: And Hulu is killing it by actually having a true like/dislike system meaning when you dislike something, it actually goes away unless you view the full list, that feature alone is worth the cost of the service. If only Netflix and Amazon would let me get rid of all the extremely foreign productions, and all Nic Cage and Adam Sandler trash.
The Prime Movies Roku app has been able to filter for Prime-only content since forever.
I wish Amazon videos would have a “More by..” link like the “Others who watched have also watched” link. Then when I want to binge crazy I can look for more of those “Small Town Monster” videos from one wacky amusing production company. Great for indies and small houses, though I realize useless for the big guys.
That would be great.
That and profiles. I mean come on! It’s nearly 2020 Amazon.
What do you mean by profiles?
You mean the kinda thing where you can show other users all the media you consumed?
You’re not going to want to hear this, but that’s a terrible idea. For you, for society, for everything but Amazon’s revenue. So is letting people follow the actors (especially the “actors” in certain “videos” I’m 95% sure amazon prime has).
“It’s the current year” isn’t a good reason to do anything, either.
Have to love judgmental @$#hats who don’t understand that you probably don’t want The Boys right next to Dora the Explorer in the continue watching section. Even with direct supervision, say them watching while you’re only 8 feet away preparing dinner, all it takes is a jostling of the remote and one press and suddenly they’re watching Homelander melting someone’s skull instead of resuming the kids show they were watching.
Ah, now that kind of compartmentalizing multi-user system I can get behind. Mike just said “profiles” and my mind immediately jumped to “Steam Profile”. Sorry about that.