Prime Video on Roku stops working in a few familiar ways. The app refuses to open, a show spins without playing, the screen goes black, or Roku asks you to sign in again.
Start with the quick Roku fixes, then move through updates, internet checks, account access, and reinstalling the app. The steps below use current Roku and Prime Video support paths.
Restart Prime Video and Roku first
Begin on the Roku Home screen. Highlight Prime Video, press Star, then choose Restart to relaunch the app without removing it.
If Prime Video is frozen or the menu does not respond, restart Roku itself. Press Home, open Settings, choose System, open Power, then select System restart.
Some Roku players skip Power. On those models, go from System straight to System restart.
Update the Prime Video app
An outdated app leaves Prime Video crashing, opening to a black screen, or missing features. From the Roku Home screen, highlight Prime Video, press Star, then select Check for Updates.
After the update finishes, open Prime Video again and test the same title.
If Prime Video still fails, update Roku system software next. Roku uses the software update screen for both system updates and app updates.
Check your Roku internet connection
The most common cause is a weak or broken connection between Roku and your home network.
Press Home, open Settings, choose Network, then select About. If Roku is not connected, choose Set up connection and follow the on-screen setup.
Back on the Network menu, select Check connection to run the test. About keeps the latest result, including signal strength and download speed. If Prime Video still buffers while the network is busy, pause other streaming, downloads, game consoles, computers, and mobile devices, then try playback again.
When other apps or devices also struggle, unplug your router, modem, or gateway for 10 seconds. Plug it back in, wait for the lights to stabilize, then reopen Prime Video.
Install Roku software updates
Roku system updates also refresh installed apps. Press Home, open Settings, choose System, then select Software update.
Choose Check Now. If an update is available, Roku downloads it, installs it, and reboots when complete.
After Roku starts again, open Prime Video from Home and test playback before changing deeper settings.
Sign back in or fix account access
Use this when Prime Video opens but asks you to sign in, shows the wrong account, blocks a title, or fails after a reinstall.
Open Prime Video from the Roku Home screen and follow the sign-in steps shown by the app. Use your Amazon account email and password, or enter the activation code displayed on the screen.
If Roku is tied to the wrong Prime Video device session, go to the Prime Video website and open Account & Settings, then Devices. Choose Deregister next to the Roku device, reopen Prime Video on Roku, and sign in again.
For password problems, use Forgot your password? on the Prime Video sign-in page, reset it, then return to Roku and sign in with the updated credentials.
Reset the Roku network connection
Press Home and open Settings. Select Advanced system settings, choose Network connection reset, and select Reset connection.
After Roku restarts, return to Settings and set up your wireless network again. Use this after basic network checks fail, especially when multiple streaming apps have connection problems.
Remove and reinstall Prime Video
This fixes damaged app installs, repeated crashes, and Prime Video problems that survive restarts and updates.
Press Home and highlight Prime Video. Press Star, select Remove app and confirm. Restart Roku.
Open the Roku Store and go to Apps. Find Prime Video and press OK. Choose Add app.
If Remove app is missing, you may still have an active subscription or be inside the current billing cycle. Select Manage subscription, turn off auto-renew to cancel the Roku-billed subscription, then remove the app.
Fix title, subscription, and playback limits
Use this when the Prime Video app opens but one movie, show, add-on, rental, or Prime title will not play.
Try a different title in Prime Video. If other titles work, treat the issue as title-specific availability or playback instead of changing Roku settings.
If subscriber-only, add-on, or ad-free content is unavailable, check your subscription status on the streaming service website. For subscriptions billed through Roku, go to my.roku.com/subscriptions, open Active subscriptions, select the subscription, and choose Manage subscription.
Stop Prime Video playback on other devices, then try Roku again. Prime Video allows up to three titles at the same time on one Amazon account. The same title is limited to no more than two devices at once, with stricter limits for some free, rental, PPV, mobile, or add-on content. Amazon also notes these device limits vary by region, so check the Prime Video help page for your country.
Check picture, audio, PIN, and setup issues
For HD, UHD, or HDR playback errors on a Roku player, check the HDMI path. Prime Video requires an HDMI connection path and display compatible with HDCP 1.4 for HD content or HDCP 2.2 for UHD and HDR content. Use a compatible HDMI cable on Roku players that need one. A Roku Streaming Stick plugs straight into the TV's HDMI port and uses no cable.
Connect Roku directly to the TV with a compatible HDMI cable to test around an AVR, switch, soundbar, or capture device. For Dolby Vision problems, confirm the TV or display and any extra device in the HDMI chain support Dolby Vision, or use a non-Dolby Vision version.
For subtitles, press Star while a show is playing and use the app menu for captions, sound, and language. For Roku system captions, open Settings, choose Accessibility, then select Captions mode.
For no sound or the wrong language, press Star during playback and choose the sound track you want. If surround sound is missing or there is no sound, go to Home, open Settings, choose Audio, open Audio mode, choose Stereo, and test again.
For PIN or parental-control blocks, change the Prime Video PIN and viewing restrictions from Prime Video account settings on the web. Roku PIN settings block adding apps, subscriptions, rentals, and purchases, but Roku parental controls do not control Prime Video playback restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Prime Video not opening on my Roku?
Restart the Prime Video app first, then update the app and Roku software. If it still will not open, remove Prime Video, restart Roku, reinstall the app from the Roku Store, and sign in again.
Why does Prime Video work on my phone but not on Roku?
Your Roku has its own app install, software version, network connection, HDMI path, and Prime Video device session. Check Roku's network connection, update Roku, and deregister the Roku from Prime Video Devices before signing in again.
Can too many streams stop Prime Video on Roku?
Yes. Prime Video allows up to three titles at the same time on one Amazon account. The same title is limited to no more than two devices at once, with stricter limits for some free, rental, PPV, mobile, or add-on content. Amazon also notes these device limits vary by region, so check the Prime Video help page for your country.
Should I factory reset Roku to fix Prime Video?
Use factory reset only after the normal fixes fail. It erases preferences, unlinks the Roku account, removes apps and account information, and requires Guided Setup again.