How do I search for a movie on prime?

Find free movies and TV shows included in your subscription

Published on May 20, 2020

With the sheer volume of media to consume on Amazon Prime Video, including the growing library of exclusive Amazon Prime TV shows and movies, finding exactly what you’re looking for can be hard and time-consuming. Fortunately, the Amazon Prime search tool can make the process a lot easier. Here’s everything you need to know about searching on Amazon Prime Video.

How to Rent Movies From Amazon

How to Use Amazon Prime Search on TV

Most video game consoles, such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, have official Amazon Prime Video apps that can be used to stream movies and TV shows. Many smart TVs also have a dedicated Amazon Prime Video app that often comes pre-installed or can be downloaded from a dedicated app store such as Google Play.

While most smart TVs have a dedicated search function, it’s best not to use this when searching for Amazon Prime TV series and movies as the results will be mixed in with content from other streaming apps and TV channels.

The Amazon Prime Video console and smart TV apps are nearly identical and searching within them is performed in exactly the same way.

1. Open the Amazon Prime Video app on your console or smart TV.

2. Use the arrow buttons on your controller or remote to highlight and select Search in the top menu.

3. Use the remote or controller controls to type a word or phrase into the search field.

4. Results will automatically appear as you type. You do not need to press Enter to finish your Amazon Prime search.

5. Press the Up arrow, then scroll left and right to find the show or film you’re after.

   Press the Up arrow again to select from a variety of related phrases to help refine your Amazon Prime search.

How to Search Amazon Prime on Mobile

In addition to the TV apps, there are also Amazon Prime Video apps for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Searching via one of the mobile apps can often be faster than searching on a TV due to the ability to type and browse results faster. The mobile apps also offer basic filtering of results for Amazon Prime TV series and movies.

Take Advantage of Your Prime Membership by Streaming Videos on Android

If your TV or video game console supports Chromecast, you can search for content and make it play on your TV all from the Amazon Prime Video mobile app.

Here’s how to search Amazon Prime Video on mobile.

1. Open the Amazon Prime Video app on your tablet or smartphone.

2. Tap Search from the bottom menu.

3. Tap the search field and enter a word or phrase.

4. Tap any of the suggested search phrases or tap the Search key on your keyboard to view the results for what you typed.

5. You can now browse the search results, or, if you like, tap Filter to further refine your search.

6. Tap Content Type.

7. Tap Movies or TV Shows to apply a filter to your results. For example, choosing Movies will show only movies in your search.

How to Find Amazon Free Movies and TV Shows

Searching for Amazon Prime free movies and TV shows can be very confusing, especially since the service added paid rental and purchase options which are frequently mixed in with search results.

The easiest way to recognize a free film or TV series is to look for the Included with Prime text next to a name. If this is next to a film or series, this means that all of it can be watched for free. If it’s next to a category, that means that all of the titles in that category can be watched for free.

Using Amazon Advanced Search on the Web

Arguably the best way to search Amazon Prime Video is to do so directly on the Amazon website. The Amazon website features dedicated categories that list new releases, content that’s coming soon, Amazon Prime shows and movies viewable in 4K UHD, and everything that’s free to watch in Included with Prime.

Once you’ve found something that you’d like to watch, all you need to do is hover your mouse cursor over the + icon and click Add to Watchlist. This selection will sync to your Amazon Prime Video apps and can be found in the Watchlist link in the app menu. 

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