TL;DR: You cannot watch Amazon Prime downloads on a TV via USB using the official app because the files are encrypted (DRM) and hidden. (Part 1) The official "Download to SD card" option only works for storage, not playback on other devices. (Part 3)
To watch on a bigger screen or save movies forever on an external hard drive, you must use a tool such as KeepStreams to convert Prime Video titles to MP4/MKV format first. (Part 2)
Last month, my iPad was already full of photos, and the campsite had zero Wi-Fi signal. I grabbed my trusty 128GB USB drive, thinking I could just drag-and-drop my purchased movies from my laptop to the drive.
I was wrong. That simple task turned into a night of "File format not supported" errors. That's when I realized that owning the movie doesn't mean you own the file.
![[2026 Guide] How to Download Amazon Prime Movies to USB?](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Rex
Rex's Insight: Many users confuse "Downloading" with "Exporting." The Prime Video app allows you to download to an SD card on Android to save space, but those files are locked inside the app. You cannot plug that SD card into a TV or a friend's laptop and press play. To do that, you need a different approach.
Can You Download Amazon Prime Movies to USB?
Note: Yes, but only as a storage location, not for playback on other devices—unless you use a conversion tool.
When you use the "Download" button in the Prime Video app (on Windows or Android), Amazon saves a cache of data files to your device. These aren't standard .mp4 or .mov files. They are fragmented, encrypted data readable only by the Prime Video app logged into your specific account.
This creates two major problems for us users:
- No TV Playback: Smart TVs and Projectors cannot read Amazon's encrypted cache files from a USB stick.
- Expiration Dates: Even if you move the files to a USB drive to save space, they will expire. Amazon's official rule is typically 30 days to start watching and 48 hours to finish once you hit play.
Download Amazon Prime Movies to USB as MP4 (The Best Solution)
Note: To truly download movies from Amazon Prime to a USB flash drive for playback on a TV, gaming console, or another computer, you need KeepStreams.
I personally use KeepStreams for Prime Video for this. This turns the rented or purchased video into a standard video file. I log in, and it records/downloads the raw video stream directly to your PC as an MP4 or MKV file, stripping away the app-dependency.
I download Amazon Prime movies to USB with the following simple steps:
Step 1
Launch KeepStreams and Select Amazon
After installing, open KeepStreams. Navigate to VIP Services on the left panel and click on the Amazon Prime Video icon.
Step 2
Search for Your Movie
Browse the interface just like you would on a browser. Find the movie or show you want to save. Once you click play, the tool will automatically analyze the video URL.
Step 3
Customize Output to USB
A pop-up window will appear. Here you can choose:
• Resolution: 1080p is recommended for TV viewing.
• Format: MP4 (Most compatible) or MKV.
• Codec: H.265 (Smaller file size) or H.264 (Better compatibility).
Pro Tip: Before clicking "Download Now", you can go to the Settings menu in the top right corner, and change the default "Output Directory" directly to your connected USB drive. Or, download to your PC first and transfer later for faster speeds.
Step 4
Download the video into USB
Click Download Now. Once finished, you will have a standalone file on your drive. You can now plug this USB into your TV, Roku, or copy it to an external hard drive for permanent safekeeping.
Rex
My Experience with Purchased Movies: Even if you "Buy" a movie on Amazon, you are usually just buying a long-term license to stream it. If you want to know how to download purchased movies from Amazon to USB permanently, this method can keep a copy even if Amazon loses the licensing rights to that film in the future.
Save Prime Video to External Storage (The Official Way)
If your goal is strictly to save internal storage space on your Windows laptop or Android tablet, and you don't mind watching the content within the app itself, you can change the official download directory.
Note: This method works for Android SD cards and Windows recognized drives, but you cannot take that drive and plug it into a TV.
On Android / Fire Tablets
You can set an SD Card as the default download location. This is useful for Fire Tablets with limited internal memory.
- Open the Prime Video App.
- Go to Settings > Stream & Download.
- Tap Download Destination and select SD Card.
On Windows 10/11
The Windows App allows you to choose where to store these encrypted files.
- Open the Prime Video App on PC.
- Click the Settings (Gear Icon).
- Under Downloads, click "Change" next to "Download Location".
- Select your USB drive or External Hard Drive.
However, users often report on forums like r/AmazonPrimeVideo that the app sometimes fails to recognize external drives if they are disconnected and reconnected, forcing a re-download.
Why Use an External Hard Drive? (Limits vs. Solutions)
Aside from portability, the biggest reason to download Amazon Prime video to hard drive is to bypass the restrictive "Download Limits" imposed by streaming services.
1. Bypassing the 15-25 Title Limit
Depending on your region, Amazon restricts you to downloading 15 to 25 titles at once across all devices. If you are prepping for a long road trip or building a library, this is not enough. By downloading to an external hard drive via KeepStreams, these files are "offline" and do not count toward your account's server-side limit.
2. Long-Term Archiving
I have a 4TB external hard drive where I archive my favorite series. Official downloads expire if you don't go online every 30 days. MP4 downloads on a hard drive never expire. This is essential for:
• PC Expansion: Keep your laptop running fast by moving heavy video files to external storage.
• Digital Hoarding: Creating a personal offline library.
Is It Legal to Download Prime Video?
Note: This guide is for educational and personal use only. Downloading copy-protected content is not recommended. Please check the copyright law in your country and download videos for fair use.
This is a grey area. Technically, bypassing DRM violates the DMCA in the US and the Terms of Use of streaming platforms. However, "Format Shifting" (making a copy of media you have legally paid for to watch on a different device, like your own TV) is often tolerated under Fair Use principles in many jurisdictions, provided you:
- Do not share the files with others.
- Do not sell or distribute the movies.
- Keep the files strictly for your own personal viewing.
FAQs
Q1. Can I watch Amazon Prime downloads on TV via USB directly？
A1. No, not with the official app. The files are hidden and encrypted. Your TV's media player will not recognize the folder structure. You must use a converter like KeepStreams to save them as MP4 files first.
Q2. How to download purchased movies from Amazon to USB？
A2. Even purchased titles are DRM-protected. To move them to a USB, open KeepStreams, navigate to your "Purchases" tab within the Amazon browser view, and download them. This converts your purchase into a permanent video file.
Q3. What format are Amazon Prime video downloads？
A3. Officially, they are encrypted data chunks (often proprietary formats unrelated to MP4). When using KeepStreams, you can convert them to MP4 or MKV, which are universally compatible with Smart TVs, USB drives, and laptops.
Q4. Does downloading Amazon Prime video to USB save my data？
A4. Yes. Once the video is downloaded to your USB drive, playing it back requires zero internet connection and consumes no data. This is perfect for flights, camping, or users with capped data plans.
Conclusion
While Amazon's ecosystem is designed to keep you inside their app, the need to download Amazon Prime movies to USB is real—whether for a projector on a camping trip or just to free up space on your MacBook.
Using the official "Download location" setting is fine for temporary storage on Android, but if you want true ownership and playback flexibility, a tool like KeepStreams is a reliable workaround. Just remember to use it responsibly for your own personal viewing.
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