Amazon announced this morning that it’s bringing its Prime Instant Video streaming service to all Android phones in the U.S., U.K. and Germany through an update to the Amazon app for Android. After installing the new version of the mobile application, users will be able to not only shop from their phones as before, but will also have access to the “tens of thousands” of TV shows and movies currently available on the Prime Instant Video service.
However, Amazon has made the process of obtaining access to Prime Instant Video for Android a little convoluted. In order to begin streaming, users will first have to download and install (or update) the main Amazon app, then will have to go into the app and use in-app tools to download and install the Amazon Instant Video player app, which comes from the Amazon Appstore.
In addition, you’ll need to enable a setting on your phone that permits you to install apps from “unknown sources” – meaning locations beyond the official Google Play store.
Before today’s update, Amazon Instant Video was available for both iOS devices and Android tablets, including, of course, Amazon’s own Kindle Fire.
Amazon Prime Instant Video is bundled with Amazon’s Prime service, which users are billed for annually. If you’re not sure it’s worth the cost, you can sign up for a 30-day trial, Amazon notes.
The company has been making a big effort to increase its online video catalog over the years, and has now grown to over 200,000 movies and TV shows available to rent or buy, in addition to the tens of thousands of streaming titles. Some of the more notable streaming titles include the newly acquired HBO shows like The Sopranos, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Six Feet Under and The Wire. Meanwhile, the service also includes access to Amazon’s original fare, like Alpha House, Tumble Leaf, Creative Galaxy and Annedroids.