I recently helped a client who suddenly couldn’t log into Amazon Prime Video on their smart TV. Their account details were correct, but nothing seemed to work — not even the option to sign in using their phone.
This is a problem I see quite often, especially with smart TVs that update apps automatically. I wanted to share what happened and the simple steps that fixed it.
The problem my client was experiencing
My client told me:
- Prime Video would not accept their login details
- The “sign in using your phone” option didn’t work
- The app kept looping back to the login screen
- Prime Video had worked previously, but stopped suddenly
Importantly, their Amazon account was working fine on other devices, like their phone and computer.
What was actually causing the issue
In this case, the problem wasn’t the Amazon account at all — it was the Prime Video app on the TV.
Smart TVs store temporary data (called a cache) to help apps run faster. Over time, especially after updates, this data can become corrupted. When that happens, the app can no longer communicate properly with Amazon’s servers.
This can stop both normal logins and phone-based logins from working.
The steps I took to fix it
Here’s exactly what I did on the client’s TV.
The wording may differ slightly depending on the TV brand, but the process is very similar.
- Opened Settings on the TV
- Went to Apps (or Applications)
- Selected Prime Video
- Chose Force Stop
- Selected Clear Cache
- Selected Remove Updates
- Closed settings and reopened the Prime Video app
- Logged in again using the client’s email and password
The app logged in straight away after this.
What I did next to help prevent it happening again
Once the client was logged in successfully, I also:
- Updated the Prime Video app again via the app store
- Properly restarted the TV by unplugging it from power for about 30–60 seconds
This helps clear leftover memory and reduces the chance of the issue returning.
Reassurance for anyone experiencing this
If this happens to you, it’s important to know:
- Your Amazon account is usually fine
- You haven’t done anything wrong
- This is a common smart TV app issue
If Prime Video works on your phone or computer, that’s a good sign that the problem is isolated to the TV app.
If the issue comes back
The same steps can be safely repeated:
- Force Stop
- Clear Cache
- Remove Updates
- Log in again
You won’t damage the TV or your account by doing this.
Need help: 0435 415 473
I started this service after seeing how many older Australians struggle with technology — not because they can’t learn it, but because no one takes the time to explain it properly. With more than 20 years’ experience in digital technology and online training, I wanted to create something patient, local, and genuinely helpful.
