While you can’t permanently remove a purchased movie from your Amazon Prime Video library in the same way you might delete a photo, you can hide it from your viewing history and recommendations. This effectively removes it from your immediate view and minimizes its influence on future suggestions. This guide details the process and provides answers to common questions.
Understanding Amazon Prime Video Management
Amazon Prime Video offers a vast library of content, but managing your viewing history and purchased titles isn’t always straightforward. While you might assume you can simply delete a movie like you would a file on your computer, Amazon’s system operates differently. Instead of permanent deletion, you primarily work with hiding content and managing watch history. This is due to licensing agreements and the way digital purchases are handled. Understanding this distinction is crucial when attempting to “remove” a movie.
The Process of Hiding a Movie
The primary method for removing a movie from your visible Amazon Prime Video library is to hide it from your Purchases & Rentals. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Go to the Amazon Website: This process is best done on a computer via a web browser.
- Navigate to “Account & Lists”: Hover over “Account & Lists” in the upper right corner of the Amazon homepage.
- Select “Your Account”: From the dropdown menu, choose “Your Account”.
- Find “Digital Content and Devices”: Look for the “Digital Content and Devices” section and click on it. You may need to scroll down to find it.
- Click on “Videos”: This will take you to the Amazon Video Library management page.
- Locate the Movie: Find the movie you want to “remove” from your library. You may need to filter or sort to locate it quickly.
- Click the Three Dots (…): Hover over the movie tile, and three dots will appear. Click on these dots.
- Select “Hide This Video”: A small menu will appear. Choose the “Hide This Video” option.
- Confirm Your Choice: A confirmation window will pop up asking if you are sure you want to hide the video. Click “Hide”.
Important Considerations:
- This process only hides the movie. It’s still technically in your account’s purchase history.
- Hiding a movie will prevent it from appearing in your recommendations.
- You can unhide movies later if you wish (more on that below).
- This process works for both purchased and rented titles.
- This method doesn’t affect family sharing settings; hidden movies might still be visible to other family members depending on the specific settings.
Managing Watch History
Another related process to consider is managing your watch history. This helps to influence future recommendations and clears up your “Continue Watching” list.
- Go to Amazon Prime Video website.
- Go to Your Account.
- Navigate to ‘Watch History’: Locate the section related to your watch history. This is usually found under settings related to your video account.
- Remove Specific Items: Identify the movie (or TV episode) from your watch history and click the “Remove from Watch History” button (or similar option).
Removing items from your watch history prevents Amazon from using those titles to determine your viewing preferences and recommend similar content.
Unhiding Movies
If you decide you want to view a hidden movie again, you can easily unhide it.
- Go to the Amazon Website.
- Navigate to “Account & Lists” > “Your Account” > “Digital Content and Devices” > “Videos”. (As described previously)
- Filter by “Hidden Videos”: Look for a filter option that allows you to view hidden videos. This may be in a dropdown menu or as a separate tab.
- Locate the Movie: Find the movie you want to unhide.
- Click the Three Dots (…): Hover over the movie tile, and three dots will appear. Click on these dots.
- Select “Unhide This Video”: A small menu will appear. Choose the “Unhide This Video” option.
The movie will now be visible in your general video library again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about removing movies from Amazon Prime Video:
FAQ 1: Can I permanently delete a movie I purchased from Amazon Prime Video?
No, Amazon does not offer a direct option to permanently delete purchased movies from your account. You can only hide them. This limitation stems from licensing agreements and how digital purchases are handled. Permanent deletion is not possible.
FAQ 2: Does hiding a movie remove it from my purchase history?
No, hiding a movie only removes it from your visible library and recommendations. It remains in your purchase history records for Amazon’s internal purposes.
FAQ 3: Will hiding a movie prevent it from showing up in my search results?
It might still appear in search results if you specifically search for the title. However, it won’t be readily visible in your general library browsing or recommendations.
FAQ 4: How do I remove a rented movie after I’ve watched it?
The same “hide” process applies to rented movies as it does to purchased ones. Once the rental period expires, the movie will typically disappear from your “Continue Watching” list, but you can still hide it from your Purchases & Rentals section.
FAQ 5: Does hiding a movie affect my family sharing settings?
Potentially. While hiding the movie from your account will remove it from your view, its visibility to other family members depends on your specific family sharing settings and the sharing options enabled. Check your family sharing settings to confirm.
FAQ 6: Can I hide multiple movies at once?
Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t offer a bulk hiding feature. You must hide each movie individually following the steps outlined above.
FAQ 7: Will hiding a movie affect my ability to download it for offline viewing in the future (if applicable)?
Yes, if the movie was previously available for download, hiding it will likely remove the download option as well. You’ll need to unhide it to access the download feature again.
FAQ 8: How do I stop Amazon from recommending movies similar to ones I don’t like?
Hiding the initial movie is a good first step. Also, actively rate movies you do like and dislike using the thumbs up/thumbs down options on the movie details page. This provides Amazon with more accurate data about your preferences.
FAQ 9: Does hiding a movie prevent Amazon from collecting data about my viewing habits?
No, hiding a movie doesn’t necessarily prevent Amazon from collecting data about your viewing habits. They may still track what you search for and browse, even if you hide certain titles.
FAQ 10: Can I hide TV shows in the same way I hide movies?
Yes, the process for hiding TV shows is identical to hiding movies. Navigate to your video library and follow the same steps to hide individual episodes or entire seasons.
FAQ 11: What if I accidentally hide a movie?
Unhiding a movie is easy. Simply follow the steps outlined in the “Unhiding Movies” section above to make it visible again.
FAQ 12: Is there a way to provide feedback to Amazon about their video library management system?
Yes, Amazon encourages customer feedback. Look for a “Feedback” or “Help” section on the Amazon website or within the Prime Video app to submit your suggestions for improvements. You can also use their customer service channels to express your opinions.