By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Former Sony employee.

TV Answer Man, I love watching the Amazon Prime videos on my Kindle Fire tablet. But sometimes they won’t play, even with my Internet connection, which is very strong. Why does this happen sometimes? — Elizabeth, Newark, New Jersey.

Elizabeth, Amazon’s Help page says that most Prime streaming issues are related to a poor Internet connection. But it sounds like that’s not your problem so let’s dig deeper.

1. Reset Your Kindle

One, re-set your Kindle by pressing and holding the Power button for 20 seconds. Your Kindle will shut down. Then after 20 seconds, release the Power button. Then, press the Power button and your Kindle Fire will re-start. According to some Kindle owners on Amazon message boards, this simple re-set trick will often fix your issue.

2. Update Your Kindle’s Software

If that didn’t work, let’s check your device’s software; it’s possible it needs to be updated. To check the software, swipe down from the top of the screen and click More or Settings. Then, tap Device Options and System Updates. If there’s an available update, tap on it.

If the update (if there was one) didn’t solve your problem, there’s one more thing you can do: Clear data.

3. Clear Your Kindle’s Data

You do this by again swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping More or Settings. Then, tap Applications, then Installed Applications or Manage All Applications. After that, select All Applications from the drop-down menu and then tap on Video. After that, tap Force Stop and then, finally, Clear Data.

Your Kindle Fire may be trying to play multiple videos at the same time so clearing all data in the video application will eliminate any logjams preventing you from streaming. However, don’t forget to restart your device after clearing the data before you resume trying to watch your video.

Elizabeth, I hope this solves your problem. But if the above solutions don’t help, contact Amazon. There might be a problem with your Kindle and you may need a replacement.

Hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.