Amazon Prime Video prepares to add smart downloads like Netflix, following top actors

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There are several reasons that make Netflix one of the best video streaming services out there. Not only does the platform have some great content on offer, but it also includes some really handy features that can significantly improve your experience. Features like the Skip Intro button and smart downloads don’t seem like much at first, but you realize their importance when you switch over to another streaming service that doesn’t have them. Amazon Prime Video, for instance, doesn’t include a smart downloads feature yet. And I, for one, miss it a lot when I’m watching a show on its mobile app. Thankfully, it won’t be long before the feature finally shows up on Amazon Prime Video.

An APK teardown can often predict features that may arrive in a future update of an application, but it is possible that any of the features we mention here may not make it in a future release. This is because these features are currently unimplemented in the live build and may be pulled at any time by the developers in a future build.

A recent teardown of the Amazon Prime Video APK (v 3.0.259.65541) has revealed strings of code that hint at the upcoming Auto Downloads feature. The feature will work pretty much like Netflix’s smart downloads and will automatically download the next episode of whatever TV series you’re watching to offer an uninterrupted viewing experience.

<string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_AUTO_DOWNLOADS_HELP_MESSAGE">"As you watch TV shows on your mobile device, we'll automatically download the next episode for you."</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_AUTO_DOWNLOADS_STATUS_BAR_SETTINGS_LINK">Manage</string>

As seen in the screenshot below, the Auto Downloads feature will work on WiFi networks by default, unless you enable mobile data downloads. In order to save space, the app will automatically delete watched episodes when the next episode is downloaded and you’ll get the option to choose how many episodes are downloaded automatically.

Additionally, we’ve also uncovered strings that hint at another cool feature making its way to the app. This feature will allow you to follow top actors on Amazon Prime Video and receive notifications whenever one of their videos go live. If you’re not sure which actors to follow, the platform will also include a discover section featuring top actor recommendations (as seen in the screenshot above).

<string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_DIALOG_EXPERIMENT_BODY">We are currently experimenting with this feature. We may disable it without notice.</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_DIALOG_EXPERIMENT_TITLE">Experiment details</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_EMPTY_BODY">Follow your favorite actors to get notifications when their videos are added to Prime Video.</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_EMPTY_BODY_NOTIFICATIONS_DISABLED">Keep track of all your favorite actors in one place.</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_EMPTY_TITLE">"You're not following anyone yet..."</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_SEE_TOP_ACTORS">Discover top actors to follow</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_TITLE">Following</string> <string name="AV_MOBILE_ANDROID_FOLLOWING_TOP_ACTORS">Top actors</string>

Our Editor-in-Chief Mishaal Rahman manually launched the new activities in the app to grab the above screenshots. However, these features don’t seem to be live yet. As of now, we have no information from Amazon regarding the release timeline for these new features.

Thanks to PNF Software for providing us a license to use JEB Decompiler, a professional-grade reverse engineering tool for Android applications.