Amazon is turning Prime Video into another place where users can lose themselves in endless vertical scrolling. The company announced on May 8 that it is rolling out Clips, a feed of short-form videos pulled from its vast library of movies, series and sports highlights. Users swipe through personalized snippets on their phones. One moment from a thriller or a funny exchange in a comedy appears. Then another. And another.
This move comes days after similar features gained traction at rivals. Netflix introduced its own Clips feed at the end of April. Disney+ launched Verts in March. The pattern is clear. Streaming giants now see short vertical video not as a distraction but as the entry point for longer viewing sessions. But does it solve discovery problems or simply import the addictive mechanics that dominate social media?
Access starts on the Prime Video mobile home page. A carousel labeled Clips sits near the top. Scroll down to it. Tap any thumbnail. The screen flips to full vertical mode. From there the feed takes over. Clips play automatically in sequence. Each one lasts just long enough to tease. Viewers can tap to jump straight into the full title. They can add it to a watchlist. They can like the clip or share it with friends through messaging apps, email or social platforms. Sharing requires the recipient to have the Prime Video app installed. Otherwise the link goes nowhere.
Personalization drives the experience. The system draws on viewing history to serve fresh selections every time. One visit might surface action sequences from recent blockbusters. The next could highlight tense dialogue from prestige dramas or key moments from live sports. Brian Griffin, director of global application experiences at Prime Video, described the intent in the official announcement. “Clips gives customers a whole new way to browse with short, personalized snippets tailored to their interests,” he said. “Whether they have a few minutes to scroll or are looking for something to watch when they have more time, entertainment is just a tap away.” The statement appears in Amazon’s press release.
Amazon tested the concept first with NBA highlights during the 2025-26 season. Those clips appeared on dedicated sports collection pages. Engagement apparently justified expansion. Now the feed pulls from Amazon MGM Studios productions, licensed films, original series, anime, live events and content from add-on channels such as MGM+, Crunchyroll, Apple TV+ and Max. The breadth matters. Prime Video already functions as an aggregator. Clips turns that aggregation into a frictionless mobile habit.
The timing aligns with broader industry pressure. Subscription growth has slowed across the board. Churn remains a constant threat. Attention itself has fragmented. Younger viewers in particular split time between traditional streaming, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Reels. A 20-second clip that captures the exact tone of a show can drive more conversions than any polished trailer. Digital Trends noted this dynamic in its coverage, pointing out that one sharp scene or chaotic moment often sells a title better than traditional marketing. Read the full story at Digital Trends.
Yet the approach carries risks. Critics have long warned about the psychological pull of infinite vertical feeds. The same mechanisms that keep users on TikTok for hours can now operate inside a paid subscription service. The Verge highlighted how Prime Video joins Netflix and Disney+ in adopting this format, framing it as the latest chapter in streaming’s adaptation to mobile behavior. Its report is available here: The Verge.
TechCrunch placed the launch in context of recent moves by Peacock, Tubi and others. All aim to boost discovery. All borrow directly from social platforms’ playbooks. Amanda Silberling reported that Amazon first experimented with the format through NBA content before broadening it. The article also quotes Griffin’s emphasis on quick access. Find it at TechCrunch.
This isn’t Amazon’s first attempt at short-form video. The company previously launched Inspire, a TikTok-style shopping feed inside its main app. It combined influencer videos with product links and was later shut down. That experience may have informed the current execution. Clips focuses strictly on entertainment discovery rather than direct commerce, though rent and buy options sit one tap away.
Rollout began with a limited group of U.S. users on iOS, Android and Fire tablets. Wider availability is scheduled for this summer. The staggered approach allows Amazon to gather data on engagement before full deployment. Early indicators from the NBA test suggested users responded well to the swipeable highlights. Whether that translates to narrative content remains to be seen.
Industry observers point to several potential outcomes. Higher completion rates for full titles could lift overall viewing hours. Watchlist additions might increase. Sharing could drive new sign-ups if recipients convert. At the same time, the feature might cannibalize time spent on traditional browsing rows or search. Some subscribers could find the constant vertical motion fatiguing on a service they pay to escape social media’s grip.
Prime Video has made other mobile improvements alongside Clips. The home page now auto-plays trailers. Vertical artwork allows up to 50 percent more titles to appear on screen. A redesigned player offers cast details and trivia without pausing playback. Together these changes signal a clear strategic bet. Mobile is no longer secondary. It is the primary battleground for attention.
Executives at every major streamer face the same data. Consumers open apps in short bursts throughout the day. Many never make it past the first few rows of recommendations. A vertical feed that delivers instant gratification addresses that reality directly. It meets users where they already scroll. The question is whether the content inside those clips proves compelling enough to break through decision paralysis.
So far the trend shows no signs of slowing. Disney+ called its version Verts and positioned it as a dedicated feed for scenes and moments from its catalog. Netflix used the same “Clips” name and has iterated on vertical experiments for years. Amazon’s entry makes three of the largest Western streamers committed to the format. Their collective bet suggests that short vertical video has moved from experiment to expectation.
Longer term, success will depend on execution details. How quickly does the algorithm adapt to negative feedback such as thumbs-down signals? Can users easily exit the feed or adjust preferences? Will the mix of free, subscription, rental and add-on content feel coherent or chaotic? Amazon has not released specific metrics on anticipated impact. Griffin’s statement remains the clearest guide. Entertainment should be a tap away. The company now offers one more path to reach it.
Whether that path leads to deeper engagement or simply more time lost in vertical limbo will play out over the coming months. For now Prime Video users in the test group have a new button to press. The rest will follow soon enough. One swipe at a time.
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