Primecast quickly pulled from Google Play and disabled for users

Update: According to the updated Primecast website, the app was removed from the Play Store because it “stopped working.” We’ve updated to post to clarify that Primecast will honor refund requests.

Original post:

If you recently visited our site on November 6th, you may have read an article about a new app called Primecast. The application basically allowed Amazon Prime Instant Video users to stream video from the long awaited Amazon Instant video app to their Chromecast, which is a function that many of us Chromecast users would like to have. But the casting apparently didn’t last long for anyone, as Primecast has been pulled from Google Play and disabled for existing users less than 2 days after making its Play Store debut.

Android Authority reached out for a statement as to why it happened, and we were directed to this announcement on their homepage:

The developers didn’t state a reason for removal in particular, but many will likely assume that Amazon simply didn’t like the fact that someone was offering access to their service in a way that they didn’t. Another theory could be that that they simply don’t want a Google device having access to something that they want taking place from their own Chromecast competitor, the Fire TV Stick.

Unfortunately for those that already downloaded the app, the streaming function of the app has already been completely disabled, in essence rendering the app pretty much useless.

Primecast told Android Authority it would honor refund requests:

Yes, we do offer refunds, but of course we would welcome it if our users viewed the paid amount as a contribution to our work, and to help get us off the ground with a new project.

It’s a shame to see Primecast go, and hopefully it will encourage Amazon to offer this function directly themselves. But with Amazon looking to compete with Google in terms of top boxes and media services, I wouldn’t get my hopes up for that to happen any time soon.