If you have a Samsung Smart TV, and you are currently experiencing a scenario where apps like, Hulu, Spotify, Youtube, and Netflix are stuck on the loading screen and you can scroll or search for shows, it could mean that the app isn’t working. So, we advise you to read this post till the end as you will learn how to fix Samsung TV apps not working.
Sometimes, it might be frustrating when faced with Samsung TV apps not working since it stops you from watching your favorite TV shows and render the device apps useless. To fix or restore things back to normal, you might have checked a few things like the network, the WiFi signal etc, but you are not getting any positive response.
If that is the case, below I will be breaking down some of the reasons why you are faced with your Samsung smart TV app not working and some proven tricks you can use to resolve it.
Why are Samsung TV Apps not Working
One of the common reasons why you are stuck with your Samsung TV apps not working usually comes from outdated software or issue with your internet settings.
Anyway, you might not regularly keep up with the latest version of apps like Hulu, Netflix, Youtube etc, however, it could result in an issue like this, if the software version is far outdated.
That said, below could be responsible for your Samsung smart TV apps not responding or working. So, let’s delve into it some reasons behind this.
- App Software is Outdated
- TV software is Outdated
- Wrong internet setting
- App bugs or issues
- Technical Issues
- Unsupported location
Now that you are armed with all these lets, talk about the troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve this
How to Troubleshoot Samsung TV Apps not Working
Starting from the easiest to troubleshoot below are proven troubleshooting steps you should take to resolve this.
1. Restart your Samsung Smart TV
There are different ways to carry this out especially if you are faced with a frozen screen or your apps are not loading, you can carry out a power cycle or use your remote to restart it.
That said, here is how to do that
Remote method
- Hold down the power button on your TV remote control.
- Keep holding down the remote button until the smart TV turns back on.
If that doesn’t produce any form of positive results then you should give the power cycle method a try
Power cycle method
To carry out the power cycle method all you have to do is
- Unplug the power source of the Samsung Smart TV.
- Be patient for 40 seconds to a minute before plugging it back in.
By now your Samsung TV apps should be running perfectly, if it isn’t then the issues might require you to clear out your App caches.
Recommended: How to Restart Samsung Smart TV
2. Clear your App Caches
Your Samsung app could contain some bugs or probably the app is not compatible with your Samsung TV. If you are faced with this, you might not necessarily notice any great pointer to this, but if after installing an app you start having this issue you might want to check out that app or simply clear out the cache memory of your Samsung apps
To do that follow the steps below
- On your TV remote press the Home button
- Locate settings and select Support.
- Now, select Clear Cache.
3. Reset your Samsung Smart Hub App
Over here there are two basic scenarios you can be faced with, if you are faced with a scenario whereby, some apps are working perfectly while some are not coming up, a reset will go a long way in resolving that.
However, I will be talking about how to reset an individual app that is causing issues
Resetting the Smart Hub Apps
if you want to reset a specific app that is not loading then you should follow the steps listed below
- On your Samsung TV, choose your Smart Hub Screen
- Locate the app that is freezing or not loading
- choose the app and select settings.
- Proceed to uninstall and reinstall the app.
- After doing that, your TV will re-launch the app once it is downloaded.
After going through these steps and you are still stuck with your Samsung TV Apps not working, proceed to carry out an update.
4. Carry out an Update on the App
In cases where some apps are working and some arent, an update to the particular app causing the issue is very helpful since it removes any existing bugs and security issues while solving many popular issues.
If you are unsure about how to update the app. go to the Samsung Apps Store for the app you want, and update from there.
If after trying this, you are still stuck with your Samsung TV apps not working proceed to the next troubleshooting steps.
5. Update your Samsung TV Firmware
Did you know some Samsung TV models like the 2012 models do not support Automatic updates? If you are in that category here is how you can update your Samsung TV firmware
On your remote press the home button
- Select Settings.
- On the next screen choose Support.
- Now, choose Software Update and wait for the update to complete.
NOTE: the update can take up to 4 hours or more, so you don’t need to wait for it. Once the update is done your Samsung will rest automatically.
Recommended: How to Update Samsung TV Firmware
6 . Check your Internet or Wifi Connection
Since most of the apps require a strong and fast internet connection, then a poor wifi signal or a poor network can result in an endless loading screen when your TV is ON.
However, this is an issue majority of users check almost quickly by checking other devices connected with their wifi to confirm if the wifi signal is strong and the internet speed is good. However, if there are no issues with your wifi signals and you are still stuck with your Samsung TV apps not working, then you should proceed to the next troubleshooting step
7 . Adjust your Location Settings
Among other things, one of the things that could cause an endless loading screen or a blank screen when you are trying to load some app is the issue of an unsupported location. For example apps like Spotify, and Hulu is not supported in all countries.
In cases like this, all you have to do is change your location settings and see if it resolves it.
That said, here is how you can change your location
- Navigate to the Smart Hub menu.
- On your Remote, press 2, 8, and 9 once it loads(the number varies based on the TV model and the code written on your manual. However 2,8,9 is a common code)
- Now, choose any supported country under “Internet Service Location”
- After doing that, wait for the Smart Hub to reload again to see if the apps are working perfectly.
If after trying all the steps listed above and you are still stuck with your Samsung TV Apps not working then you should carry out a reset on your Samsung TV
8 . Resetting your Samsung Smart Hub
Resting your Samsung Smart Hub is different from resetting your apps individually because it clears out all the apps you’ve downloaded, bringing you to a default state.
That said here is how to go about that
- Reboot your Samsung TV
- Go to your Samsung TV Smart Hub.
- Select “Smart Hub Reset”.
- If you don’t have a pin, the default pin is 0000, but if you do enter it.
- Now, download your Samsung Smart TV apps again
Samsung TV Apps not updating
If your Samsung TV apps are not updating maybe you can update the firmware itself. However, if it is not updating automatically you can use your USB stick to update the Samsung firmware by following the steps listed below
- Go to the Samsung Support website
- On the website, search for your TV’s model and then download the Upgrade file.
- Unzip the contents and store them on your USB drive.
- Insert the USB drive into the USB slot on your TV and the firmware update will start automatically.
Samsung Smart TV Apps not Available
If you are faced with a scenario where your Samsung smart TV is not available or you are not seeing it in the smart Hub. try reinstalling the App and then update it.
Samsung TV Apps Crashing
If you are stuck with your TV apps crashing maybe your Hulu, Netflix, Youtube or Spotify are crashing. One thing you will notice is a slow menu.
If you are faced with that, the first thing you should do is to reset that particular app that is crashing or reinstall it. However, if all your apps are crashing, you will need to carry out a reset on your Samsung TV
How do I reset an app on my Samsung Smart TV?
- Reboot your Samsung TV
- Go to your Samsung TV Smart Hub.
- Select “Smart Hub Reset”.
- If you don’t have a pin, the default pin is 0000, but if you do enter it.
- Now, download your Samsung Smart TV apps again.
Conclusion
If after following the steps listed above you are still stuck with Samsung TV apps not working, your best bet is to contact Samsung customer support to help you get it resolved.
That said, if you don’t have CNN on your Samsung TV, check here to activate it.