You might have been using your Vizio Smartcast for a while without any hassle until you start seeing “Smartcast Starting Up, Please Wait” or “Smartcast TV Not Available”. Or maybe your Vizio Smartcast screen shows on the screen but it doesn’t load up showing a black screen. Probably this has made you stuck asking yourself why is my Vizio Smartcast not working?
If you are experiencing any of that, there are a few things you ought to do before carrying out a factory reset or calling Vizio customer support.
Anyway, in this article below, I will be breaking down some of the little-known troubleshooting steps you’ve not tried yet when you are stuck with your Vizio Smartcast not working
Fixing your Vizio Smartcast not Working
Starting from the easy one, below are some steps you can follow to self-diagnose your Vizio Smartcast if it is not working or you are experiencing a black screen.
Check your WiFi Connection
Obviously, your Vizio smart cast won’t work if there is no internet connection or the Vizo Smartcast isn’t connected to your Internet modem.
That said, the first thing you have to verify in this case is the Wi-Fi connection with your internet modem.
You can glance through the light on the modem to verify if the modem is working perfectly, if it is try connecting your phone to your modem to confirm if your ISP is working fine. if it then the issue isn’t coming from your internet router.
Reboot your Vizio TV
Use either the TV power button or the remote to switch off your Vizio TV and then restart it all over again. After doing this, check if there are any changes. If not proceed to carry out a soft power cycle
Perform a soft Power cycle
If you are unsure about how to carry out a power cycle on your Vizio TV follow the steps below
- Press the Menu button and select System/Settings using your TV remote.
- Go to your TV screen and select Reset & Admin.
- Now, choose Power Cycle from this screen.
- Unplug all power cords from your internet router.
After Successfully turning on the devices, check to see if you have been able to resolve Vizio Smartcast not working. If not Carry out a power Cycle externally on your TV
Power cycle your Vizio TV Externally
A power cycle simply means you are dissipating power from the Vizo Tv, it is similar to rebooting your Vizio TV, however, the difference is the waiting time before powering it on again.
Below are instructions on how you can power cycle your Vizio TV externally
- Power OFF your Vizio TV
- After doing that, unplug your TV from the power source
- On your TV, long press the power button for 20-30 seconds with the TV still unplugged from the power source.
- Now, plug your Vizio TV back into the power source while also plugging the cord at the back.
- Wait for another 20-30 seconds and then turn on the TV
If after doing all these there are no positive changes, then you should try refreshing your Smartcast Home to see if it resolves your Vizio Smartcast not working.
Refresh your Smartcast Home
Another method you can try is by refreshing the Smartcast UI. If you are unsure of how to do that you can follow the steps below
To refresh Smartcast:
- Navigate to the Smartcast input.
- Launch the TV’s Menu.
- Go to the System menu.
- Over here change the language to French or Spanish.
- Now, let the smart cast load.
- Since you don’t understand Spanish, go back and change the language back to English
If after doing this, you are still stuck with your Vizio Smartcast not working then you might have to check for updates.
Check your Vizio firmware for updates
Now it might not be surprising that you might not be able to carry out an update due to your Vizio Smartcast screen, however, if you can, all you have to do is to follow the steps listed below.
- Power on your TV
- Click “Menu” on your remote.
- Now, scroll down and select “System”
- Navigate to “Check for Updates,” and click on it.
In case you are not able to carry out an update or an update doesn’t work for you, simply skip to the next step which is to factory reset your Vizio TV
Factory Reset your Vizio TV
Carrying out a factory reset might be hard to do, however, if you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps listed above and you are still stuck with your Vizio Smartcast not working. You should carry out a factory reset.
If you are unsure about how to do that, you can follow the steps below.
- Get your remote and select Menu.
- Now, go to System.
- Click on Reset & Admin and then Reset TV to Factory Settings.
- On the next window, confirm if you want to perform a factory reset by tapping Yes.
If after carrying out a factory reset your Vizio Smart cast isn’t working then you should contact Vizio Customer support or simply call them on (844) 254-8087.
Vizio Smartcast not Connecting to WiFi
If your Vizio Smartcast isn’t working, there are a few things you ought to do in order to troubleshoot it.
Reconnect and Verify the Password of your Internet Router
Some internet routers come with two network names, so you have to be mindful that your Vizio is connected to the right one and also the password you entered to connect your Vizio to your internet router is correct. If you are unsure, you can check the password on your internet router and then enter it on your Vizio device to connect with the router.
Power Cycle your Router
Power cycling your router involves dissipating power away from it for a while before powering it on.
if you are unsure of how to do that follow the steps listed below
- Remove the router’s power cord from the power outlet
- After doing that, remove any backup battery connected to your wifi router.
- Once you have removed any power supply to the router, wait for 20 seconds
- Now, insert/connect the battery backup and plug the power cord back into the power supply and connect it to your router.
If after doing this, you are receiving an error message, go through this article for a more comprehensive guide on how to connect your Vizio TV to wifi.
Vizio Smartcast not Available in your Region
Vizio is available in selected countries. For most third-world countries, you might not be able to connect to Vizo unless you use a VPN. Using a VPN for that is illegal. However, that is an option you can try out.
How do I Reset my Vizio SmartCast?
Resetting your Vizio TV will clear its memory. To do that follow the steps highlighted below
- On your VIZIO remote, press the Menu button.
- Navigate to System using the arrow button on your remote
- Press OK.
- Navigate to Reset & Admin and press OK.
- Now Navigate to Reset TV to Factory Defaults
- Press OK.
- When asked for a password and you haven’t manually reset the parental code, simply enter the default which is “0000”.
- Now, navigate to Reset and press OK.
- Be patient while the TV turns off and then restarts
What to do if SmartCast is not working?
If you are stuck with your Vizio Smartcast not working, you can follow the troubleshooting steps listed above, which are
- Check your Wifi connection
- Reboot your Vizio TV
- Perform a soft Power cycle
- Power cycle your Vizio TV Externally
- Refresh your Smartcast Home
- Check your Vizio firmware for updates
- Factory reset your Vizio TV
Conclusion
By now, you should have figured out the answer to why is my Vizio Smartcast not working? However, if you haven’t been able to resolve it after carrying out a factory reset you should contact Vizio Customer support to get it resolved.