Apple TV Won't Connect to Wi-Fi (16 Fixes)

The Apple TV is a great device for streaming content from the internet. It’s also very easy to use, but it can be frustrating when the Apple TV won’t connect to Wi-Fi and the device becomes useless.

Luckily, Wi-Fi issues with the Apple TV have many simple solutions to try and resolve internet issues.

I’ve put together 16 fixes for this issue, ranging from simple fixes to more complex ones that require multiple steps to get the Apple TV and Wi-Fi working together again.

Related article: Smart TV Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi Network

Table of Contents show

16 Fixes for Apple TV Won’t Connect To Wi-Fi

This is a list of causes that your Apple TV is not connecting to Wi-Fi, along with the fixes to get your TV online.

One note before starting to troubleshoot. If you’re at a location that has a captive network, Apple TV 3rd generation and 4th generation TV devices will work. There will be an additional prompt to follow the onscreen instructions to complete the secondary login for the Wi-Fi network.

1. Incorrect Wi-Fi Password

Entering the incorrect Wi-Fi password is the most common reason why the Apple TV won’t connect to the WiFi router. Entering passwords with the on-screen keyboard isn’t the easiest and can lead to mistakes.

First, let’s select the correct wireless network and then enter the password.

On the Apple TV or Siri remote control, open Settings.
Select General.
Select Network.
Select your Wi-Fi network.
Enter the Wi-Fi Password to connect to the wireless network.

These tips will help you enter the correct password:

Show Password – Always have the Show Password setting on in the password field. This allows you to see what you’re typing in to avoid entering the wrong character.
Case-Sensitivity – Make sure you’re using the right upper-case or lower-case letters, because passwords are case-sensitive.
Double-check the Wi-Fi password by using your smartphone or tablet to connect to the Wi-Fi network. Confirm the Wi-Fi password you have is correct. You may need to first use the *Forget the Network* on your phone or tablet because the password is probably already saved there.
Change Wi-Fi Password to something easier to enter on the TV.
Try the Router’s Default Password that is located on the bottom of the Wi-Fi router. Maybe the original factory password will work, in case the password was never changed.

2. Weak Wi-Fi Signal to the Apple TV

If the Wi-Fi signal is weak, the Apple TV can intermittently lose its connection to the wireless router. Check the strength of the Wi-Fi signal from the router to see how strong the connection between the Apple TV and the router is.

To check if the Wi-Fi signal strength is good enough, follow these steps:

On the Apple TV remote control, open Settings.
Select General.
Select Network.
In the list of wireless networks, see how many bars your wireless network has. 1 to 2 bars is the sign of weak signal strength.

The distance between your Apple TV and the router is the main cause of weak signal issues. Another cause is having multiple obstacles between the two, like many walls.

If you have a long HDMI cable, you can connect the Apple TV and TV together, then move the Apple TV closer to the router to test the wireless signal strength.

Alternatively, you can move your router closer to the TV to improve the signal strength. This will help increase the signal strength and speed of your WiFi connection.

If either the router or TV is unable to be moved, then you can get a Wi-Fi repeater to strengthen the Wi-Fi signal by acting as a hub between the two.

WiFi repeaters are also known as WiFi extenders. This is one of the best ones out there that can be found on Amazon:

3. Connect an Ethernet Cable to the Router and Apple TV

The Wi-Fi router could be having issues with the wireless signal and sharing the internet connection. Test and fix the issue by connecting an ethernet cable from the Apple TV to an ethernet port in the router or modem.

Follow these steps to connect the Apple TV to the internet using a wired network:

Connect an ethernet cable from a LAN port on the router or modem to the back of the Apple TV.
On the Apple TV remote control, open Settings.
Select General.
Select Network.
Select OK and the TV will use the wired network to access the internet.

If you have internet access, then there could be something wrong with the wireless functionality on the router. You can try to perform a factory reset of the router, update its firmware, or there may be some hardware that needs to be prepared.

4. Use a Different Wireless Network

Trying to connect your Apple TV to another wireless network can help confirm there’s no issue with the TV’s Wi-Fi hardware and functionality.

The quickest and easiest way is to use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot. Almost all smartphones have a way to create a hotspot that will act as a wireless network and share its internet connection or mobile data connection.

If your Apple TV is able to connect to your smartphone’s hotspot and there’s an internet connection, then you know the TV has no issues. The problem then is with the wireless router.

Another reason to try a different wireless network is because not all Apple TV models will work on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.

5. Soft Reset or Reboot the Apple TV

Some of the Wi-Fi settings on the Apple TV might’ve been corrupted, leading to the connectivity issues.

Follow these steps to restart the Apple TV:

Unplug the Apple TV from the wall outlet.
Wait 15 seconds.
Plug the Apple TV back into the wall outlet.

6. Soft Reset or Reboot Wi-Fi Router or Modem

If your Wi-Fi router has not rebooted or been powered off for a long time, the settings might be corrupted. That can lead to disruptions with the Wi-Fi signal.

If this is the case, power cycling your network equipment like a router or modem can help. Resetting your router can potentially help resolve network problems.

Follow these steps to soft reset the Router or Modem:

Unplug the Router or Modem for at least 60 seconds.
Plug the Router back into the power outlet.
Turn On the Router if there’s an On/Off switch.
Wait about 5 minutes for the Router to go through the startup process and connection to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

7. Disconnect All Other Devices from the Wi-Fi Network

Connecting multiple devices to the same Wi-Fi network will slow down the speed of the connection for each device. If you have three phones, two tablets and two computers connected to the Wi-Fi network, the signal can be very weak from device to device.

This problem is especially true for older Wi-Fi routers and modems that can’t handle many devices connected to them at once.

If you’re using several devices on the same Wi‑Fi network, disconnect all other wireless devices before connecting the Apple TV to the Wi‑Fi network.

If this solves the problem, then you know that your router can’t handle multiple devices. It is time to upgrade to a newer Wi-Fi router that can handle many devices at once.

8. Reset the Apple TV Network Settings

If the Apple TV is having trouble finding the wireless network, then you can try to reset the network settings on the TV.

Follow these steps to reset the network settings on the Apple TV:

On the Apple TV remote control, open Settings.
Select General.
Select Network.
Select Reset Network.

Try to connect to your WiFi network again. This should allow you to connect to the Wi-Fi network. The next steps you may need to adjust some additional network settings to optimize the internet connection.

9. Manually Configure DNS Setting

Changing your DNS setting can sometimes fix internet connection stability issues. Your ISP’s DNS servers may be causing disruptions and bypassing them can help with Wi-Fi problems. Using Google’s public DNS servers can help offer a more reliable internet connection.

Follow these steps to manually change the DNS settings on the Apple TV:

On the Apple TV remote control, open Settings.
Select Network.
Select Network Status.
Select IP Settings.
Select DNS Setting.
Select Enter Manually.
Select DNS Server.
Enter 8.8.8.8.
Try connecting again.

10. Automatically Obtain IP Settings on Apple TV

While the previous fix was to configure the DNS server that your internet would flow through instead of your ISP’s servers, the IP settings here are for your Apple TV.

The IP address is the address for your TV and the location where your Wi-Fi router is. The IP settings for your TV might have been accidentally switched to “Obtain Manually,” rather than the default “Obtain Automatically.”

It’s best for the Apple TV and other devices connected to your router to obtain their IP addresses automatically. It’s rare that you would need to manually set the IP address, unless you’re an IT network administrator.

To change the IP settings on your Apple TV, follow these steps:

On the Apple TV remote control, Press Home.
Select Settings.
Select General.
Select Network.
Select Network Status.
Select IP Settings.
Select Obtain Automatically.

11. MAC Address Has Failed on Apple TV

The Apple TV has a Media Access Control address (MAC address) that is a unique hardware identifier to your TV when it’s connected to the Wi-Fi network.

If the MAC address on your TV has been changed due to corrupted settings, you will need to reset the TV to get the MAC address back.

To find out if this is the issue, test the network status on the TV. Follow these steps:

On the Apple TV remote control, Press Home.
Select Settings.
Select General.
Select Network.
Select Network Status.
Run the network test. See if any MAC address error comes up.

If you have the MAC address error, you will need to perform a factory reset on the Apple TV. Follow the directions in the next step.

If the MAC address still doesn’t work after the factory reset, you will need to contact Apple Support to service and repair the hardware issue. The support team can also look to see if there’s an issue with the TV’s wireless adapter.

12. Update Apple TV Firmware and tvOS

Updating the Apple tvOS and firmware on your Apple TV can help resolve some issues related to connectivity. This includes resolving issues such as weak Wi-Fi signals or no Wi-Fi connection at all.

Apple will release new software updates periodically to fix bugs. It’s best to download them when they’re available.

You can find the latest tvOS and firmware versions for Apple TVs by going to the Settings menu. It is also available to download from the Apple website.

Follow these steps to update the Apple TV firmware through the TV menu:

On the Apple TV remote control, Press Home.
Select Settings.
Select Support.
Select Software Update.
Select Update Now.
The TV will reboot automatically for the new firmware to fully install and take effect.

To download the Apple TV firmware from the manufacturer’s website, you’ll need a USB drive. Follow these steps:

On your computer, go to the Apple download page for your TV model.
Download the latest version of the firmware to your computer.
Extract the files and put them on a USB drive.
Insert the USB drive into one of the USB ports on the Apple TV.
On the TV remote, Press Home.
Select Settings.
Select Support.
Select Software Update.
Start the Software Update Process on the Apple TV.
The TV will reboot using the firmware on the USB drive. Do not remove the USB drive until the TV has fully rebooted.

13. Factory Reset the Apple TV

Resetting the Apple TV to the factory default settings can solve many Wi-Fi and internet connection problems that occur due to software errors.

This is one of the last non-hardware routes to try fixes because a factory restore erases any personal information stored on your television, including saved passwords, usernames, and favorites.

Follow these steps to perform a factory reset on your Apple TV:

On the Siri remote, open Settings.
Select System.
Select Reset.
Select one of two reset options:
- 1. Reset: If you want to reset your Apple TV back to its factory settings, this is the easiest option. It doesn’t require an Internet connection either.
- 2. Reset and Update:
- This option restores your Apple TV to its original factory settings and installs any available software updates. You need to have an active connection to the internet for this option. If you can’t access a wired connection to your router, this option will not work.

Don’t unplug the Apple TV until the reset process has completed.

14. Update Router or Modem Firmware

If your router or modem has an outdated firmware or isn’t compatible with the latest version of Apple tvOS, then you might need to update them. That can lead to incompatibility and even cause interference with the wireless signal from your Apple TV.

You’ll want to make sure that your router or modem is updated to the latest firmware so that it won’t cause interference or be incompatible with the wireless signal.

Check your router manufacturer’s website for the most recent firmware update and instructions on how to update the firmware.

15. Upgrade to a New Wi-Fi Router

If none of the above solutions worked for you and your Apple TV is able to connect to another wireless network, then it might be time to consider upgrading your home Wi-Fi router.

New routers are designed to support more devices than older ones do, which means there’s less chance of interference and weak signals between the router and TV.

If your current router isn’t providing enough coverage in your large home, newer routers are also meant to work across longer distances, so an upgrade could provide better results.

If you’re looking for an upgrade, here’s a new Wi-Fi router system with extenders for larger homes that’s available on Amazon:

16. Contact Your ISP for Internet Issues

There are times when your ISP is having issues and experiencing an outage that affects your ability to connect to the Internet. If this happens, you’ll need to call into your ISP support team to see if their technicians have been able to identify and repair the problem.

Your best bet is to contact your ISP as soon as possible after you notice the issue occurs. They should be able to help you get back online quickly.

I have had the situation where the ISP had a billing error on their side, so they cut off my internet service. But after calling in, they checked their records and did receive my payment. They immediately re-activated my internet service.