I love my Samsung Smart TV, but sometimes apps stop working and can’t be used. Apps not working on Samsung TV is more common than you’d think, so there’s no need to panic.
All the preloaded or installed apps are susceptible to crashing, freezing, not loading, or even go missing at some point. That includes streaming service apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and many others.
In this article, I cover 9 easy and common fixes for issues with apps on your Samsung TV.
- Be sure to also check for Samsung TV Volume Not Working
1. Soft Reset or Cold Reboot the Samsung TV
Some corrupted settings on the Samsung TV could be preventing apps from working. A soft reset, or power cycle, shuts off the TV completely and stops all the background processes and apps that could be causing issues.
There are two ways to cold reboot and restart a Samsung TV.
Method 1 – Follow these steps to perform a soft reset on a Samsung TV:
- Unplug the TV’s power cord from the power outlet for at least 60 seconds.
- Plug the power cable back into the wall outlet or surge protector.
- Wait for the TV to finish rebooting.
Method 2 – Cold reboot the Samsung TV:
- Unplug the TV power cable.
- On the Remote Control, Press and Hold the Power button for 30 seconds.
- Plug the TV back into the power outlet.
- Wait for the TV to finish starting up.
2. Check for Samsung TV Firmware Updates
There are times when new and updated TV apps will have issues with outdated Samsung TV firmware and software.
Samsung will release new software updates periodically to fix bugs. It’s best to download them when they’re available. Updating to the latest TV firmware and software can help resolve some app issue conflicts.
The latest firmware update for Samsung televisions can be found by going to the TV Settings menu. The other location for the software update is on the manufacturer website.
Follow these steps through the TV menu to update the Samsung TV firmware:
1. On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.
2. Select Settings
3. Select Support.
4. Select Software Update.
5. Select Update Now.
The TV will automatically reboot for the new firmware to fully install and take effect.
To update the Samsung TV firmware, you’ll first need to download the file from the manufacturer’s website to a USB drive. Follow these steps:
- On your desktop or laptop, go to the Samsung download page and find your TV model.
- Download the latest firmware version to your computer.
- Extract the files and transfer them to a USB drive.
- Insert the USB drive into one of the USB ports on the TV.
- On the TV remote, Press Home.
- Select Settings.
- Select Support.
- Select Software Update.
- Start the Software Update Process on the TV.
- The TV will reboot and use the updated firmware on the USB drive. Be sure not to remove the USB drive until after the TV has fully rebooted.
3. Remove and Reinstall App
Sometimes an app conflict can cause the app to stop working properly on a Samsung TV. If you notice that an app isn’t working correctly, try removing it and reinstalling it. This may solve the problem.
Before you uninstall an app, be sure you have the login information somewhere because the saved login information may be lost. You will be signed out of the app, and you will need to sign in again.
Follow these steps to uninstall an app on a Samsung TV:
1. Press Home on the remote control.
2. Navigate to Apps.
3. Select Settings.
4. Navigate to the App.
5. Select Delete. If Delete is grayed out, you won’t be able to delete it because it’s a recommended app. Instead, Select Reinstall.
6. Press Return on the Remote.
7. Select Search.
8. Enter the App Name.
9. Select to Install the App.
4. Slow Internet Connection
If you experience the app freezing or having other issues, it could be due to slow internet connection speeds while using Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, etc.
There could be several reasons why the Wi-Fi speed is slow. Here are the most common causes and fixes for a slow connection.
1. Weak Wi-Fi Signal to the Samsung TV
If the Wi-Fi signal is weak between the Samsung TV and wireless router, the internet connection can intermittently be broken and lost.
Check the Wi-Fi signal strength from the TV to the router. To check the Wi-Fi signal strength and if it’s good enough, follow these steps:
- On the Samsung TV remote, Press Home.
- Select Settings.
- Select General.
- Select Network.
- Select Open Network Settings.
- Select Wireless.
- In the list of wireless networks, see how many signal bars your wireless network has. 1 to 2 bars is the sign of a weak signal.
The distance between your Samsung TV and the wireless network router is the main reason for poor connection quality. Another reason for weak Wi-Fi signals is having multiple obstacles between the TV and router, like many walls.
To shorten the distance between the two, it’ll be easier to move the router closer to the TV to increase the signal strength than vice versa. The shorter distance will increase the signal strength and speed of your Wi-Fi connection.
If the router and TV are unable to be moved, then you will need to get a Wi-Fi repeater that acts as a middle hub for the Wi-Fi signal between the two.
WiFi repeaters are also called WiFi extenders. These are one of the best ones out there and work well in smart homes. They can be found on Amazon:
2. Soft Reset the Wi-Fi Router
If your Wi-Fi router hasn’t restarted or been turned off in a while, its settings or something else could’ve been corrupted. That can cause interruptions and slow internet speeds with the Wi-Fi connection.
Power cycling and restarting your network equipment like your router or modem can help if this is the case.
To soft reset the WiFi Router or Modem, follow these steps:
- Unplug the Wi-Fi Router from the power outlet for at least 60 seconds.
- Plug the Wi-Fi Router back in to the power outlet.
- Turn On the Router if there’s an On/Off switch.
- Wait a few minutes for the Router to start up and connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
3. Try a Wired Connection
The Wi-Fi router could also be having issues with sharing the internet connection through its wireless signal. Wireless connections are less reliable than wired ones.
You will want to use a wired connection to get an internet connection to your Samsung TV. You can also use an ethernet cable from the TV to the router to test the internet connection.
Follow these steps to connect and use a wired internet connection with your Samsung TV:
- Connect an ethernet cable from the LAN port on the back of the Samsung smart TV to a LAN port on the router or modem.
- On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.
- Select Settings.
- Select General.
- Select Network.
- Select OK for the TV to use the wired network to access the internet.
If you have a working internet connection, the Wi-Fi router’s wireless functionality could be having issues. You can try updating the router’s firmware, performing a factory reset, or replacing the Wi-Fi adapter in the router.
4. Disconnect Other Devices from the Wi-Fi Network
When multiple devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and sharing the same bandwidth, it can slow down the connection for each device connected.
For example, if you have four smartphones, three tablets and three laptops connected to the same wireless network, the internet speed will be very slow for each individual device. That’s especially true if they’re all streaming.
The bandwidth problem is especially prevalent with older Wi-Fi routers and modems that have trouble handling many connected devices at once.
To solve this issue of slow internet speeds, disconnect all the other devices. Then try reconnecting the Samsung TV to the Wi-Fi network and see if you’re getting the fast internet speeds again.
If this solves the slow internet issue, then you know that it was a problem with an outdated router not being able to handle multiple devices. It is best to upgrade to a newer Wi-Fi router that can handle multiple devices sharing the internet at the same time.
5. Change DNS Server
Unstable internet connections can sometimes lead to app issues on the Samsung TV. The issues can be caused by incorrect DNS server settings from the ISP.
The Samsung smart TV usually uses the DNS servers from the ISP, but you can change them to other DNS servers. This way, when you type in a website address into the browser, the web page loads faster.
Your ISP’s DNS servers could cause disruptions, but you can bypass them by using Google’s public DNS servers. Google’s DNS servers are a popular option for a more reliable internet connection.
Follow these steps to manually change the DNS settings and use Google’s DNS servers on the Samsung TV:
- On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.
- Select Settings.
- Select General.
- Select Network.
- Select Network Status.
- Select IP Settings.
- Select DNS Setting.
- Select Enter Manually.
- Select DNS Server.
- Enter 8.8.8.8.
- Try to open and reconnect to the app again.
6. Reset Smart Hub on Samsung TV
One of the apps that you are signed in to on the Samsung smart TV could be conflicting with the app that’s having a problem.
Resetting the Smart Hub on the Samsung TV can help by signing out of all the apps to remove the conflict. But before a smart hub reset, be sure you have all the login information, usernames and passwords, so you’ll be able to log back in.
For newer Samsung Smart TV models made after 2020, follow these steps:
- On the remote control, Press Home.
- Select Settings.
- Select Support.
- Select Service Care.
- Select Self Diagnosis.
- Select Reset Smart Hub.
For older Samsung TV models made before 2020, follow these steps:
- On the remote control, Press Home.
- Select Settings.
- Select Support.
- Select Self Diagnosis.
- Select Reset Smart Hub.
If the Samsung TV asks for a security PIN code to restart the Smart Hub and you didn’t change the PIN code previously, use the default PIN: 0000.
You might also need to download the problem app again after resetting.
Apps Not Working on Samsung TV Final Thoughts
There are several things that can go wrong with your Samsung TV apps. The majority of issues with Samsung apps can be fixed with the solutions above.
For more on specific apps not working with your Samsung TV, here is a list of related articles you will want to check out.
Image source: samsung.com
