Netflix Not Working on Samsung TV (9 Fixes)

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming services in the world, and it’s available to millions of people. But if you have a Samsung smart TV, there may be times when Netflix stops working.

Netflix not working on Samsung TV is a common problem for many users. If your Netflix doesn’t work on your Samsung TV, then this guide will help you fix it.

This article contains 9 fixes that can help you get Netflix working again on your Samsung TV.

All apps can crash, not start, freeze, or disappear at some point. That includes other streaming service apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and many others.

Related article: Samsung TV App Not Working

Table of Contents show

1. Soft Reset or Cold Reboot the Samsung TV

There might be some corrupt settings on the Samsung TV that prevent Netflix from working properly.

A soft reset, or cold reboot, will shut off the TV and stop all the apps and background processes that could be conflicting with the Netflix app.

There are two ways to perform a power cycle and restart a Samsung TV.

Method 1 – Follow these steps to soft reset a Samsung TV:

Unplug the TV from the wall outlet or surge protector for at least 60 seconds.
Plug the power cable back into the power outlet.
Wait for the TV to finish rebooting.

Method 2 – To cold reboot the Samsung TV:

Unplug the TV power cable.
On the Remote, Press and Hold the Power button for 30 seconds.
Plug the TV power cord back into the power outlet.
Wait for the TV to finish rebooting.

2. Check for Samsung TV Firmware Updates

There are times when a new and updated Netflix app will have issues with a Samsung TV that has outdated firmware and software.

Samsung will release new updates periodically to address issues. You should always download them when they become available. Upgrading to the latest version of Netflix’s app and TV firmware can sometimes solve issues related to conflicting apps and devices.

You can download the most recent firmware update for Samsung TVs by going into the TV Settings menu. You can also download an update for the software directly from the Samsung website.

Follow these steps to update the Samsung TV software from the TV menu:

1. On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.

2. Select Settings

3. Select Support.

4. Select Software Update.

5. Select Update Now.

6. The TV will automatically reboot for the new firmware to fully install and take effect.

Another way to update the Samsung TV firmware is to download it to a USB drive. Follow these steps:

On your desktop or laptop, go to the Samsung download page for software and find your TV model.
Download the latest firmware version to your computer.
Extract the files on your computer and transfer them to the USB drive.
Insert the USB drive into a USB port 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 using the new firmware on the USB stick. Make sure not to remove the flash drive until the TV has fully rebooted.

3. Remove and Reinstall App

If you’re having trouble using Netflix on your Samsung TV, check for any apps that might be causing conflicts. If you notice that the Netflix app isn’t working properly, remove it and then re-install it. It might help solve the problem.

If there’s an update available for Netflix, you can give it a shot before uninstalling the app. If you delete and then re-install, it might give it a fresh start.

If you want to remove Netflix from your computer, first make sure you have the login details for your account somewhere else. You will be logged out of the app, so you will need to log back in again.

To remove Netflix from your Samsung TV, follow these steps:

1. Press the Home button on the remote control.

2. Navigate to Apps.

3. Select Settings.

4. Go to the Netflix App.

5. Select Delete. If Delete is grayed out, that means it’s a recommended app and you won’t be able to delete it. Instead, Select Reinstall.

6. Press Return on the Remote.

7. Select Search.

8. Enter the Netflix App Name to search.

9. Select Netflix to Install the App.

4. Slow Internet Connection

If you experience the app freezing or having other problems, it may be because you’re experiencing slow internet connections while streaming high definition video content.

To stream HD video from Netflix, you will require at least a 5 Mbps download speed. You will need at least 50 Mbps for streaming 4K videos.

There may be several reasons why the Wi-Fi download speed is slow. Here are the most commonly encountered reasons and solutions for a slow internet connection.

1. Weak Wi-Fi Signal to the Samsung TV

If the Wi-Fi signal is weak between the Samsung TV and wireless router, then the Internet connection may sometimes go down and lose its connection. Streaming issues may occur when using the Netflix app.

Make sure the Wi-Fi signal from the wireless router to the TV is strong enough. To check if the Wi-Fi connection is strong, follow these steps.

On the Samsung TV remote, Press the Home button.
Select Settings.
Choose General.
Select Network.
Choose Open Network Settings.
Select Wireless.
See which wireless networks have one to two bars of signal strength. A low bar count indicates a poor connection.

If the distance between your wireless network and your Samsung TV is too far, then the connection may not be consistent enough. A common cause for weak Wi-Fi signals is because there are many obstructions between the TV and the wireless router, like many walls.

Moving the router closer to the TV will be easier than moving the TV closer toward the router. A shorter distance between your router and your TV will improve the quality of the Wi-Fi signals they receive.

If the router and TV cannot be moved, then a Wi-Fi repeater will serve as a middle point for Wi-Fi signals between the two devices.

Wi-Fi repeaters are also known as Wi-Fi extenders. The one below is one of the best ones out there and works well in smart homes. They can be found on Amazon:

2. Soft Reset the Wi-Fi Router

If your Wi-Fi router hasn’t rebooted or been shut off for some time, there could be a problem with its settings or something might be wrong. That can cause interruptions and slower Internet speeds with the Wi-Fi connection.

If this is the problem, power cycling and restarting your networking equipment may be able to fix it.

To soft reset the Wi-Fi Router, follow these steps:

Unplug the Wi-Fi Router from the power outlet for at least 60 seconds.
Plug the Wi-Fi Router back into the power outlet.
Turn On the Router if there’s an On/Off switch.
Wait for the Router to start up and connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

3. Try a Wired Connection

You may need to check if your router has trouble sharing the internet connection via the wireless network. Wired connections are more dependable than wireless ones, and they’re easier to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.

You can use a wired connection to get high-speed internet to your Samsung TV. Use an ethernet cable from the TV to the router to test the internet connection speed.

Follow these steps to connect and use a wired internet connection with your Samsung TV:

Connect an ethernet cable from the back of the Samsung smart TV to a LAN port on the router or modem.
On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.
Choose Settings.
Select General.
Choose Network.
Select OK for the TV to use the wired connection to get on the internet.

If you have an internet connection, the Wi-Fi router’s ability to connect to the internet may be having issues. If none of these solutions work, you might need to update the router’s firmware, perform a factory reset, or replace the Wi‑Fi adapter.

4. Disconnect Other Devices from the Wi-Fi Network

When multiple devices are connected to one wireless router at the same, they may slow down overall network performance.

For example, if you have three laptops, four smartphones, and three tablets connected to the same wireless network, the internet speed for each device will be very slow. It can be especially slow if all devices are streaming HD videos on Netflix or other streaming platforms.

Older wireless routers and modems tend not to handle multiple simultaneous connections well.

To improve your internet speed on a Samsung TV for Netflix, turn off any other devices connected to the network. If you disconnect your Samsung TV from the Wi-Fi network and then connect it back again, check whether you get faster internet speeds now.

If this fixes the sluggish Internet issue, then you know that it was probably just a problem with an old wireless router not being able to handle multiple devices. You should consider upgrading to a newer Wi-Fi router that can handle multiple devices on the internet simultaneously.

5. Change DNS Server

Unstable internet connections can also cause Netflix issues on a Samsung TV. The issues can be due to incorrect DNS server settings from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

The Samsung smart TV will usually use the automatic 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.

If your ISP has its own DNS servers, they may cause issues when trying to access Netflix servers. However, you can use Google’s public DNS servers instead. Google’s DNS servers may provide a more reliable internet connection than others.

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.
Choose Settings.
Select General.
Choose Network.
Select Network Status.
Choose IP Settings.
Select DNS Setting.
Choose Enter Manually.
Select DNS Server.
Enter 8.8.8.8.
Try to open and reconnect to the Netflix app again.

6. Reset Smart Hub on Samsung TV

If you’re logged into another app on your Samsung Smart TV at the moment, there might be an issue that’s causing Netflix not to work.

If you reset the smart hub on the Samsung TV, it may help by signing out of everything so there won’t be any conflicts. Before a smart hub reset, make sure you’ve got all the login information, usernames and passwords, so you can log back in to the apps.

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 you to enter a security PIN code to restart the Smart Hub and you didn’t previously change the PIN code, you can use the default PIN: 0000.

You might also need to download the Netflix app again after resetting.

Netflix Not Working on Samsung TV Final Thoughts

There are several things that can go wrong with Netflix on your Samsung TV. The majority of issues with the Netflix app not working on your Samsung TV can be fixed with the solutions above.

Here are some other apps that can have issues working on a Samsung TV:

Images source: samsung.com