Plex Not Working on Samsung TV (9 Fixes)

Sometimes the Plex app doesn’t work properly and can’t be used when connected to a Samsung smart TV.

Plex not working on Samsung TV is more common than you’d think and there are many different reasons why.

All the preloaded apps or installed apps are prone to crash, freeze, or even have playback issues. Sometimes it might be a server issue or unstable, unsecured connections with your internet. This might hinder watching your favorite movies and other video content.

This article will cover 9 simple steps to fix issues with Plex on your Samsung TV.

Related Article: Plex Not Working on My Samsung TV

Table of Contents show

1. Soft Reset or Cold Reboot the Samsung TV

One of the most common reasons for Plex not working is because of corrupted settings on the Samsung TV, one of the most common errors. A soft reset, or power cycle, could be the key to fixing Plex on your Samsung TV

There are two methods for performing a cold reboot or restarting a Samsung TV.

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

Unplug the TV’s power cord from the outlet for 60 seconds.
Plug the power cable back into the outlet or surge protector.

Wait for the TV to finish rebooting.

Method 2 – To cold reboot the Samsung TV:

Unplug the TV power cable.

On the Remote Control, Press and Hold the Power button for at least 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 potential updates for the Plex app will cause issues with the current version of your Samsung TV’s firmware and software.

Plex will often include security certificate updates with their software updates. Check the TV’s current software and firmware versions to see if it needs an update.

Samsung will release regular updates for its software periodically to fix bugs. It’s best to download these regular updates when they’re available. Upgrading to the latest version of Samsung TVs’ firmware and/or operating system can help resolve some Plex issues.

You can download the regular updates for the firmware for your Samsung TV’s from the TV settings menu on the app screen. You can also download the software update from the manufacturer’s website.

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

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

2. Choose Settings

3. Select Support.

4. Select Software Update.

5. Select Update Now.

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

You can also download an updated version of the Samsung TV firmware and transfer it to a USB drive. Follow these steps:

On your desktop or laptop, go to the Samsung download page and locate your exact 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 Samsung 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. Make 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 Plex to stop working properly. If you notice that Plex isn’t working properly, try removing it and reinstalling it. This may solve the problem.

You can always try updating the app if there’s an available update before reinstalling it. Reinstalling or deleting could give it a fresher start.

If you want to remove Plex from your Samsung TV, be sure you have access to the login info for Plex so you don’t lose it. You will be logged out of the app. To log back into the app, you will need to sign in again.

Follow these easy steps to uninstall and reinstall Plex on a Samsung TV:

1. Press Home on the remote control.

2. Navigate to Apps.

3. Choose Settings.

4. Navigate to the Plex App.

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

6. Press Return on the Remote.

7. Choose Search.

8. Enter the Plex App Name.

9. Select to Install the Plex App.

4. Slow Internet Connection

If you’re experiencing any problems with the Plex app, it may be because of slow and poor network connections while streaming HD videos.

A stable internet connection is key when streaming content in Plex, but you will at least need a minimum download speed of 5 Mbps to stream HD video. If you want to stream 4K video, you will need 50+ Mbps.

There could be several reasons why your download speed is slow. Here are the most common causes and fixes for your connection status.

1. Weak Wi-Fi Signal to the Samsung TV

If the WiFi connection is weak between the Samsung television and wireless router, the Internet connection may cause lag and eventually disconnect. This poor internet connection will lead to issues streaming with the Plex app.

Make sure the Wi-Fi signal has a stable internet connection from the Samsung Smart TV to the wireless router. If you want to check whether the Wi-Fi connection is strong enough, follow these steps.

On the Samsung TV remote, Press Home.
Select Settings.
Select General.

Select Network.
Select Open Network Settings.
Choose Wireless.

On the list of wireless connections, check how many bars your connection has. If it’s fewer than 3 bars, then your connection is too weak for it to stream properly.

If the distance between your wireless network and your Samsung TV is further than recommended, then the issue lies within the poor connection quality and inconsistent network connections.

One of the reasons why weak Wi-Fi connections might be present is because there could be many obstructions between the TV and the wireless router.

It would be better if you moved the router closer to the television instead of the other way around. This can shorter the distance between the devices and could be the potential solution for your weak WiFi signal.

Shorter distances between the router and the devices will improve the quality of the wireless network.

If the router and Samsung television cannot be moved, purchasing a Wi-Fi repeater that serves as a middle point for the Wi-Fi signals between them is the only solution.

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 period of time, there could be issues with its configuration or something else might be causing slow internet speeds.

Power cycling and restarting your network devices 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 and leave it unplugged for 60 seconds.
Plug the Wi-Fi Router back into the power outlet.
Turn On the Router if there’s an On/Off switch.

Wait a few minutes for the Router to reboot and connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

3. Try a Wired Connection

You might need to inspect if your router has trouble connecting to the network using the wireless signal. Wired connections are more reliable than wireless connections, they can also maximize your internet speed, and they’re easier to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.

If you’re using a wireless network, you may need to connect your Samsung TV directly to the router using an ethernet cable. This can potentially result in increased 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 of your router or modem.
On the Samsung TV remote control, Press Home.

Select Settings.
Select General.
Select Network.

Choose OK for the TV to use the wired network to access the internet.

If you have an online connection, then this means that your WiFi’s wireless function is not working properly. You need to replace the Wi-Fi adapter, update the router’s firmware, or perform a factory reset as this might help you.

4. Disconnect Other Devices from the Wi-Fi Network

If multiple devices are connected to a single wireless router simultaneously, this can potentially slow down the speed of the entire LAN network.

If you have 4 cellphones, 3 laptops, and several tablets connected to the same Wi‑Fi network, the internet speeds for each one will be very slow. It’s even worse if they’re all watching content on Plex or another streaming platform in HD.

Older Wi-Fi routers and modems tend to be bad when it comes to handling multiple connected devices simultaneously resulting in a poor internet connection.

To improve your internet speed on a Samsung TV for Plex, disconnect all the other devices. Then reconnect Samsung TV to the Wi-Fi network once again and check if you’re getting a faster internet speed.

If this solves the slow connection issue, then you know that it was probably caused by an older wireless network adapter that couldn’t handle multiple connections at once. This indicates that you should definitely upgrade to a newer wireless network adapter that can handle multiple simultaneous connections.

5. Change DNS Server

Sometimes unstable network connections can cause Plex issues on Samsung TVs. If you’re having trouble connecting to websites, check your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for any DNS server error.

Incorrect DNS servers can occasionally cause these issues, a better DNS server helps resolve this problem. The Samsung smart TV will usually use the automatic DNS servers from the ISP, but you can modify them to other DNS servers that are faster.

Your ISP’s DNS servers can cause inconsistency when accessing Plex servers, but you can bypass them by using Google’s public DNS servers. Google’s DNS servers are a favored option for a more reliable and secure 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 the Home menu icon button.

Select Settings.
Choose General.
Select Network.

Select Network Status.
Choose IP Settings.
Select DNS Setting.

Select Enter Manually.
Select DNS Server.
Enter 8.8.8.8.

Try to open and reconnect to the Plex app again.

6. Reset Smart Hub on Samsung TV

If another application is running on your Samsung Smart TV, it may be interfering with Plex and preventing it from working correctly.

Resetting the Smart Hub on the Samsung TV can help by signing out of all the apps to remove the conflict. But before you reset your Smart Hub, remember to keep all the login information, usernames and passwords to a safe place, you will be prompted to sign in once again after the reset.

For newer Samsung Smart TV manufactured after 2020, follow these steps:

On the remote control, Press Home.
Select Settings.

Choose Support.
Select Service Care.
Select Self Diagnosis.

Choose Reset Smart Hub.

For older Samsung TV models made before 2020, follow these steps:

On the remote control, Press Home.

Select Settings.
Choose Support.
Select Self Diagnosis.

Choose Reset Smart Hub.

If the Samsung TV requests 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 need to download the Plex app again after resetting.

Plex Not Working on Samsung TV Final Thoughts

There are several things that can go wrong with Plex on your Samsung TV. The majority of issues with the Plex app not working on your Samsung TV can be resolved with the basic methods above. If you still have problems, you can always contact Plex Support.

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

Pure Flix Not Working on My Samsung TV

Image source: samsung.com