Spectrum App Not Working on Samsung TV (9 Fixes)

Samsung TVs are great because they allow you to download many popular streaming apps to watch on-demand content, like the Spectrum app.

What happens if the Spectrum app isn’t working on your Samsung TV anymore?

Fortunately, there are several proven solutions that you can implement to fix the issue.

In this article, I cover common fixes for issues with your Spectrum app not working on Samsung TV.

Related Article: Apps Crashing on My Samsung TV

Table of Contents show

1. Soft Reset or Cold Reboot the Samsung TV

If there are some corrupted settings on the Samsung TV, they may prevent Spectrum from working properly. A soft reset, or power cycle, turns off the TV entirely and stops all the background processes and apps that could potentially be causing problems with the Spectrum app.

There are two ways to perform a cold reboot and restart a Samsung TV.

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

Remove the TV’s power cord from a power source or wall outlet for at least 60 seconds.
Replug the power cord back into the wall 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 wall outlet.
Wait for the TV to finish restarting.

2. Check for Samsung TV Firmware Updates

Automatic updates of the apps can fix some of the past issues of an application. But sometimes an up-to-date version of the Spectrum app may not be compatible with older Samsung TVs.

Samsung will also release new regular updates for their software occasionally to fix any bugs. So it’s best to download them whenever they’re available. Updating to the latest TV firmware and software can help fix some Spectrum issue conflicts even if it’s just minor updates.

You can get the latest firmware updates for Samsung TVs by going into the TV settings menu. Alternatively, you can check out 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. 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.

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 Samsung TV model.
Download the up-to-date firmware version. Wait for the download process to finish and transfer it 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. Remember not to remove the USB drive until after the TV has fully rebooted.

3. Remove and Reinstall App

Sometimes an app conflict can cause Spectrum to stop working properly on a Samsung TV preventing you to watch your favorite content. If you notice that the Spectrum app isn’t functioning correctly, try uninstalling and reinstalling it. This may solve the problem.

If there’s an update available for the Spectrum app, you can install it first before uninstalling and reinstalling it. Deleting and installing again will give it a fresher start.

Before you uninstall Spectrum, always make sure that you have the login information stored somewhere because the saved login information may be lost. You will be signed out of the app and will need to sign in again.

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

1. Press Home on the remote control.

2. Navigate to Apps.

3. Choose Settings.

4. Navigate to the Spectrum App.

5. Choose 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. Choose Search.

8. Enter the Spectrum App Name.

9. Select to Install the Spectrum App.

Press Home on the remote control.
Navigate to Apps.
Choose Settings.
Navigate to the Spectrum App.
Choose Delete. If Delete is grayed out, you won’t be able to delete it because it’s a suggested app. Instead, Select Reinstall.
Press Return on the Remote.
Choose Search.
Enter the Spectrum App Name.
Select to Install the Spectrum App.

4. Slow Internet Connection

If you experience the Spectrum app freezing or having other issues, it could be due to poor internet connection speeds while trying to stream HD videos. Not only it can affect the Spectrum app but also your other devices.

When streaming from Spectrum, poor internet connectivity will result in a low-quality video or even freeze the stream entirely. You will 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 may be several reasons why the WiFi download speeds are slow. Here are some of the most common reasons why you might experience a slow Internet connection.

1. Weak Wi-Fi Signal to the Samsung TV

If the Wi-Fi network is weak between the Samsung TV and wireless router, the internet might disconnect and lose its connectivity. That could cause issues streaming through the Spectrum app.

To ensure that the Wi-Fi connection between the TV and the wireless router is strong, perform the following steps.

On the Samsung TV remote, Press Home.
Select Settings.
Select General.
Choose Network.
Choose Open Network Settings.
Select Wireless.
In the list of wireless networks, check how many signal bars your wireless network has. 1 to 2 bars is the sign of a weak signal.

The distance between your wireless network router and Samsung TV can be the main issue for poor connection quality and inconsistent network connection.

One reason why weak Wi-Fi signals may be present is that there are many obstructions or walls between the Samsung TV and the wireless router. Not only it can affect your Samsung TV but also other connected devices in your router

To shorten the distance it’ll be wiser to move the router closer to the TV, this would be far easier than moving the TV closer. A shorter distance between the router and the device will significantly improve the quality of your Wi-Fi connections.

If the router and TV cannot be moved, then purchasing a Wi-Fi repeater will serve as a middle ground for the Wi-Fi signal between them.

Wi-Fi repeaters are also known as Wi-Fi extenders. The device 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 network hasn’t restarted or been turned off for some time, there could be issues with its settings, or something might be wrong. It can slow down your Internet speed by causing inconsistency in the connection.

Power cycling and restarting your network device like your router or modem can help resolve the issue.

To soft reset the WiFi Router or Modem, follow these steps:

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

3. Try a Wired Connection

If your router is having trouble sharing the internet connection through the wireless signal. Wired Ethernet connections may be better and it is easier to troubleshoot when there are issues.

You will want to use a wired connection to get a high-speed connectivity to your Samsung TV as this can prevent any streaming issues. You can also use an ethernet cable to test the internet connection between your Samsung TV and router.

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

Connect your ethernet cable from the LAN port on the back of the Samsung smart TV to a LAN port on the internet 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 active internet connection, the Wi‑Fi router’s wireless functions may be having issues. If none of the steps works, you may need to perform a factory reset, update the router’s firmware, or purchase a new Wi-Fi adapter.

4. Disconnect Other Devices from the Wi-Fi Network

If multiple devices are connected to a single wireless router at the same time, this can cause a slower speed of the entire network.

For example, if you have multiple smartphones and several laptops connected to the same wireless network, the internet speed for each device will cause traffic resulting in a slow internet speed. That’s especially true if they’re all streaming HD videos and downloading files from the internet browser at the same time.

Outdated Wi-Fi routers and modems tend to be particularly bad when it comes to dealing with multiple connected devices simultaneously.

One of the solutions to improve your internet speed is to disconnect all the devices on the modem. Then reconnect Samsung TV to the Wi-Fi network again and see if you’re getting fast internet speeds.

If this fixes the slow internet issue, you know that it was actually a problem with an outdated router not being able to handle multiple devices. You should consider upgrading to a new Wi-Fi router that handles multiple devices as it can definitely improve your streaming and browsing experience.

5. Change DNS Server

Sometimes unstable connections can cause interrupted internet connectivity for your Spectrum app on the Samsung TV. Issues can occur when DNS server settings are not correct.

The Samsung smart TV will usually use the DNS servers from the ISP, modifying them to other DNS servers can result in a better and faster browsing experience.

If your ISP’s DNS servers cause disruptions when trying to access Spectrum servers, you can try using Google’s public DNS servers instead. Google’s DNS servers offer a way more reliable service to connect to the web than ISPs’ DNS servers.

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.
Select Network.
Choose 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 Spectrum app again.

6. Reset Smart Hub on Samsung TV

Another app that you’re logged into on the Samsung Smart TV could be interfering with Spectrum and causing a problem.

Resetting the Smart Hub on the Samsung TV can help by signing out of all the apps to remove the issue. But before doing a reset, be sure you know all the usernames and passwords for any apps you use on the device. You will be prompted to log back into the apps after the reset.

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 requests for a security PIN code to reboot the Smart Hub and you didn’t change the PIN code previously, use the default PIN: 0000.

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

Spectrum Not Working on Samsung TV Final Thoughts

On the Samsung TV, there are several conflicts that you might encounter when using the Spectrum application. Most of the issues with the Spectrum app not working on your Samsung TV can easily be fixed by following the steps above.

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

Image source: samsung.com