Netflix App Not Working on Samsung TV (Find Out Why!)

People who own Samsung Smart TVs may have some trouble with Netflix from time to time. Do not worry. There are plenty of simple solutions that you can try to see if you can get the app up and running again.

If Netflix is not working on your Samsung TV, first check the internet connection and speed. You may need to reset your modem or router. If the issue is unresolved, try unplugging your TV for 60 seconds, plug it back in, and then retry Netflix. Last, you may need to reinstall Netflix, update the TV’s OS, or do a complete factory reset. 

Let us take a look at some of these troubleshooting tactics and more so you can return to enjoying your favorite Netflix content on your Samsung TV.

How To install Netflix on a Samsung TV

Most Samsung Smart TVs already have Netflix pre-installed and even come with a dedicated Netflix button on the Samsung TV remote. However, if for some reason Netflix is not pre-installed on your TV, it is incredibly easy to get the app. 

If you would like to install Netflix on your Samsung TV, follow these steps.

  1. With your TV powered on, press the Home button on the TV remote.
  2. Navigate to the Apps menu.
  3. In the search bar, type in Netflix.
  4. Once you find Netflix, click on download and install.
  5. Once Netflix has been installed, open the app.
  6. Go ahead and log in to your Netflix account to begin streaming content.
  7. If you do not have an account, you can sign up right from your television.

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Troubleshooting Netflix Not Working On Samsung TV

If you have Netflix installed on your Samsung TV, but suddenly it stops working, there are a few things you can troubleshoot to try to get the app working again. Here is a breakdown of the most common fixes to Netflix not working on a Samsung TV.

1. Is Netflix down? 

Sometimes if Netflix is not working, it has nothing to do with you or your television. It takes a lot of computers and servers to keep up with content streaming demand on the Netflix platform. If servers go down, it can have a ripple effect that prevents people from being able to access the program.

To see if the servers are down, you can try Netflix on your phone or laptop to see if it is working properly. If it works on your phone or laptop, then you know you are having an issue specific to your Samsung TV. 

Other ways to see if the Netflix servers down include checking out Netflix on Twitter or Facebook to see if they have any social media posts reporting about services being temporarily unavailable. Also, you can always go to the Downdetector website to get up-to-the-minute reports about Netflix and other popular apps and their status. 

If the Netflix servers are down, then there is nothing you can do but wait until they resolve the issue on their end. 

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2. Is your Netflix plan active?

Sometimes your Netflix account could be temporarily suspended if a payment was declined or the payment method listed needs to be updated. If this is the case, Netflix will most likely place your account on temporary hold until the issue with the payment method is resolved.  

If your account is on hold because of a payment issue, you will see this message appear on your screen when you try to open the Netflix app. “Your account is on hold because of a problem with your last payment”. 

To fix the issue of your payment getting declined, you may need to contact your bank to see if you have enough money in your account or if there is another reason your payment did not go through.

If your credit or debit card is expired, then you may need to add a new payment method with a current card. 

Also, if your Netflix account has a different zip code listed than your bank information, it could cause Netflix to automatically decline your payment. 

3. Netflix might be blocked

If you are having Network issues or are using a VPN while attempting to connect to the Network servers, you may see one of the following messages appear.

  • Access to www.netflix.com was denied.
  • The website declined to show this webpage. HTTP 403.
  • BLOCKED
  • HTTP ERROR 403

Netflix is only allowed to show certain content in certain regions of the world due to licensing restrictions and a number of other factors.

Because of this, Netflix works hard to detect VPN usage and prevent users from accessing the content libraries of other regions where they are not currently residing or visiting. 

For example, Netflix Peru is far different than Netflix UK or USA. If you are on vacation in Peru and are trying to use a VPN to access Netflix so you can find your favorite American television shows, Netflix may be able to detect the VPN and block access for your device.

Or, maybe you are at home and you use a VPN for a different purpose and you forget to turn it off. If you open up Netflix, then the application may block your IP if it suspects you are using a VPN. This is true even if you are using an IP address within the same country through the VPN. 

Make sure you always disconnect your VPN before trying to open up the Netflix application on your device. 

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4. Unplug your Samsung Smart TV

If Netflix is not working on your Samsung Smart TV, you may need to power-cycle the television set. To power-cycle your Samsung Smart TV, take the following steps.

  1. With the Samsung TV powered on, go ahead and unplug the TV from the power outlet.
  2. When the TV is unplugged, hold down the power button on the TV for at least 30 seconds.
  3. Holding down the power button will help drain any residual power that may be left.
  4. After about 60 to 90 seconds, go ahead and plug the TV back in.
  5. Open up Netflix and see if the problem has been resolved.

5. Sign out of Netflix

Sometimes your problem with Netflix may be that the app won’t open, and other times, it may be that Netflix freezes when you open the app, select a profile, or when you try to play a movie or television series. If this is happening to you, a common solution is to sign out of your Netflix account and sign back in

To sign out of your Netflix account, take the following steps. 

  1. Open the main menu in Netflix.
  2. Click on Get Help.
  3. Hit Sign Out.
  4. Once Netflix has logged you off, go ahead and try signing in again.

If this does not resolve the problem, then you will need to continue troubleshooting. 

6. Uninstall then re-install Netflix

Sometimes you may need to uninstall and reinstall Netflix on your Samsung TV to hopefully give the app the fresh start it needs to work properly. Deleting Netflix and re-installing the app is a simple process that can be done by taking the following steps. 

  1. When you are looking at the Samsung TV Home screen, go ahead and locate the Apps menu.
  2. Click on Apps and then press the Settings icon.
  3. In Settings, find and select the Netflix app and then press delete.
  4. Confirm that you would like to delete the Netflix app.
  5. Power off your Samsung TV and turn it back on again.
  6. Go back to the Apps menu and search for the Netflix app download.
  7. Click on download and install.
  8. After the installation is complete, open the app and see if this fixed the problem.

 7. Disable Samsung Instant On

Samsung TV has an instant-on feature that allows you to have your TV turn on quicker. This instant-on feature has been known to have some complications with the Netflix application as well as other apps. 

If you are having trouble with Netflix, you may want to try disabling the Samsung instant-on feature. To make this happen, follow these steps. 

  1. From the Home screen, go to Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Look through the list of general settings and find Disable Instant On.
  4. Click on it to disable the feature.
  5. Try Netflix again.

8. Check for updates

Oftentimes, if you are not running the latest version of Nextflix, or the operating system on your Samsung TV is out of date, you could have some issues using apps. Netflix should be updating on its own if you have auto-updates enabled. If not, take a look in the apps menu and check the latest version of the app. If it is newer than the app you currently have installed, then you will need to update it.

At the same time, you may want to take a look to see if there are any updates available for your Samsung Smart TV operating system. If you would like to check for updates for your Samsung Smart TV, follow these steps.

  1. Go to the Settings menu on your Samsung TV.
  2. Click on Support.
  3. Find Software Update.
  4. Click on Update Software.

Once you click on the Update Software option, your Samsung Smart TV should automatically update itself. The process can up to 5 minutes or more, however, you should be notified when it is complete. 

9. Internet working?

One of the most common problems that may be causing Netflix to not work on your Samsung TV may be internet issues. Either your internet could be not working or maybe the internet is too slow to run Netflix.

Here are some solutions to solving your potential internet problems.

Reset the modem or router

A bad network connection between your modem or router and your ISP can cause issues for all of your devices. To reset your modem or router, go ahead and unplug the device from its power source. After a minimum of 60 seconds, go ahead and plug the device back into its power source.

Wait another 60 seconds while the modem or router obtains an IP address from your ISP and while each of your network-connected devices obtains IP addresses as well.

Check internet speed

If your internet connection is poor, you may have trouble getting Netflix to run properly on your Samsung TV. Check your internet speed by going to speedtest.net

If you are seeing some incredibly low speeds, contact your ISP provider about upgrading your internet service. Also, you may want to see if your TV is located in a good place in relation to your modem or router. 

Make sure your TV is located close enough to your modem or router

Sometimes, if your TV is located in one room, but your internet modem or router is located far away, you may have connection issues that cause slow speeds. If this is the case, consider moving the location of your router or purchasing a repeater to make sure a strong Wifi signal is reaching your television. 

10. Reset your Smart Hub

If you continue to have problems with running Netflix on your Samsung Smart TV, you may want to try resetting Smart Hub on your TV. To reset Smart Hub, take the following steps.

Smart Hub in a Samsung TV is the custom app store on your television. All of the information, setting preferences, and account information are stored in the Smart Hub. Resetting the Smart Hub returns it and all of the apps to its factory settings.

To reset your Smart Hub, take the following steps. 

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Click on Support.
  3. Select Self Diagnosis.
  4. Click on Reset Smart Hub.
  5. Enter your TV pin. If you did not create a pin, then the default code is 0000.
  6. After the reset, you will need to download and install Netflix again.

11. Factory reset your Samsung TV 

If every attempt to fix Netflix has failed, you may need to try factory resetting your Samsung TV. To reset your Samsung TV, take the following steps.

  1. From the Home screen, go to Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Find Self Diagnosis.
  4. Find restore the TV to factory settings option.
  5. It will ask for the pin.
  6. Enter 0000 if you have not created a pin for your TV.
  7. Your Samsung TV will reset and then restart itself.
  8. Give it a few minutes to reconnect to the network and fully boot up.
  9. Reinstall Netflix and try again. 

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Conclusion

When Netflix is not working on a Smart TV, there are several things you can do. You can reset the internet, reset the TV, or even uninstall and reinstall the Netflix app. If problems persist, you can always consider doing a factory reset of your Samsung TV.

The point is, if there are any issues with running Netflix on your Samsung TV, chances are there is a simple solution to your problem.