Sling TV Not Working? (Here's an EASY Fix!)

Ever since I’ve tried out Sling TV, I’ve run into various errors, but its minimalist approach to watching TV keeps me coming back for more. Unfortunately, Sling TV is notorious for bugs and issues, and it can be frustrating when you are trying to watch your favorite show.

However, I appreciate that it doesn’t require much hardware and won’t clutter up my living room. But what should you do if your Sling TV isn’t working?

First, you should always check for service outages which will quickly explain why your Sling TV is not working. Sometimes, you only need to reboot your television or perform a power cycle to get your Sling TV back in running order. Other times, signing out and back into your account gives it a reset that will help solve your problem.

You might also have success clearing the cache and removing unnecessary data that could prevent the Sling TV app from working.

You may have to change your router’s channel or adjust your location settings, but we don’t need to start there. So, let’s begin with how to check for service outages.

Table of Contents

Reasons for Sling TV Not Working/loading

Check for Service Outages

If there are any service outages, it will cause your Sling TV not to work correctly. Often, outrages occur at night when too many users attempt to watch a specific program. If the issue is a service outage, there is nothing you can do on your end to fix the problem but check for an issue.

If you suspect a service outage, you should visit Sling TV’s status page, which will alert users of any problems. In addition, the help page also can help with known issues that arise when using Sling TV.

Reboot Your TV

Your smart TV may cause the Sling TV not to work, and you should reboot your television. Rebooting your TV helps it reset and remove any glitches or bugs it may have, and you can try it on any brand of TV.

Follow these steps to reboot your TV quickly:

Turn off your TV and unplug it from the wall
Wait 3-5 minutes, and then plug it back in
Check to see if the Sling TV app is working

Apply Power Cycle

If rebooting your TV is not successful, you can perform a power cycle to help resolve power damage that may have taken place. In addition, a power cycle helps retain the power flow of your Sling TV.

To perform a power cycle, follow the below steps:

Turn off your TV and unplug it from the wall

Wait at least five minutes and keep the TV unplugged and off
While waiting, press the power button on your TV for at least 30 seconds
After, plug your TV back into the wall, turn it on, and check to see if the Sling TV app is working

Relaunch Sling TV Application after Force Closing It

Force closing your Sling TV app helps perform a reset and is usually an easy fix to your problem. It’s essential you force close the app and not just exit it. Once you’ve closed it out, you can relaunch it to see if it’s working.

To force close your Sling TV app on iOS, follow these steps:

Swipe up from the bottom of your screen, and you will see the open apps displayed

Scroll left or right until you find the Sling TV app and swipe up to force close
Now, you can relaunch the app to determine if you fixed the problem

On an Android device, follow these steps to force close your app:

Open the settings and click on apps or manage apps (some phones may have an application manager)
Scroll to find Sling TV
Select force quit

Relaunch the Sling TV app from your Android device

Sign Out of the Sling TV Application and Then Sign Back into It

Occasionally, the easiest solution to fixing a Sling TV that isn’t working is to sign out of the application and then sign back in. So, while it doesn’t seem like it would help, it might be the quickest way to solve your problem.

To successfully sign out of your application, you should:

Go to settings
Click on Account
Select Sign Out

Next, you’ll return to the login screen and input your password and username to sign in. You might also receive a link to sign into your account, so you should follow it to sign back into it successfully.

Change Your Router’s Channel

Your Sling TV may not be working correctly because of an issue with your router, and changing the router’s channel can help fix the problem.

Generally, your router operates on various channels to send out signals, so if an issue arises on the channel you use, you will have trouble using your Sling TV app; this usually happens when there is an overload to the network.

The following steps will help you change your router’s channel:

Open a browser on your computer and input your router’s IP address

Enter the router’s username and password to open your wireless settings
Click on channels and choose a different one than selected
Finally, save your selection and check to see if your Sling TV is working properly

Watch this YouTube video to understand further why changing your router’s channel can help your internet connection.

Try Another Network

If your Sling TV is still not working, you can try another network to see if it’s an issue with your connection. Switching networks will allow you to determine whether the problem is with your router or the Sling TV application.

You can try switching to one of the following networks while troubleshooting.

Wired Connection

Instead of connecting to the internet wirelessly, connect your router directly to your television using its ethernet port. It’s best to use a high-quality cable that supports a high-speed connection.

Mobile Data

If you still have an issue connecting, try using your phone as a hotspot and connect through mobile data. If you’ve never used the hotspot feature, be aware that extra charges may apply to your cellphone bill. You then connect to your television as you would with a standard internet connection.

Clear the Cache of the Sling TV Application

The cache on your device stores temporary memory and other settings, but an error within the cache can cause your Sling TV application not to work. When this happens, your best bet is to clear the cache on your app, which can help speed up your connection.

Follow these steps to clear the cache on an Android device successfully:

Open settings and go to the app list
Find and click the Sling TV app from the list
Click on storage, then clear data and clear cache

Below are the steps to clear the cache on iOS:

Open settings and click on general
Select iPhone storage and select the Sling TV app

Choose offload app and confirm to clear the cache

Reinstall the Sling TV Application

If the problem persists, you should delete and reinstall the Sling TV application from your device. While it’s a tedious action, it can help fix your issue if the app is corrupt. Ensure you know your sign-in credentials, as deleting the app will also log you out.

On an Android device, the following steps will help you in deleting and reinstalling the app:

Force stop your Sling TV app
Clear your data from the Sling TV app and launch the settings of your phone
Open your application manager and select Sling TV

Select uninstall and restart your device
Reinstall the app

To complete this action on a Samsung TV, follow the below steps:

Select apps from the smart hub panel and then choose options
Select delete my apps and choose Sling TV
Select delete and then confirm your action

Restart your TV and then select the apps icon
Search for the Sling TV app and download

Update the OS of Your Device to the Latest Build

Your device’s OS adds new features and fixes bugs when it is regularly updated. However, if your OS does not have the latest updates, it could cause your Sling TV app not to work correctly.

To update the OS on an iOS, follow these steps:

Charge your phone and ensure all your data is backed up
Ensure you are connected to a stable WIFI network

Open the settings on your phone and select general
Choose software update, and if one is available, you should select to download it
Once your system is updated, you should check if the Sling TV App is working

On a Roku, you should check for updates by following these steps:

Select settings from your home screen
Choose system and select system update

Click check now, and any updates will automatically install
Finally, restart your device and see if the Sling TV app is up and running

Reboot Your Device

Your smart device could be why your Sling TV isn’t working, so it’s best to perform a reboot as part of your troubleshooting. It would help if you began by restarting your smart TV or phone, which can help clear out any glitches or troubles you are experiencing. Once you have rebooted, open the Sling TV app and check if it works properly.

Contact Your ISP

If you still have issues with your Sling TV app, it’s time to contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Your ISP can inform you of any outages or if a routine update is causing your app not to work. It’s always best to contact your ISP if you don’t usually have an issue and can’t seem to fix it.

Reset the Browser Settings to the Defaults (Desktop Users)

If you use a desktop to watch Sling TV, you should reset your browser settings to fix the issue. Before resetting your browser settings, ensure you have the latest software and updates.

For this example, we will use Chrome, so follow these steps to reset your browser settings

Open your browser and select its menu
Choose settings and click advanced

Select reset and cleanup, and then reset settings to their original defaults
Confirm your selection and check to see if Sling TV is working

Change Location Mode of Your Device To GPS (Android users)

The Sling TV app uses your location to customize the content you receive, like commercials that air during a program. If it cannot find the correct location, the app will run into problems and not correctly work. Sometimes, you can help fix the issue if you change your location mode.

These steps will help you perform this action:

Force close your Sling TV app
Open settings and choose location

Click mode and the select device only
Open your Sling TV app to see if you fixed the problem

Contact Sling

When all else fails, it’s sometimes best to contact Sling directly, as they can walk you through the necessary steps to get your device up and working again. They will likely ask what you have already tried to see what other troubleshooting steps can help.

If the issue becomes a hassle, they might give you a discount for the stress endured. So, don’t be afraid to go into detail about your problem. You can contact Sling via telephone, online chat, or email.

Sling TV Not Working? (Here’s an EASY Fix!)