With Apple TVs, you will not only enjoy videos in 4K HDR but also with Dolby Atmos sound. You will see crisper images and realistic colors in more detail.
With functions like AirPlay, you can share your videos from the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad to your Apple TV in their full resolution. But in a few situations, Apple TV fails to work, forcing you to find a fix in order to resume using it.
You may experience several Apple TV issues during normal use. For instance, an Apple TV can fail to answer to the remote or it can switch on but won’t show pictures.
In other cases, it can fail to connect to a Wi-Fi network. When such problems occur, you have to find out how to troubleshoot them.
How to troubleshoot Apple TV
Here are various issues with Apple TV and how to fix them.
1. TV not responding to remote control
Issues with your Apple TV remote can be solved with the help of several methods given below:-
- In case, you are using a Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote, charge it for 30 minutes through Lightning to USB cable and a USB wall charger. If you are using an Apple Remote, change the batteries.
- Keep in mind to use the remote within the range of your device.
- remove anything that is creating a barrier between the remote and your TV.
- Unplug the TV from the wall power socket. After that, wait for at least ten seconds before plugging it back in.
- Check to determine if you have turned Accessibility features ON. visit Settings > General > Accessibility.
- Try to connect your Siri or Apple TV remote again by pointing it three inches away from your device. Nextly, tap and hold the Menu and Volume Up buttons for ten seconds to complete the pairing.
- An additional option is to restart your Apple TV from settings. Visit Settings > System (or General) > Restart.
In case, that does not work, unplug your Apple TV from the power outlet and wait for about six seconds, then plug back in the cord.
2. How to reboot Apple TV
To reboot your Apple TV follow the given process:-
- Press and hold the Menu and Home buttons on the Siri remote. The Apple TV status light will blink speedily.
- After that, unplug your Apple TV from the power outlet.
- After that, wait for about ten seconds, then reconnect it.
- Then, open Settings on Apple TV, visit System and select Restart.
The above mention steps apply to Apple TVs running tvOS 12.0 and above.
3. A situation when the TV turns on but doesn’t show pictures
The primary step to solve this issue is to ensure that the status light is OFF. follow the following process:
- Initially, press Menu on your remote.
- Unplug the power cable and wait for about 30 seconds then, plug back in the power cable.
- Prefer using another outlet when plugging back in the socket. The status light should be ON.
In case, the status light is ON, but you do not see any video, then follow the below-given steps:-
- Unplug the HDMI cable from both sides. Then, plug them back in carefully.
- Switch off the TV and unplug the power cable and plug back in the power socket and switch the TV ON.
- Visit the television Menu and select the HDMI input that matches the HDMI port connected to your TV.
Moreover, your TV could also turn ON, but the status light is flashing. Prefer restoring your Apple TV. Visit to Settings > System > Reset > Reset or Reset and Update.
In case, your TV is ON, but your display appears black screen with sound, here is a process of what you can do:-
- First of all, hold the Menu and Volume Down buttons for five seconds.
- Then, release the buttons.
- After that, your TV will switch to a new video resolution.
- Choose OK to select an applicable resolution.
You can also revok the option and go with the default resolution.
4. Fix no signal on Apple TV
You can fix no signal problem on your Apple TV in various ways:
- Plug out and reconnect both sides of the HDMI cable.
- Alternatively, press and hold Menu and Volume Down or Up (depending on your model) buttons for five seconds.
- Your Apple TV will cycle through different video modes.
- Hold each button for 20 seconds.
When you get a picture, choose OK to stop the cycle.
5. Reset Apple TV
In case, your device shows no response to several fixes, try to reset it to factory settings:
- Firstly, open Settings on Apple TV.
- Visit System.
- Then, choose Reset.
- Select the Reset option.
Keep in mind that the Reset option will delete all settings on your Apple TV. You can also select Reset and Update. This will take back your device to factory default and install software updates.
In case, you are using a third-generation Apple TV, visit Settings > General > Reset. Select Reset All Settings to erase all the settings or Restore to return your Apple TV to factory settings and install new software updates.
6. TV won’t connect to Wi-Fi
You can troubleshoot Apple TV streaming problems in several ways:
- Make sure you have connected your internet router to the modem and powered the devices.
- Keep your Apple TV with a short range of the router.
- In case, you are using Wi-Fi, make sure you have entered the right password or chosen a compatible Wi-Fi network.
- If you are using a Wi-Fi network that needs an additional or secondary login, the device will not connect to the network. Change the network or remove the additional security.
- Else, restart your Apple TV, modem, and router, and try again.
- Also, check with your ISP to determine if there is an outage in your area.
Additionally, you can use an Ethernet cable to connect to the internet. We suggest the DbillionDa Store Cat-8 cable if you don’t have one.
7. 4K TV keeps buffering
Using an Apple TV 4K on a 720p tv is one of the worse experiences I’ve ever had, there is way too much buffering & most of the time the screen will just not respond.
— Akira (@MiracleStar560) February 26, 2021
When your Apple TV 4K keeps on buffering, it gets challenging for you to stream a video or download media content. You can do various things to find a solution.
Run a speed test
The primary step is to confirm that your ISP speed is fast and stable enough to play 4K videos uninterrupted.
Visit speedtest.net and check whether the speed is at least 15 Mbps, which is needed to stream 4K media content without constant buffering. But in case it is below 15 Mbps, call your ISP for troubleshooting.
Check your wireless network
Prefer checking your wireless network to make sure you have a strong connection. Your router needs to be in range and unhindered from transmitting wireless signals.
Moreover, you can also disconnect your Apple TV from the Wi-Fi network, forget it, and go through the setup again. The steps are given below to follow:-
- Visit Settings on your Apple TV.
- Then, choose General.
- After that, Go to Network.
- Choose Wi-Fi.
- Pick the wireless network you have connected to your device.
- Press Forget.
You will need to scan for Wi-Fi and reconnect to the network. In case this has been happening for a prolonged period, then you want a new router that is cable of streaming quality content without buffering.
We have, therefore, mentioned the best 4k routers for streaming. Check them out to decide what works best for you.
Reset your Apple TV 4K
Setting your Apple TV 4K again will return it to factory default. It will delete all settings you had inserted and data. Follow these steps outlined in section five to reset the device.
One more option is to power-cycle your Apple TV, router, and modem. You will then need to restart them and observe if it fixes the problem.
Sometimes you may face constant buffering because the service you are accessing or the app you are using to stream the video has an error. It can happen if its servers are down.
That means the problem has nothing to do with your Apple TV, router, modem, or ISP.
8. TV won’t update
Updating your Apple TV confirms that you are getting the latest software and new features. In case the device is not updating, here is the process of what you should do:-
- Make sure that you have connected the device to a Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.
- Confirm your internet connection is stable and the speed is above zero.
- In case the update progress bar display stuck or paused, do not unplug your Apple TV. Give some more time to finish the update. If it stays the same for more than an hour, contact Apple Support. But, avoid restarting or unplugging the device.
- Your Apple TV may encounter a problem when updating. In that situation, you will get a message asking you to Erase All Settings or Restart. Prefer restarting the TV first. In case the message appears again, select Erase All Settings.
If the update fails, unplug the device, replug it back in, and try updating the software again.
9. TV keeps losing HDMI signal
Troubleshoot this issue by following the steps below:
- Use a different HDMI port on your TV. Prefer starting with HDMI 1 or Input 1.
- Choose using a another HDMI cable to decide if the initial one is causing issue.
In case, you are using an HDMI switch or receiver, decide if one of the devices is causing the issue. In this situation do the following:-
- You need to connect your Apple TV directly to the television and bypass the HDMI switch or receiver. In case the HDMI signal is stable, connect the switch or receiver one at a time.
While adding the devices, check to assure you are not losing any HDMI signals. Also, you can use the steps above to try and fix the intermittent black screen.
But, if these options do not work, then your HDMI cable could be the source of the issue. Switch to a quality cable like the Ivanky 4K HDMI cable to solve the issue.
Conclusion
If your Apple TV is not working, you can troubleshoot the problem in different ways. For example, power-cycle your device and try again.
If the device does not update, check to ensure you have a stable internet connection. Whenever your Apple TV fails to respond to the remote, check the batteries or replace them with new ones.
