12 Ways to Fix Netflix App Not Working on Your Device

Trying to figure out why the Netflix app is not working on your device?

When you finally get the chance to watch your favorite shows, the last thing you want is for Netflix not to work. Unfortunately, since the platform is available for many systems, several factors should be considered when troubleshooting this issue.

This problem is mostly caused by a server-related issue or an error that occurred on your device. It is also possible that your internet connection is running slow or a third-party application is affecting Netflix.

Just by looking at the possible causes, you get a sense of how long troubleshooting can take and could eat up all your free time.

Lucky for you, we are here to help.

In this guide, we’ve listed the most effective solutions to fix Netflix if it is not working on your device.

Let’s get started!

1. Check Netflix Servers.

As we’ve mentioned above, this problem is often caused by a problem with Netflix servers. In this case, you must check its status first before making any changes to your device. You can visit their dedicated status page, where they show the current situation of the platform.

However, if the website is not accessible, you can also use third-party tools like Downdetector to check the current status of Netflix and the past issues it encountered.

If the servers are down, the best thing to do for now is to wait until Netflix gets everything sorted out. You can also try the remaining methods below and hope that something works out.

2. Try Lowering the Stream Quality.

If you experience playback issues and Netflix is not working, your connection could be struggling to handle the bandwidth requirement of Netflix. In this case, we suggest that you lower the stream quality to reduce the load on your internet connection.

To do this, follow the steps below to guide you on the process:

First, open your Netflix account using a browser.
After that, go to your Profile and open the Account tab.
Now, select the Profile you are using and open Playback Settings.
Lastly, change the stream quality or select Auto to let the platform decide which settings are best for you.

Once done, go back to Netflix and check if the problem is solved.

3. Sign Out of All Devices.

Another reason why the Netflix app is not working on your device is that you’ve reached the max number of devices that can use your account. Depending on the subscription you avail, Netflix sets a maximum number of devices that can access your account.

If this limit is reached, Netflix might not work on your device unless you sign out other devices.

To sign out your account on all devices at once, follow the guide below:

Open your preferred browser and access your Netflix account.
After that, hover your cursor to your Profile icon and click on the Account tab.
Now, go to the Settings tab and click on Sign Out of All Devices.
Finally, click on Sign Out.

After logging out your account to all devices, go back to Netflix and see if the problem is solved.

4. Check and Reset Your Internet.

Since Netflix is an online platform, a stable internet connection is required to use the app without problems. Netflix also requires a minimum internet bandwidth of 1.5 Mbps to enjoy its services without issues.

To check if your network meets that requirement, run a speed test using Fast.com to measure its upload and download bandwidth.

If the test indicates that your connection is slow, restart your router to refresh the link with your service provider’s servers.

After restarting your router, perform another test to check if your network is now running correctly. Contact your ISP if you continue to experience network issues or upgrade your current subscription to increase your connection’s bandwidth.

5. Turn Off VPN.

Netflix goes against the use of VPN services when accessing their platform. Due to licensing issues, Netflix is forced to remove some shows on their platform in specific regions. However, VPNs can bypass this restriction and could put them under legal sanctions.

Besides, VPNs can also affect your network’s performance and make it difficult for your device to communicate with Netflix.

If you are running a VPN service on your device, turn it off before using Netflix.

On the other hand, you can also consider using other VPNs, like PureVPN. Compared to other services, it does not interrupt your network’s flow and works well with Netflix and other applications.

6. Run Malwarebytes.

If you experience other issues on your device, you could be suffering from a malware or virus attack. Viruses consume all your system resources and make it difficult for other applications to function normally.

To fix this, download Malwarebytes and run a full system scan on your device. It is third-party antivirus software that scans your entire storage for infected files and automatically removes them from your system.

Malwarebytes is available on all major platforms, including Windows, iOS, Android, and macOS.

7. Restart Your Device.

A temporary glitch may have occurred on your operating system and is now causing other applications on your device not to work. To fix this, you need to restart your device to reload its operating system and resources.

On Android devices, follow the guide below to restart them:

First, press the Power button of your device until the options screen shows up.
Next, tap on Restart.
Wait for the process to complete, which can take several seconds.

For iOS users, you can restart your device by doing the following:

Press and hold the Power button of your device until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ screen shows up.
After that, drag the slider to the right until your device turns off.
Lastly, tap the Power button again to restart your iOS device.

If you are using a Windows computer, check out the steps below to restart it:

First, open the Start Menu and click on the Power button.
Inside the Power Options tab, click on Restart.
Wait for your computer to reboot, which can take several minutes depending on your system.

For other devices, please visit Netflix’s Help Center and look for the dedicated guide for your device.

8. Clear Netflix App Data (Android).

Netflix stores temporary data on your Android device, containing scripts, photos, and other media files. This data helps the app run smoother and load faster on your device. However, application data can accumulate over time, and instead of doing good, it can cause problems on Netflix.

To fix this, clear Netflix’s app data to clear up some memory. Follow the steps below to delete Netflix’s data on your device:

First, go to your app drawer and open the Settings app.
After that, open the Apps tab and tap on Netflix from the list.
Lastly, go to the Storage tab and tap on the Clear Data button to proceed.

After clearing Netflix’s data, go back to your account and see if the problem is solved.

9. Update Netflix.

Bugs and glitches can occur on Netflix, and their team addresses these issues through updates. However, if you don’t usually update your applications, your device won’t get the necessary patches and cause problems over time.

If the Netflix app is not working on your device, update it to the latest version and see if the problem goes away.

On Android devices, you update Netflix by doing the following:

Launch the Google Play Store on your device and access the side drawer by tapping on the Menu button.
Next, tap on My Apps & Games to check for updates.
If available, tap on the Update button next to Netflix to install the latest version.

For iOS users, follow the guide below to update Netflix:

On your device, open the App Store from the home screen.
Now, tap on your Profile icon from the top right corner of the display.
Finally, look for Netflix on the list and tap the Update button.

If you are on a Windows computer, see the steps below to update Netflix:

First, open the Microsoft Store on your Windows PC.
Click on More Options afterward and select Downloads and Updates.
Lastly, click on the Download button beside Netflix to install the update.

For other devices, please go to Netflix’s Help Center and look for the dedicated guide for your system.

10. Reinstall Netflix App.

If the update did not work, you could be dealing with a much severe problem. Netflix’s installation files may have gotten corrupted when the servers went down or when an update failed to push through.

Whichever the case is, we suggest that you reinstall the app on your device to ensure that you have a working copy.

On Android, you can delete Netflix by doing the following:

First, open your device and locate the Netflix app from your app drawer.
After that, tap and hold its app icon to open the selection menu.
Lastly, tap on Uninstall to delete Netflix.

For iOS devices, follow the guide below to uninstall Netflix:

On your home screen, find Netflix from the list of apps installed on your device.
Now, press its app icon until the options menu shows up.
Finally, tap on Remove App to uninstall Netflix.

If you are using a Windows computer, check out the guide below to remove Netflix:

First, open the Start Menu and look for Add or Remove Programs.
After that, click on Open and find Netflix from the list.
Finally, select Netflix and click on Uninstall. Follow the on-screen prompts to remove the app from your computer.

Once done, reinstall the app on your device and check if the Netflix app is now working.

11. Refer to Our Other Guides.

If you are dealing with more specific issues on Netflix, please browse to our other guides below and see if you can find anything useful:

12. Report the Problem to Netflix.

At this point, we suggest that you ask Netflix for help if none of the methods above worked for you.

Contact their customer support and report the problem you‘ve been experiencing on the app. Ensure that you provide all the necessary information like your account details, the device you use, and a screenshot of the error to make it easier for their team to address the problem.

This ends our guide in fixing the Netflix app if it is not working on your device. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comment section below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

John Sixto

John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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Netflix App Not Working? Here’s the Fix!