Planning to watch your favorite titles, but Netflix won’t load on your device?
After its release in 2007, Netflix has provided an alternative way for us to consume media. Coming from conventional DVDs, it gave way for digital movie streaming with thousands of titles in its library.
Currently, Netflix is available on multiple platforms like Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and more, making it very accessible to most users. In fact, they’ve reached over 200 million subscribers worldwide in Q4 of 2020.
Given the massive number of Netflix users, it is pretty impressive to think about how they handle the traffic on their servers. However, occasional problems still occur from here and there, which is understandable.
If you’re reading this right now, you are probably trying to figure out why Netflix won’t load on your device.
Usually, this issue is caused by the faulty servers of Netflix, but it is also possible that some errors occurred on your end.
Whatever the case is, we are here to help.
Today, we will show you exactly what to do if Netflix won’t load on your device.
Let’s get started!
1. Check Netflix Servers.
The first thing that you should always do when Netflix encounters a problem is to check its servers. Since it is an online platform, it relies on its servers to deliver its features and services.
To check their servers, visit their dedicated page where they show the platform’s current status and the problems it encountered. On the other hand, you can also use third-party sites like Downdetector if Netflix’s website is not accessible.
If their servers are down, the best thing to do for now is to wait. However, you can still try the methods below and see if anything works out for you.
2. Sign Out of Netflix on All Devices.
If you are using Netflix on multiple devices, try signing it out on each device and see if the problem goes away. Your subscription may have a limit on the device that can use Netflix, or an error occurred on your user data.
Check out the guides below to sign out your Netflix account on different devices.
On Android and iOS, see the steps below to sign out of Netflix:
- On your device, access the home screen and tap on the Netflix app to open it.
- After that, tap on your Profile icon on the top right corner of your display.
- Finally, tap Sign Out at the bottom of the page.
For Windows, follow the guide below to sign out of your Netflix account:
- First, access Netflix on your Windows PC.
- Now, click on the More Options button at the top right corner of the window.
- Lastly, click on Sign Out and follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the action.
On macOS and browsers, check out the steps below to sign out of your Netflix account:
- On your Mac or browser, navigate to the Netflix website.
- After that, hover your mouse to your Netflix Profile beside the Notification bell icon.
- Finally, click on Sign Out of Netflix and follow the prompts to continue.
For other devices, visit Netflix’s Help Center and find the dedicated guide for your device to help you out.
Once done, re-access your Netflix account on the device you want to use and see if it will now load correctly.
3. Turn Off VPN.
Netflix is known to be sensitive to VPN services. If you are running virtual private network services on your device, turn it off before using Netflix.
VPNs could also interfere with your internet connection and cause delays. If this happens, your device may struggle to connect with Netflix servers, explaining why the application won’t load on your device.
Disable your VPN and try to re-access Netflix and see if the problem goes away.
You can also try using other VPNs like PureVPN if you are not comfortable using the internet without protection. However, unlike other VPNs, PureVPN keeps your internet connection stable while keeping hackers away from your data.
4. Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies.
Browsers use temporary data on your computer called caches and cookies to improve their performance when loading websites. However, if Netflix won’t load on your browser, some of its caches and cookies may have gotten corrupted during use.
If this is the case, we recommend clearing your browsing data to eliminate any corrupted files.
See the steps below to clear your browsing data:
- On your browser, press the CTRL + H keys on your keyboard to access your browser’s History page.
- After that, click on Clear Browsing Data from the side drawer.
- Next, click on the Time Range tab and select All Time from the dropdown menu.
- Finally, include caches and cookies in the process and hit the Clear Data button to begin.
After clearing your browsing data, go back to Netflix, access your account, and see if you can now use the platform without problems.
5. Disable Your Browser Extensions or Try Another Browser.
If you are using any browser extensions or add-ons, turn them off before accessing the Netflix website. Some extensions are not compatible with Netflix and interrupt the platform’s flow causing multiple problems.
To fix this, simply disable your browser extensions and re-access the Netflix website.
See the steps below to turn off your browser add-ons or extensions:
- On your browser, click on the Options button from the top right corner of your display and select the Settings tab.
- After that, click on the Extensions tab from your browser’s side menu.
- Finally, turn off all your browser extensions and restart your browser.
Once done, go back to Netflix and try loading the platform again.
On the other hand, you can also try using different browsers if your current browser still can’t load Netflix. Preferably, try using browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, which are highly optimized for most websites.
6. Run Malwarebytes.
If you have other issues besides Netflix not loading, your system may be suffering from a virus attack. To confirm this, run a full system scan using Malwarebytes. It is third-party antivirus software that automatically scans your system for malware and other viruses.
Malwarebytes automatically flags suspicious files on your computer and removes them from your system without lifting a finger.
7. Restart Your Device.
Your device could have encountered a temporary bug or error and causes other applications to malfunction. In this case, we suggest restarting your device to reload your operating system and eliminate any errors that may have occurred in the process.
On Android, check out the steps below to restart your device:
- On your device, locate the Power button and press it until the options screen shows up.
- After that, tap the Restart button and follow the prompts to continue.
- Finally, wait for your device to reboot, which can take several seconds.
For iOS users, follow the step-by-step guide below to restart your device:
- Locate your iOS device’s Power button and hold it down until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ screen shows up.
- Next, tap the slider and drag it to the right until your display turns black.
- Finally, tap the Power button again to restart your device.
If you are using a Windows PC, you can restart it by doing the following:
- First, press the Windows key on your keyboard to access the Start Menu.
- After that, click on the Power button to open the options menu.
- Lastly, click on Restart and follow the on-screen prompts to proceed.
Finally, if you are using a Mac computer, check out the guide below to restart it:
- On your Mac, click on the Apple logo from the top left corner of your display.
- Next, click on the Restart button.
- Finally, click on Restart again and wait for your computer to reboot.
Once done, go back to Netflix and see if it will now load on your device.
For other devices, please refer to Netflix’s Help Center to guide you on the process of restarting your device.
8. Clear Netflix App Data (Android Only).
If you are using an Android device, you can try clearing your app data to fix issues that may have occurred on any application. Like browsers, applications on Android devices use temporary data to enhance their performance.
However, there are times when this data gets corrupted and triggers various errors on applications.
To clear Netflix’s app data, see the steps below:
- On your device, go to the home screen and tap on the Settings app to launch it.
- After that, scroll down and access the Apps tab.
- Inside Apps, locate Netflix from the list and tap it.
- Next, tap on the Storage tab to open it.
- Finally, tap the Clear Data button to eliminate any corrupted files.
After clearing your app data, go back to Netflix and check if the app will load.
9. Update the Netflix App.
Netflix releases frequent updates on its platform to ensure that it is optimized for most devices and errors are being patched. However, if you haven’t updated the Netflix app on your device, now is the time to do so.
On Android, check out the guide below to update Netflix:
- First, access the Google Play Store on your home screen and tap the Menu button inside the search bar.
- After that, tap on My Apps & Games from the side menu to prompt your device to check for available updates.
- Finally, tap the Update button beside Netflix if the Play Store detected an update.
If you are using an iOS device, follow the steps below to update the Netflix app:
- On your device, tap on the App Store from the home screen to launch it.
- Inside the App Store, tap on your Profile icon on the top right corner of your display.
- Next, scroll down and locate Netflix from the list.
- Lastly, tap the Update button next to Netflix to update the app.
For Windows users, you can update Netflix by doing the following:
- First, open the Microsoft Store from the Start Menu.
- After that, click on your Profile icon beside the Search bar.
- Now, access the Downloads or Updates tab and click on Check for Updates.
- Finally, click the Download button beside Netflix to install the update.
On the other hand, visit Netflix’s Help Center and find the dedicated guide for your device if you don’t see it on the steps mentioned above.
10. Reinstall the Netflix App.
If the update could not fix the issue on Netflix, you might be dealing with corrupted installation files. Temporary bugs that occur on the platform can cause Netflix’s installation files to corrupt and trigger various problems.
In this case, we recommend reinstalling the Netflix app on your device to ensure that you have a working copy.
For Android users, see the steps below to uninstall Netflix:
- First, unlock your device and find Netflix from the home screen.
- Next, press its app icon until the selection screen shows up.
- Lastly, tap on Uninstall to delete Netflix from your device.
On iOS, check out the guide below to remove Netflix from your device:
- On your device, access the home screen and locate the Netflix app.
- After that, tap and hold its app icon to open the options menu.
- Finally, tap on Remove App to delete Netflix.
If you are using a Windows PC, you can uninstall Netflix by doing the following:
- On your computer, press the Windows + S keys on your keyboard and search for Add or Remove Programs.
- Next, click on Open to access the list of applications installed on your system.
- After that, find Netflix from the list and click it.
- Lastly, click on Uninstall and follow the on-screen prompts to remove Netflix from your device.
Finally, check out the guide below if you are using a macOS device:
- On your Mac, access the Finder app and click on the Applications folder.
- After that, locate the Netflix app from the list.
- Finally, drag Netflix’s app icon to the Trash to delete it from your computer.
If you are using other devices, kindly visit the dedicated guides below to help you out:
- How to Delete Netflix on Nintendo Wii U?
- Remove Netflix on Xbox Consoles.
- Delete Netflix on Playstation Consoles.
- Uninstall Netflix on Amazon Fire Stick (similar device).
Once done, download the Netflix app on your device again and see if it will now load.
11. Check and Reset Your Internet.
Since Netflix is an online platform, the problem could be on your network connection. A fast and stable internet connection is needed to use Netflix without issues.
To check your internet status, perform a speed test using Fast.com to measure its current upload and download bandwidth.
Restart your network router if the result shows that your internet connection is running slow. Find the power cable of your network router and unplug it from the outlet for at least 10 seconds. After that, plug back in the power chord to restart your network router.
Once your router has restarted, re-run the test to check if your connection is now running correctly. If you continue to experience network-related issues, call your ISP and let them know about their service’s problem.
12. Report the Problem to Netflix.
If Netflix still doesn’t load on your device, we recommend that you let the experts take over.
Visit Netflix’s Help Center and get in touch with their customer support to report the problem you’re experiencing. When asking for help, make sure to provide all the necessary details to help their team resolve the issue faster.
On the other hand, you can also browse the guides on the Help Center and see if there’s anything useful.
This sums up our guide on what to do if Netflix won’t load on your device. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know in the comment section below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
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