Netflix is one of the most popular video streaming services on the planet. Its applications do not usually work badly at all, but that does not mean that from time to time, a night of Netflix & Chill becomes a nightmare. Netflix, like other platforms, depends on many variables in order to function properly. Sometimes official apps crash and don’t give much information about what’s going on. In this post we will try to shed some light on your black screen with error message so that you can quickly solve this problem and continue with the episode marathon of your favorite series.
General solutions
When there are problems viewing Netflix, it is usually due to an error in the application that we are using . However, there are a number of common issues for all devices . By sheer probability, it is normal that the fault you are looking for is in this first list. And it is that, despite the fact that the Netflix app is available on several platforms, there are some solutions that work in all cases, regardless of the device you use:
Check if Netflix is down
If the Netflix app won’t load or a movie or episode won’t start, it could simply be because the Netflix service itself is down . It doesn’t happen very often, but we can’t say that the Netflix servers are without problems either. Use this link to see if there is a problem with the Netflix servers. If after checking, the answer is yes, it’s time to wait. There is nothing else you can do to fix it.
Reboot your device
We know. This is already a classic. But in most cases, a reboot will take no more than two minutes. Surprisingly, this old standby can mean that after relaunching the Netflix app, the problem is gone.
Check your internet connection
Do you have coverage? Is your router working properly? Sometimes, our router creates the Wi-Fi network because it is working correctly, but it is not having a connection with the outside. Check the Internet connection with another device. If there isn’t, restart your router. If after the restart there is still no connection, you will have to differentiate if it is a problem with the router or the operator . If you can connect to the Wi-Fi network —or by cable—, but you do not have Internet, then we are facing the second case. It will be necessary to call by phone so that they can solve it for us.
Update your Netflix app
As with updating your system, it’s equally important to keep the Netflix app up to date , as the latest version may be required for it to work on your device or to connect to the company’s servers.
An app update could also fix any Netflix error code , for example the famous error code UI-800-3.
Sign out and back in
Simply use the sign out option to delete all the data that is registered about your account on the device .
Then close the app and reopen it. Log in again with your username and password . If it’s fixed, your problem was as simple as your login details being corrupted. It is much more common than it seems.
Reinstall the app
Sometimes deleting the Netflix app and reinstalling it will fix any issues you’re having.
Removing and reinstalling an app is pretty easy to do on most devices. When it is done, the data and cache are also cleared. If there was a problem with that information, the process of removing and reinstalling may fix the problem. If you’re a more advanced user, try deleting data without reinstalling first . The effect on the problem should be the same.
Problems with Netflix on Samsung Smart TVs
Almost all the problems that we have mentioned in the previous block are perfect for devices that use Android, Android TV or any other variant, such as Google TV or FireOS in the case of Amazon Fire TV Stick dongles. It also applies to devices running iOS (such as iPadOS or tvOS) or even webOS. However, there are problems that are specific to particular brands.
If you have a Samsung TV running TizenOS that is giving you Netflix issues, here are some recommended solutions to fix these issues:
Turn off Samsung Instant On
Samsung Instant On can make your TV run faster, but this feature on the Korean brand’s smart TVs can conflict with apps like Netflix . Disabling it may get everything working properly again.
To disable Samsung Instant On, open Settings and then click General to disable the option.
Put the factory TV
This is the last thing you should do on your Samsung Smart TV. Once you have done all the previous steps, the last card that you will have left will be to try to put the television with the configuration that it had when you took it out of the box. In each model it is done differently, but you have a detailed process in the instruction manual or if you search for your model on Google. The process takes about 10 minutes , but you will have to reinstall all your apps from scratch .
Problems with Netflix on PlayStation
If you use the Sony console to watch Netflix movies and series, there are a few specific variables that may be causing you to not be able to play Netflix content on your TV:
Check if PlayStation Network is down
If the PlayStation Network service is down, some services that require Internet on your PS4 or PS5 may be affected. You can check if PSN is working through its official page .
Restart the app on your PlayStation
PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 apps continue to run in the background even if you switch to a video game or another app. Closing open apps can improve the performance of your PS4 or PS5, as well as fix problems specific to the Netflix app.
To close an app on the Sony console, select its icon on the home screen and press the ‘ Options ‘ button on your controller. A new menu will appear with the option ‘ Close Application ‘. Click it to close the Netflix app. You can now reopen it as you normally would.
Problems with Netflix on Xbox
If you use your Xbox One or Xbox Series console to watch Netflix, the problems you may run into are very similar to what we have seen in the previous point with the PlayStation. Therefore, do the following:
Check if the Xbox Network is working properly
Many Xbox One and Xbox Series apps and features won’t work if the Xbox Network is down.
To check if it works, visit the official Xbox Live status web page. If there is a check mark, then this is not your problem. Otherwise, Xbox Network is having connectivity issues. You’ll have to wait for it to come back online to watch Netflix or do other online activities. The interruption of activity can last from a few minutes to a few hours.
Quit the Netflix app on the Xbox
If the Netflix app is crashing on your Xbox console, you need to exit it and reopen it. To do this, press the center button on your Xbox controller to bring up the system menu and select the Netflix app from the list of recently used apps. Once highlighted, press the menu button on your controller (the one with the three lines) and then press ‘ Exit ‘ from the context menu. Netflix should close completely, and now you can reopen it as usual. Relaunching it will likely fix your problem.