Netflix Not Working On Roku - 5 Causes & Their Fixes

Aside from the Roku Channel, there’s so much content available with Roku. Whether you use the Roku TV Sticks or set-top-boxes or buy a Roku Smart TV, your streaming and live TV experience gets an instant lift.

Seriously, the change from cable to Roku is palpable. Of course, you get Live TV- but on top of that, you can get a channel for every major streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more) for your Roku device.

You’d think that managing all these different services must be hard.

Well, it is.

While Roku holds nearly 40% of the market share for Live TV streaming in North America, it’s still not perfect. Users face issues regularly, and Netflix not working on Roku is a persistent issue.

If your Roku device is not running Netflix, here are some of the causes and the best fixes.

Why Is Netflix not Working on My Roku TV?

While watching Netflix on Roku, users can face multiple issues. Sometimes Netflix is laggy, and the video keeps buffering. Other times the Netflix app on Roku can crash for no reason.

Similarly, an “internal error” message shows up, and Netflix stops working on Roku. There have also been reports of “nothing happens after clicking on Netflix” and “stuck on a black screen” on Roku.

why is netflix not working on my roku tv

Here’s what causes these types of errors.

Read through these, find the root cause, and then we’ll tell you how to get Netflix working on your Roku TV again.

1. Netflix is Down

Before you spend half an hour looking for an explanation for Netflix not working on Roku, make sure Netflix is working on its own.

You can use DownDetector to find out if Netflix is down. If its servers are down, Netflix won’t work on Roku. Wait until Netflix comes back up and try again.

2. Slow Internet

A majority of Roku devices only support wireless internet connectivity. For ethernet users, Roku Ultra or Roku Ultra LT are the only choices. So, chances are, you connected Roku with Wi-Fi. And Wi-Fi is slower than Ethernet.

We recommend at least a 5mbps internet connection for Roku streaming. If it’s any lower, you can only stream in SD. You’ll also experience excessive buffer time on Netflix.

Check your internet speeds– if it’s slower than usual, contact your ISP, get it fixed and try again.

3. Running An Older Roku OS

Roku OS 11.5 is the latest version. Released in September 2022, the 11.5 version brought plenty of new features and important security updates. If your Roku device is not running the latest Roku OS, you might encounter various issues and bugs.

Find out how to update Roku OS later on.

4. Built-up Cache Memory

Every app and every webpage has a cache memory. It’s a short-term storage solution for quick data retrieval. And sometimes, this make-shift storage ends up with too much data, gets corrupted, and starts causing problems.

Clearing your Roku cache memory will remove most of the playback issues. Learn how to clear the Roku cache in the next section.

5. Netflix Screen Limit

This is a major cause of Netflix not working on Roku. It’s common for people to share Netflix with friends and family, but remember that there are limits to how many people can use Netflix simultaneously.

Netflix Basic (With & Without Ads) allows only 1 screen. The Standard plan allows streaming on 2 screens simultaneously. And Netflix Premium allows streaming on 4 devices at the same time.

If you are using shared Netflix, turning off other screens might solve Netflix not working on Roku.

Get the Right VPN for Netflix

You need the right VPN for Netflix to bypass common Netflix errors and gain access to all geo-blocked content, Ad-Free. Not all VPN services are compatible with Netflix and Roku/Roku TVs. But ExpressVPN is one of the few VPNs out there with dedicated support extended for Roku users.

We recommend ExpressVPN for –

Access to Geo-Restricted Content
Secure Ad-Free Streaming
Fast Reliable Connectivity
Multiple High Uptime Servers

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Netflix on Roku not Working – Fixed!

If Netflix stops working on any Roku device, don’t worry. We’ve already told you every major reason why Netflix could have issues on Roku. Now, some quick fixes to Netflix not working on Roku.

But before you try any of these, make sure your Wi-Fi is working fine; and Netflix servers are up and running. If that part’s sorted, read on.

Restart Your Roku Device

Always start with the basics- but Roku’s basics are a bit different. For any device, restart means a quick reboot using the power button. But here’s how to restart a Roku device correctly.

Shut down your Roku device for a minimum of 10 seconds. Take out the power cord.
Reconnect the power cord and start your Roku device.
Don’t do anything for at least 1 minute.
Open Netflix.

This is the correct way to restart a Roku device, and it should remove minor problems.

Soft Reset Roku Device

With a soft reset, you can remove bugs and errors from your Roku device because it clears the cache memory. Whether you use a Roku TV, Stick, or Box, here’s how to reset Roku and clear the cache memory.

On your Roku remote, press Home.
Once you’re on the main screen, you’ll have to press the Home, Up, Rewind, and Fast Forward buttons in the exact sequence below.

Home Button – Press 5x.
Up Button – Press 1x.
Rewind Button – Press 2x.
Fast Forward Button – Press 2x.
After you complete this sequence, your Roku device will restart.

After this, your Roku device might restart more than once. When it finally boots up, it’ll be free from any corrupted files. Head to the Netflix channel on your Roku device and see if it starts working.

Update Roku OS

Running an outdated operating system will cause problems on any device, and Roku streaming devices are no different. Here’s how to install the latest Roku OS on all Roku devices.

Press Home.
Click on System on the home screen.
Find and click on System Update.
If a new version is available, download it.

Once the OS update finishes downloading and installing, power up Roku and try Netflix.

Remove & Reinstall the Netflix Channel

Another solution to remove errors and problems from Netflix on Roku is to delete the Netflix channel and start fresh.

Go to the Home Screen on Roku by pressing the Home button.
Navigate to Netflix.
Press “*.”
In the Channel Menu, find Remove Channel, and hit OK.

Restart Roku in the right way to complete the Netflix uninstallation. Once removed, you can reinstall the Netflix channel from Streaming Channels (Channel Store for Roku 1 users).

Open Streaming Channels on the home screen.
Go to Movies & TV.
Find Netflix, and click on Add Channel.

Afterward, sign in to Netflix, and it should work fine.

Contact Customer Support

The above methods should fix Netflix on Roku. But, if they don’t, the final step is to contact Roku Customer Support. You can find pre-written guides to fix common Roku errors, or you can contact an agent.

If your Netflix is not working on Roku even after trying these fixes, it’s time to upgrade. Amazon is offering plenty of discounts on a wide range of Roku streaming devices.