From Samsung becoming Netflix’s official mobile partner to the joint production of Emily in Paris, the Samsung and Netflix partnership has proven great for the streaming and entertainment industry.
Samsung might just be the most popular Smart TV brand, not just in the States but globally. And, despite the hefty competition, Netflix is – by far – the best streaming service.
So, it’s natural that these 2 are the first choice for most users to complete their entertainment setup. But this seemingly perfect combo has its problems. Complaints of Netflix not working on Samsung Smart TV keep racking up.
Some users say their Netflix app doesn’t open. Others complain of laggy streaming. And sometimes the Samsung Smart TV freezes altogether. There are various reasons behind all this and some very general/easy fixes as well.
Why Is Netflix not Working on Samsung Smart TV?
There are many reasons for Netflix not working on Samsung Smart TVs. It could be because of internet outages, app malfunctions, or problems with Samsung’s OS. Here are the most common causes of Netflix not working on Samsung Smart TVs.
1. No OR Slow Internet
First and foremost, check your internet. If it’s not working, restart your router or contact your ISP.
Secondly, Samsung recommends a minimum of 4 Mbps internet for its Smart TVs. If your internet connection is any slower, you will face problems with Netflix- lag and a lot of video buffering.
Is Netflix not working on Samsung 4K Smart TV? That’s because it needs at least a 25 Mbps internet connection.
So, here’s your first fix — get a speedy internet connection.
2. Netflix App Malfunction
Sometimes, Netflix won’t load on your Samsung Smart TV. Even after clicking on the app several times, nothing happens. This happens when you shut down or unplug your Samsung Smart TV without closing the Netflix app. These things happen on Android smartphones and tablets as well.
It’s a common problem with a basic solution — unplug your Samsung Smart TV for a couple of minutes and try again.
3. Outdated Netflix App
If Netflix keeps crashing on Samsung Smart TV, chances are you’re running an outdated Netflix app.m Apps continuously get updates to keep them in sync with the device’s OS. That’s why you should allow automatic app updates.
Find a walkthrough to update Netflix on Samsung Smart TV in the “fixes” section.
4. Outdated Samsung OS
Just like the app, your device’s OS should be up to date as well. If you don’t, you’ll lose sync between the app and the OS again and start facing errors and problems with not only Netflix but other apps as well.
Read on to find out how you can manually update a Samsung Smart TV.
5. Netflix Servers Are Down
If your internet is fine, you have kept everything up-to-date, and you can’t see any error on your screen when you try to play Netflix, there is just one explanation — Netflix is down.
To confirm, you can try watching Netflix on your mobile or computer. Or you can also use DownDetector to see the status of Netflix servers. If Netflix is indeed working, it’s time to try the fixes listed below.
Get the Right VPN for Netflix
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Netflix Not Working on Samsung Smart TV – Easy Solutions!
Before you try your hand at our recommended solutions for Netflix not working on Samsung Smart TV, we suggest you take care of the following requirements.
- You have a working internet connection with a minimum of 4Mbps speed.
- Find out if Netflix is down. Try and watch Netflix on another device.
- Hard restart your Samsung TV – unplug the power cable, wait for at least 2 minutes, and then power it up again.
If you’ve ticked all the things above and Netflix is still not working on your Samsung Smart TV, the following fixes should help.
- Update Netflix App
Updates make sure apps run smoothly. So, it’s best to install new updates ASAP. Although most of the time, they will update automatically, there’s no harm in doing so manually from time to time.
Here’s how to update Netflix on Samsung Smart TV.
- On the home screen, find and open Apps.
- Find and click on Netflix.
- The Open button will say Update if there is a pending update.
- Click Update.
The update will get installed.
While you are in the Apps menu, open Settings. In the top-right corner, you’ll see Auto Update. If it’s OFF, toggle it to ON.
Now, all your Samsung Smart TV apps will be updated automatically. Before launching Netflix again, it’s better to restart your Smart TV.
- Clear Netflix Cache
Along with running an older version of the app, corrupted cache files can also cause problems for Netflix on Samsung Smart TVs. If Netflix crashes all of a sudden, try clearing its cache memory.
- From the home screen, open Settings.
- Open Support.
- Open Device Care.
- Open Manage Storage.
- Navigate to Netflix.
- Click on View Details.
- Select Clear Cache.
Samsung recommends doing this for all apps for optimized performance.
- Update Samsung Smart TV OS
Since 2015, all Samsung Smart TVs run on Tizen OS, and 7.0 M1 is the latest version right now. And to get the best performance out of your Samsung Smart TV, you must install the latest OS.
Here’s how you can check and manually install OS updates.
- On the home screen, go to Settings.
- Go to Support.
- Go to Software Update.
- Select Update Now.
After this, your Samsung Smart TV will look for available updates. If there are any pending updates, you’ll see the “A new software update is available” message. Select Yes, and it will start downloading.
After completion, the TV will restart as the new version gets installed. You can also toggle on/off Auto Update on the Software Update screen.
- Delete and Reinstall Netflix
If nothing seems to work, reinstalling Netflix is worth a go. Doing so will remove all of its data from your Smart TV and, hopefully, the bugs and errors as well.
- In the bottom-left corner of the home screen, find and open Apps.
- Navigate to Netflix.
- From the app menu, scroll down and click on Reinstall.
Netflix and all of its data will be removed and then reinstalled for a fresh setup.
If even after all this, Netflix is not working on Samsung Smart TV, it’s time to contact customer support. Try both- Netflix and Samsung – customer support.