If Netflix is not working on Samsung TV, then worry no more because you are on the right page. In this guide, I am going to show you a step-by-step process to fix this issue and get Netflix app to start working on your Samsung smart TV quickly in 2024.
You are probably trying to open your Netflix channel on your Samsung smart TV, but it’s not loading and showing a black screen and won’t open, or you open the app and it crashes back to the Home screen after working for a short while.
In some cases, the TV may also fail to connect to Netflix.
Whatever it is that you are facing exactly, it doesn’t matter because I will show you exactly what you need to do to fix it.
So, if that sounds like what you are looking for, let’s dive right in!
Netflix Not Working on Samsung TV
There are so many factors that can cause the Netflix app to not work on your Samsung smart TV, ranging from device incompatibility to poor internet connection, corrupt app and cache files, outdated app, outdated Samsung TV tizenOS software, or even server issue from Netflix.
Now, let’s take a look at a step-by-step process to fix the issue, starting from the most common causes with highest chance of fixing the issue, down to the less likely but still effective methods.
1. Check if Your Samsung TV is Compatible
Not all Samsung smart TVs are compatible with Netflix app. Before anything, you need to be sure that your smart TV is actually compatible with Netflix.
For now, Netflix is available on most Samsung Smart TVs running Tizen OS released from 2018 to the latest models. You can find the full list of compatible models here on Samsung’s website.
If your Samsung tizenOS smart TV is compatible, then you can move to the next step below.
However, if your TV is not compatible, but you still want to stream Netflix on your TV, there are at least 2 alternative means to watch Netflix on your Samsung TV which I will discuss later in the guide.
2. Power Cycle Your Samsung TV
Power cycling can help fix a lot of streaming issues on your smart TV. It can help fix unresponsiveness, black screen, crash or lag while streaming. It also removes corrupt cache files that can cause streaming apps like Netflix not to work on your smart TV.
Power cycle is also known as a ‘Soft reset’ (differs from factory/hard reset in that all your settings and configurations remain untouched) and a lot of users who experienced this issue got it fixed using this method.
Here’s how to power cycle your Samsung TV and fix this issue with Netflix app not loading:
- Unplug your TV from power outlet
- Leave it unplugged for 60 seconds
- Press the power button on your TV for 30 seconds (if your TV does not have a power button, you can skip this step)
- Plug the TV back into the power outlet and it should start working normally now
If that fixed the issue for you, great! Otherwise, move to the next tip.
3. Check Your Internet Connection
A slow or unstable internet connection can cause Netflix app to not work on your Samsung TV. First thing you can do is restart your network router.
To do this, unplug your router, wait for 30 seconds and plug it back in. Once this has been done, connect your Samsung smart TV to your router and try to access Netflix again. That should fix any connection lag issue and Netflix app should start working on your Samsung TV.
There are a couple of other things you can do to fix any potential network issue, some of these include:
- Switch to hardwire connection (i.e ethernet cables)
- Check ethernet cables (in the case of wired connection)
- Check your network or connection speed (from other channels or from another device)
- Switch to a dual-band router and use the 5.0GHz frequency
- Update DNS to Google DNS
How to Update DNS to Google DNS
- Go to Settings with your Samsung TV remote controller.
- From the settings page, click on the General tab
- Click on Network
- Next, select Network Status
- Under your connected network, click on IP Settings
- Select the option to set DNS manually
- Finally, edit the DNS Server and change it to 8.8.8.8
- Finally, click on OK button
Wait for it to be reconnected to the new DNS server and then restart your smart TV.
Now, go back to your Samsung TizenOS TV, open the Netflix app and it should be working perfectly well if network is the source of the issue.
You should take note of one thing though.
Obviously, it’s more likely to be a network issue if other channels like Hulu, YouTube, HBO Max, Discovery Plus and others are not working too on your Samsung smart TV. On the other hand, if these other channels are working, then network is very unlikely to be your issue.
If the issue is network and you have been able to fix it, great! Otherwise, let’s move to the next step.
4. Update Netflix App
Another common reason why Netflix app stops working on Samsung smart TV is having an older version of the app installed. It can cause Netflix to show a black screen or crash suddenly on your Samsung smart TV.
In that case, you need to check if you have installed the latest version, and if not, you need to update and install the most recent version of Netflix on your Samsung TV. Here’s how to do that:
- Click on the Home button on your Samsung TV to go back to the Home screen
- From the home screen, navigate to the bottom menu and click on ‘Apps’
- On the apps screen, navigate and click on Netflix app icon
- On the Netflix app description page, you will find ‘Update App’ button if your Netflix app is not the latest version. In that case, go ahead and update it. Otherwise, you will find the ‘Open’ button.
On the same page, you will also find details showing the latest version number of the app and installed version number currently installed on your TV just below the Update/Open button. If they match, then you have the latest version installed.
If Netflix app still won’t open on your Samsung TV after the update, then move to the next step.
In addition, you can also turn on auto update for apps by clicking on the settings at the top right corner of the apps page (not Netflix app page, but ‘All apps’ page)
That will ensure that all your apps are up to date.
5. Clear Netflix App Cache
Cache files build up and are stored as you use apps installed on your Samsung smart TV. The longer you use them, the larger these cache files become.
In some cases, these cache files become corrupt and affect the performance of the apps on your smart TV.
Hence, you need to clear the cache file to get your Netflix app to load afresh. In fact, it is recommended that you clear app cache files regularly for optimum performance. Once cleared, Netflix app should start working on your Samsung TV again.
Now, let me show you how to clear cache files for apps on your Samsung TV.
- Go to the settings by clicking on the settings button on your remote controller or the settings icon on the home screen
- Click on the ‘Support’ tab
- Select ‘Self Diagnosis’ tab
- Click on ‘TV device manager’
- On the next page, click on ‘Clean Now’ buttons under ‘Memory Boost’ and ‘Clear Running Apps’
- Once cleaned, click on ‘Show App List’ under ‘Manage storage’
- On the next page, scroll through the app list until you find Netflix, click on ‘View details’ under the app.
- Finally, click on ‘Clear Cache’.
On some other Samsung TV models, you can find this page by going to Settings > Support > Device Care > Manage Storage.
NOTE: You can choose to clear the data too. However, that means you will have to sign into the app again with your Netflix account details the next time you open it. If you ask me, it’s worth doing as signing in and out of apps too can fix issues like this.
You can do this for as many apps that you experience similar issues with on your smart TV.
Now, go ahead and open the app. Then, sign in (if you cleared data) too and you should be up and running again with Netflix on your Samsung TV.
If Netflix still won’t open, load or connect on Samsung TV, then try the next fix.
6. Re-install Netflix App
In some cases, app files also become corrupt causing apps like Netflix and others not to work on smart TVs. In most cases, reinstalling the apps will fix the issue.
Most apps that are installed manually on your Samsung smart TV can be removed and installed again. However, Netflix is one of the featured pre-installed apps on your smart TV. As a result, you are not allowed to remove it from your Samsung tizen OS smart TV.
What you can do however, is re-install it. Follow the procedures below to re-install and reset Netflix app on Samsung TV:
- Click on the Home button on your Samsung TV to go back to the Home screen if you are not
- From the home screen, navigate to the bottom menu and click on ‘Apps’
- Click on the Settings icon at the top right corner of the apps page
- Scroll until your find Netflix app icon, click on ‘Reinstall’ under it.
- Once re-installed, restart your Samsung TV, go to the apps page and open the Netflix app.
- Next, you can sign in to your Netflix account by entering your account details.
Once done, your Netflix app should be working perfectly fine on your Samsung smart TV now.
7. Reset Samsung Smart Hub
If you are experiencing a blue or black screen when you try to open Netflix on Samsung TV, it could also be due to an issue with Samsung smart hub.
In such case, resetting Samsung smart hub will fix the issue by resetting the app.
Here’s how to reset Samsung smart hub:
- Go to the settings by clicking on the settings button on your remote controller or the settings icon on the home screen
- Click on the ‘Support’ tab
- Select ‘Self Diagnosis’ tab
- Click on ‘Reset Smart Hub‘
After the smart hub reset, you will see a popup to accept the Smart Hub’s terms & conditions.
- On this page, press the Mute + Volume Up + Channel Up buttons on the remote and you should see a popup showing the Internet service location list, select your country.
- Then, accept the terms and click ‘OK’
Now, go ahead and search for Netflix app on the app library and you should be able to install and open it.
8. Update Samsung Smart TV Software
If your Samsung tizen OS software is outdated, you might experience issues like Netflix or other apps crashing or showing a black screen when you try to open it.
What you need to do is simple: update the software version to the latest one.
- To update your Samsung TV software, go to Settings, click on the Support tab and select Software Update.
Finally, click on ‘Update Now’.
You can also update your Samsung TV manually using a USB drive.
9. Check If Netflix Server Is Down
At this point, before we continue looking for other potential causes of the issue on your Samsung smart TV, it’s about time we looked at a potential cause from Netflix.
Although not common, Netflix streaming server can be down sometimes even in 2024. In such instances, the issue is a general one from their servers and is not specific to you or your Samsung smart TV.
When this happens, you could experience a number of things like Netflix app crashing suddenly, you may be logged out of your account out of nowhere and being unable to log back in or the app might just show a black screen on your Samsung TV.
In some cases like this, the support team may post an update on their social media pages.
So, go ahead and check if there’s any such update on their social media handles (Twitter and Facebook).
In other cases, the server could be down and no such update will be posted. So, how do you know in such cases?
There is an online tool you can use to check if Netflix server is down (whether globally or only in certain locations). Click here to check it on down detector.
- You can also check if Netflix app works on other devices like mobile phone, PC or other streaming devices other than your Samsung TV. If it doesn’t, that’s another proof that it could be a general issue.
- Finally, you can also check if their website (netflix.com) is online and working by accessing it from another device (your phone or PC). In addition, try to login to your account on the website and see if you are able to login.
NOTE: The last method is not as definitive as the other ones mentioned earlier since the streaming server could be the one with an issue while their website server is actually still running.
NOTE: It’s better you try to access the website while in incognito mode, after clearing your browser cache or preferably from a device you hadn’t accessed Netflix website from in the past.
This is to ensure that your browser tries to load a fresh page directly from their server and you are not seeing a cached version of the website on your browser in a case where their server is down.
10. Update Date & Time
Have you ever tried to visit a website on your phone or laptop and it does not connect to the internet because of incorrect date and time? Well, it does happen!
One of the reasons why this happened is that an incorrect date and time causes an expired or invalid Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificate (a digital certificate used to authenticate users, servers, or devices online) to show. As a result, you fail to get an internet connection.
The same way, it can happen while trying to open apps like Netflix on your smart TV.
What you need to do it simple: Set the correct date and time for your time zone, and in addition, set the time and date to automatically update.
- To change the time and date, go to Settings > General > System Manager > Time > Clock
- Make sure the clock mode is set to ‘Auto’. More importantly, make sure the time and date are correct. Otherwise, check your TV internet connection and restart it.
- If it’s still not fixed after ensuring it is connected to the internet, go ahead and choose the manual option and set it yourself.
Once the time and date are corrected and your smart TV is connected to the internet, you shouldn’t have problem with it anymore.
11. Check Your Netflix Subscription
Netflix is a subscription-based streaming service. Therefore, you need an active Netflix subscription is required to stream content.
If your subscription has expired and has not been renewed or you do not have an active subscription, then you need to sign up and pay for one on Netflix website.
By the way, I mentioned earlier that I will show you at least 2 alternative methods to watch Netflix on your Samsung TV if the Netflix app still doesn’t work on your Samsung smart TV. You can find those methods immediately after the next tip below.
12. Contact Netflix or Samsung for Support
If you have followed all the tips stated above, your Netflix should be working by now.
However, if Netflix app is still not launching, crashing or showing a black screen on your Samsung TV after following the troubleshooting tips above, your next move is to contact Netflix or Samsung for support.
You can also use any of their social media handles to get in touch with them.
Remember I told you I will show you other alternative methods to stream Netflix on your Samsung TV? Let’s look at them.
BONUS Tips: Alternative Ways to Use Netflix on Samsung TV in 2024
A. Couple a Supported Streaming Device
I mentioned earlier that some older Samsung smart TV models are not compatible with Netflix. However, even if your smart TV is compatible and you still can’t get the app to work in 2024, you can simply couple a streaming device that supports Netflix to your Samsung TV.
These streaming devices include Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 console, PlayStation 5 console, Chromecast and Apple TV.
You may even have any of this streaming devices already in your home. In that case, you are in luck. Otherwise, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it anyway.
For Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and other supported USB stick streaming devices, you need to plug the streaming device to your Samsung TV’s HDMI port. Switch your TV source to the HDMI port you’ve plugged into and the streaming device should be running.
Depending on which of the streaming devices you are using, you can simply add Netflix channel on it under the apps/channel section either by using the search icon or voice search prompt (on Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV).
With Netflix app installed on the streaming device and the streaming device plugged into your Samsung TV, you can easily stream Netflix on your Samsung TV without any issue.
B. Connect Your Phone/PC to Samsung TV
This is also easy to set up. Even more, you do not need to spend an extra dollar purchasing an extra streaming device if you already don’t have one.
All your need to do is share your screen from your phone/PC to your Samsung TV while streaming Netflix app on your phone.
You can do this either via wired connection using HDMI cables, or wirelessly via screen sharing.
Whichever method you choose, you can do it by following this guide.
Bottom Line
If Netflix is not working on your Samsung TV, whether it crashes when you try to open it, shows a black or blue screen or doesn’t even open at all, do the following to fix it:
- Check if your Samsung TV is compatible
- Power cycle your Samsung TV
- Check your internet connection
- Update Netflix app on your Samsung TV
- Clear Netflix app cache files on your TV
- Re-install Netflix app
- Reset Samsung smart hub
- Update Samsung smart TV software
- Check if Netflix streaming server is down
- Update date and time on your TV
- Ensure your have an active Netflix subscription
- Contact Netflix or Samsung for technical support
Alternatively, you can couple a streaming device, install Netflix app on it and plug it into your Samsung TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't Netflix working on my Samsung TV?
If Netflix isn't working on your Samsung TV, it could be due to an internet connectivity issue, TV compatibility issue, a Netflix server outage, an app issue, incorrect date or time, or a TV firmware issue.
How do I reset Netflix on Samsung smart TV?
To reset and restart Network on your Samsung TV, you simply need to re-install it. To do that, click on the Home button on your Samsung TV and go to Apps > Settings. Scroll until you find Netflix app icon, and click on Reinstall under it.
How do I update Netflix on Samsung smart TV?
To update Netflix on a Samsung Smart TV, press home button, navigate to the app icon and select it. Select the settings icon in the top right corner of the screen, scroll down and select the option to update apps. If there is an update available for Netflix, it will appear in the list of apps that can be updated.
Let know which of these tips worked for you in the comment section. Also, kindly share the content with others by using the share buttons.
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Yeah, that’s the support line for Netflix Australia