Squid Game, and recently Obsession and The Night Agent, gave us a peek as to why Netflix is still the streaming platform everyone loves to go home to every night. Indeed, it’s taking hold-on-to-your-seat binge-watching to another level.
So, we totally understand if you’re a bit frustrated when you find Netflix failing you on your Samsung TV. Don’t throw the towel just yet as we’ll show you how to deal with the situation so quickly that you might end up watching till midnight or beyond.
Netflix not working on Samsung TV can be fixed by restarting your unit: unplug it from the wall and put it back on after 30 seconds. If that fails, you can reset the Smart Hub and your WiFi, or factory reset the smart TV.
Those are just some of the things you can initially do, but there’s more. In this post, we’re detailing 10 easy solutions to Netflix issues on your Samsung TV so you can DIY each one right away without having to call an expert.
1. Check for a Netflix server outage in your area.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 1 |
| Time to perform fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things needed | PC or smartphone Working internet connection |
It’s easy to fall into thinking that your Samsung TV might be the reason that your Netflix is not working. But before you check on your TV, checking the Netflix app is a good first step.
The “Netflix not working on Samsung TV” issue might be due to a technical difficulty, server maintenance, or server outage. It’s out of your control, but you can still gather helpful information about the status of the Netflix servers in your location.
A crucial part of troubleshooting is identifying the root cause of the problem, and finding out if there’s a server outage. Head to the Netflix Help Center page to try contacting customer service for information about the status of their servers.
Scrolling down the Help Center page allows you to contact their agents through a call or live chat. This action is your best bet since the people at Netflix will be able to shed some light on why their app isn’t working on your Samsung TV.
They can also tell you whether their technicians are already working on a solution and when you can expect the Netflix servers to start running again.
Also, visit Downdetector to find out if there are user reports of any server issues in your area.
Once you’ve determined if there’s a server outage, you can simply wait for Netflix to fix the problem themselves. Otherwise, we recommend you proceed with the troubleshooting tricks prepared in this guide.
2. Unplug the TV’s power cable from your wall outlet.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 1 |
| Time to perform fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things needed | Just the Samsung Smart TV |
For the first actual troubleshooting trick, we think that performing a soft reset or restart on your Samsung TV is the most effective way to deal with minor errors. This method is quick and easy to perform and should be a go-to solution.
Minor errors can occur while using your Samsung TV, causing the system to malfunction and your apps to misbehave. These errors can cause your Netflix to act up on Samsung TV.
Thus, the best way to deal with these errors is to refresh the system memory of your Samsung TV through a soft reset or restart. This action will correct minor errors and improve overall performance once your Samsung TV reboots.
| Step 1: Unplug the Samsung TV’s power cable from your wall outlet to shut it down.  |
| Step 2: Wait 30 seconds and plug the Samsung TV’s power cable back into your wall outlet to boot it up.  |
You may be surprised by the time allotment but there’s a reason for that. Doing so ensures your Samsung TV is free of electrical charges and resets properly.
3. Update your Samsung TV’s Netflix app.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 4 |
| Time to perform fix | 10 seconds |
| Things needed | A working internet connection TV remote |
Using an outdated version of the Netflix app can also lead to compatibility issues with your Samsung TV. Sticking to an outdated and incompatible app version will always result in the issue of Netflix not working on Samsung TVs.
As such, we encourage you to update your Netflix app to the latest version whenever possible. Doing so will prevent compatibility issues with your Samsung TV and help the app run smoother and more efficiently than before.
You should be able to update your Netflix app on your Samsung TV if connected to a stable WiFi network.
Once you’ve enabled the Auto Update function on your Samsung TV, updates will be automatically downloaded when available.
Step 1: Press your remote control’s home button to open the Smart Hub menu on the Samsung TV display screen.  |
| Step 2: Select/click APPS on the Smart Hub menu to open the Samsung TV app library.  |
| Step 3: Open App Settings by selecting/clicking the cog icon on the upper-right corner of the app library page.  |
| Step 4: Toggle Auto Update ON by selecting/clicking its switch in the upper-right corner of the app settings page.  Note: The Auto Update function will download and install all available app updates whenever your Samsung TV is connected to a stable WiFi network. |
4. Reinstall your Samsung TV’s Netflix app.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 5 |
| Time to perform fix | 40 seconds |
| Things needed | A working internet connection TV remote |
Aside from compatibility issues, Netflix might misbehave due to corrupt app data files and other problems with its software. In such cases, simply updating the software version of the Netflix app may be insufficient in resolving this issue.
Unlike third-party apps, you’re prohibited from deleting Netflix from your Samsung TV as it’s a preinstalled app. The only way to renew its installation on your Samsung TV is to use the reinstall option on the app settings menu.
You can think of this process as replacing your faulty app with a new working variant. After the reinstallation, you should no longer have the issue with Netflix acting up on Samsung TV.
| Step 1: Press your remote control’s home button to open the Smart Hub menu on the Samsung TV display screen.  |
| Step 2: Select/click APPS on the Smart Hub menu to open the Samsung TV app library.  |
| Step 3: Open App Settings by selecting/clicking the cog icon on the upper-right corner of the app library page.  |
Step 4: Select/click Netflix from your list of installed apps. |
Step 5: Scroll down/click the Reinstall option to reinstall the Netflix app. |
5. Reset Smart Hub.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 6 |
| Time to perform fix | 40 seconds |
| Things needed | TV remote Working internet |
If you’ve been a Samsung TV user for some time, you should be familiar with Smart Hub. This feature is your Samsung TV’s intelligent menu system that allows you to fully utilize TV functionality allowing you to browse the internet and download apps.
Since the Smart Hub menu on your Samsung TV is responsible for managing its apps and features, it can be suspect whenever there’s a problem with Netflix. After all, the Samsung Smart Hub is also where you process app deletion and installation.
If updating and reinstalling the Netflix app on your Samsung TV didn’t resolve the issue, we believe resetting the Smart Hub will. Please note that performing this action will result in you removing your Samsung account from your TV.
Resetting your Samsung Smart Hub will restore its configuration to the default factory settings. After the reset, you should set up and reconfigure the Smart Hub menu on your TV to sign back in with your Samsung account.
| Step 1: Press your remote control’s home button to open the Smart Hub menu on the Samsung TV display screen.  |
Step 2: Scroll left/click Settings and open your TV settings menu. |
Step 3: Scroll down/click Support and open your TV support menu. |
Step 4: Scroll down/click Self Diagnosis and open your TV troubleshooting options. |
Step 5: Scroll down/click Reset Smart Hub. |
| Step 6: Enter the PIN code saved on your Samsung TV to confirm resetting the Smart Hub. Note: The default Samsung TV PIN code is 0000. Use it if you don’t remember setting a different PIN code before. |
6. Reset your router/modem.
A fast and stable network connection is necessary when using a streaming platform like Netflix to load and play their content offerings. Not having a decent internet connection will only result in the issue of Netflix not working on Samsung TV.
Plus, experiencing connectivity issues on your WiFi network can also slow down the load times on content on the Netflix app. You can resolve any problem with your WiFi network by soft resetting your internet router or modem.
If soft resetting can’t fix the connectivity issue on your Samsung TV, you might also need to factory reset your WiFi router and modem. Thus, you can ask your ISP for assistance if troubleshooting your WiFi router and modem doesn’t solve the issue.
Follow the steps below to soft reset your WiFi router and modem:
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 6 |
| Time to perform fix | 2 minutes and 20 seconds |
| Things needed | WiFi router |
Step 1: Pull the ethernet and power cable from your WiFi router. |
Step 2: Pull the ethernet and power cable from your WiFi modem. |
| Step 3: Unplug your WiFi router and modem for 2 minutes for a complete shutdown. |
| Step 4: Connect the ethernet and power cable to the back of your WiFi router. |
| Step 5: Connect the ethernet and power cable to the back of your WiFi modem. |
| Step 6: Wait for your WiFi router and modem to boot back up. Test your internet connection once the indicator lights on both devices are on.  |
Follow the steps below to factory reset your WiFi router and modem:
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 4 |
| Time to perform fix | 2 minutes |
| Things needed | A toothpick/paperclip WiFi router/modem |
| Step 1: Grab a toothpick or paperclip and insert it into the hole in your WiFi router and modem that says “Reset” to access their reset button.  |
| Step 2: Push the toothpick/paperclip into the reset button and press it for 10 seconds to shut down and factory reset your WiFi router and modem.  |
| Step 3: Wait until your WiFi router and modem reset and reboot. |
| Step 4: Connect using the default SSID and password on both devices’ sticker labels. Test your internet connection once the indicator lights on both devices are on.  |
7. Test if your internet’s speed is sufficient.
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of steps | 1 |
| Time to perform fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things needed | PC or smartphone Working internet connection |
Even if your WiFi network’s internet connection is stable, the issue of Netflix not working on Samsung TV can still occur if the download speed is insufficient. Remember that you’re dealing with heavy graphics streaming here.
This can be tricky as streaming apps like Netflix have a minimum speed requirement to stream content without issues. It’s best therefore that you do go beyond the minimum requirement.
Netflix’s recommended internet connection speed is three megabits per second for HD (720p) content and five megabits per second for FHD (1080p) content. Also, to stream UHD (4K) content, you’ll need at least 15 Mbps internet speed.
You can check the download speed of your internet connection using speed testing websites like “speedtest.net” and “fast.com.” We highly recommend using “fast.com” since it’s Netflix’s very own speed-testing website.
Bear in mind that we’re talking about one user. If you have more than one Netflix user, and more than one smart TV to stream the app, then the picture changes drastically as you need more internet speed to stream with ease.
8. Update your TV.
Compatibility issues can also stem from your Samsung TV having an outdated software version, which makes it unable to run the Netflix app. Thus, conducting a software update will resolve the issue of Netflix not working on Samsung TVs.
Aside from compatibility issues, conducting the update is also an effective way to resolve all software-related problems on your Samsung TV. Plus, doing so gives your Samsung TV access to the latest features and performance upgrades available.
Depending on your WiFi network’s speed and stability, you can update your Samsung TV’s software version in two different ways.
To those with stable internet connectivity, we recommend downloading the software update straight from the internet. This should be the quicker solution.
If your WiFi network suffers from speed fluctuations, your alternate approach would be to update your Samsung TV using the USB stick method. You can take the time to download the software update on a PC and transfer it to your USB stick.
Follow the steps below to update your TV’s software over the Internet:
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of steps | 6 |
| Time to perform fix | 20 minutes |
| Things needed | A working internet connection TV remote |
| Step 1: Press your remote control’s home button to open the Smart Hub menu on the Samsung TV display screen.  |
Step 2: Scroll left/click Settings and open your TV settings menu. |
Step 3: Scroll down/click Support and open your TV support menu. |
Step 4: Select/click Software Update and open your TV update options. |
Step 5: Select/click Update Now. |
| Step 6: Wait while your Samsung TV scans the internet for updates. Select/click Yes to update your Samsung TV’s software version.  |
Follow the steps below to update your TV’s software using your USB stick:
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of steps | 17 |
| Time to perform fix | 25 minutes |
| Things needed | A USB stick A PC A working internet connection TV remote |
| Step 1: Press your remote control’s home button to open the Smart Hub menu on the Samsung TV display screen.  |
Step 2: Scroll left/click Settings and open your TV settings menu. |
Step 3: Scroll down/click Support and open your TV support menu. |
Step 4: Scroll down/click About This TV and open your TV’s specifications. |
Step 5: Take note of the model number and software version of your Samsung TV. |
| Step 6: Open Samsung’s Manuals & Software page using your PC’s web browser. Go to the page’s search bar to enter the model number of your Samsung TV.  |
| Step 7: Navigate to the page’s Firmware/Software section and download the software update by clicking the Download button for the Upgrade File(USB type).  |
Step 8: Use any file archiver to extract the software update to your PC’s desktop. Note: Refrain from modifying and renaming the extracted software update so that your Samsung TV won’t fail to recognize it later. |
| Step 9: Insert a USB stick into your PC to copy the software update into its directory.  |
| Step 10: Remove the USB stick and insert it into the port on your Samsung TV’s rear panel.  |
| Step 11: Press your remote control’s home button to open the Smart Hub menu on the Samsung TV display screen. |
Step 12: Scroll left/click Settings and open your TV settings menu. |
Step 13: Scroll down/click Support and open your TV support menu. |
Step 14: Select/click Software Update and open your TV update options. |
| Step 15: Select/click Update Now to scan the internet for a software update. Allow this update check to fail.  |
Step 16: Select/click Yes to scan the contents of the USB stick. |
Step 17: Select/click Yes to install the software update on the USB stick. |
9. Reset Samsung TV to factory defaults.
| Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
| Number of steps | 8 |
| Time to perform fix | 5 minutes |
| Things needed | TV remote Working internet connection |
If all else fails, our last recommendation is to reset your Samsung TV to its default factory settings. This method is the most effective way to resolve the issue of Netflix not working on Samsung TV at the cost of losing the device’s saved data.
After a factory reset, your Samsung TV will lose the account data, installed apps, and setting configurations saved on its system memory. If watching your favorite shows on Netflix is that important to you, this is a small price to pay.
WARNING: A factory reset erases all your personal files and TV preferences, so it’s best you save a copy before starting the process. Or you will lose it all in an instant.
This action also helps eliminate corrupt files and viruses infecting your Samsung TV’s system software. So, it’s a go-to solution if you’re smart TV is corrupted by viruses or malware.
And it’s like purchasing a new Samsung TV. Once the factory reset is done, you need to sign back into your Samsung account, set up Smart Hub, reinstall the deleted apps, and reconfigure your system settings.
| Step 1: Press your remote control’s home button to open the Smart Hub menu on the Samsung TV display screen.  |
Step 2: Scroll left/click Settings and open the TV settings menu. |
Step 3: Scroll down/click General and open the TV general settings menu. |
Step 4: Scroll down/click Reset. |
Step 5: Enter the PIN code saved on your Samsung TV and click Done to continue. |
Step 6: Select/click Yes. |
| Step 7: Wait as your Samsung TV resets to factory settings and reboots. |
Step 8: Set up your Samsung TV’s Smart Hub menu. |
If this fails, you may have to hit the sack as this might be the last thing you can do for your Samsung to fix your Netflix issues. If you’re not settled the issue after this solution, we recommend you contact Samsung representatives.
You definitely have the right to customer support as a rightful owner of a Samsung TV. By the same token, you can also report the issue to Netflix Help Center so they can assist you.
FAQs about Netflix on Samsung TV
You can’t stream on Netflix without connecting your smart TV to a WiFi internet connection. The download function is only available for mobile devices; even then, the download process itself will still require you to have an internet connection.
Fortunately, there are alternative ways to connect your Samsung TV to the internet, like using a mobile hotspot. You still need to ensure that your mobile hotspot is fast enough to load the content on Netflix without delay.
The subscription cost differs depending on the plan that you want to purchase. Netflix’s standard ad-supported plan costs $6.99 per month, while the basic plan without ads cots $9.99 per month.
Meanwhile, the standard Netflix plan costs $15.49 per month, and the premium plan costs $19.99 per month. You can check the cost of Netflix’s subscription plans on their Plans and Pricing page.
A Dolby Atmos-capable Samsung TV is required to stream shows and movies on Netflix using Dolby Atmos audio. You also need a Netflix subscription that supports Ultra HD streaming and a Dolby Atmos-capable audio system.
The streaming quality on your Netflix app must also be set to High or Auto. Please note that only select shows and movies on Netflix supports Dolby Atmos audio.
Use Netflix’s emergency button combination to reset the app on your Samsung TV. While Netflix is open on your Samsung TV, press the arrow keys on your remote to enter this button combination: Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-Up-Up-Up-Up.
If successful, the Netflix app will allow you to Start Over, Sign Out, Reset, and Deactivate. Select the Reset option to reset the Netflix app on your Samsung TV.
