If you’re looking for fixes for an app not working on Fire TV, this article is going to show you how to do it. At its core, a television is a device for displaying audio-visual content such as movies and sports; however, these days, TVs are capable of more than ever.
Televisions have become more intelligent, and as a result, you can do more with your remote in 2022 than you could with some computers at the turn of the century.
However, not everyone is willing or able to switch their “dumb” TVs for smarter ones, and Amazon created Fire TV as a means to bridge that gap. Fire TV is a digital media player that can connect to a TV via HDMI and enables Smart TV functionality like connecting to the internet, video streaming, and installing apps. The device runs on Fire OS, derived from the Android Open Source project, meaning it can run various Android applications.
Some Ways To Fix An App Not Working On Fire TV
Sometimes you an installed app on your Fire TV might not work as it should; here are some fixes of an app not working on Fire TV:
1. Restart The Device
In technical school, one of the first things you get taught in software repair classes is the power of restarting a device; whether it’s a phone, laptop, or any other device, restarting is computer first aid. Therefore, before you do anything else, restart your Fire TV; some reasons a reboot might help are:
- It flushes the device’s RAM.
- It Helps the device re-new wireless connections.
- It gives the Fire TV allowance to install updates that might be pending.
Press and hold the Select and Play/Pause buttons together for five seconds to restart your Fire TV. Alternatively, open Settings on the device main screen, select Device, then Restart, confirm the command to restart the device. When you’ve restarted your device this way, I suggest also disconnecting the device from its power source for about ten seconds and connecting it again.
2. Check Internet Connection Issues
Most of the apps you use on a Firestick require an internet connection to function correctly; so, a bad network connection could cause your app not to work. Check and fix internet connection errors by doing the following:
- First, check that you have an active data subscription with your Internet Service Provider.
- Unplug the power cable on your router and leave it out for 30 seconds; plug your router in and switch it back on. If you’re using a smartphone hotspot, turn on Airplane Mode on the phone for 30 seconds and turn it back off.
- Next, go to Settings on your Fire TV main screen; then go to Network.
- Press the Play/Pause button on your remote; the Fire TV would assess your device Connection Status and recommend solutions to any detected problems.
3. Clear App Data and Cache on Fire TV Devices
On some occasions, the app installed on your device might have issues due to data corruption or some other form of glitch. A solution to the problem of data corruption is to clear the app data and cache; here’s how:
- On your Fire TV main menu, go to Settings, then Applications.
- Select Manage Installed Applications and choose the app you want to fix from the list shown.
- Before you clear the data or cache on the app, try the Force stop option, and try the app if it works.
- Next, select Clear cache and see if that solves your issue with the app.
- If clearing the cache doesn’t work, go back to Manage Installed Applications, select the app, and Clear data. Note that doing this would clear all saved information usage history on the app.
4. Update, Uninstall and Re-install App
Sometimes, clearing the cache and data and on an app won’t cut it; at such times, updating the app or a complete uninstallation and re-installation of the app might fix it; the steps are as follows:
- Highlight the app; press the button with three horizontal lines on your remote. Select More Info; if an update is available, select Update beside the Open button.
- If updating the app doesn’t fix it or there’s no update to the app, try uninstalling and re-installing. To uninstall, go to Settings and select Applications; select Manage Installed Applications and choose the app. Select Uninstall and confirm that you want to uninstall the app.
- To re-install the deleted app, go to Apps on your Fire TV main menu; search the app by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the top-left corner of your screen and typing its name. Select it and click Buy, Get or Download on its overview page.
5. Update Operating System
If you try all the fixes above and your app still doesn’t work, the issue could be an outdated Operating System on your Fire TV. Fire TV’s Operating System is known as Fire OS, and you can update it by following these steps:
- Open Settings and select Device; select About, then System Update.
- If the OS on your Fire TV is outdated, the latest update will begin downloading automatically.
- After downloading, select Install Update; you would have successfully updated your Fire OS
6. Reset To Factory Settings
The final fix you can try for an app not working on Fire TV is to reset the device. Restoring your Fire TV to factory settings would wipe all accounts, data, and settings saved on the device. Because of the data you might lose when you reset your Fire TV, let this step only be a last resort, and do it taking note of the fact that your app still might not work.
How To Reset Device To Factory Settings
- Go to Settings, then Device.
- Select Reset to Factory Defaults and select Reset in the next screen.
- These steps would restore your device to factory settings and restart the device.
Related: 4 Ways To Mirror To Fire TV
What If My App Still Doesn’t Work?
It’s possible to try all the steps explained above, and the app you want to still won’t work on your Fire TV; in such a case, the app might not be compatible with your device. Your Fire TV isn’t optimized for certain Android apps, even though it technically runs on Android OS; when you try to use those apps on the TV, they won’t work.
If you’re sure the app is supposed to be compatible with your Fire TV, you should contact customer service for assistance.
