YouTube TV is known to be one of the most popular streaming services today. It offers live TV and on-demand video from more than 100 US and global television networks, including PBS, The CW, FOX Network, and the Big Three Broadcast Networks—namely ABC, CBS, and NBC.
However, users have come across a problem with YouTube TV not working. Similarly, smart TV users have also experienced YouTube TV not working on smart TV. This guide will show you how to fix the YouTube App if it’s not working on your Samsung TV.
Read on to know more.
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“YouTube TV Won’t Load on Samsung TV”—Most Common Fixes
When experiencing this problem, it’s important to know if your Samsung TV model supports the YouTube TV service. If your Samsung TV was made before 2016, there’s a high chance that it does not support the app. When this is the case, settling for a newer TV model might be your only choice.
Another factor is to check your internet connection and speed. If you’re using WiFi, make sure that the router is not too far away from your smart TV. Optimally, you’d want a download speed of at least 25 to 50 Mbps during a speed test to have no problems using the app. You can also disable Youtube shorts which can save on bandwidth.
If you own a newer version of the Samsung TV and have no internet connection issues, follow the fixes below to fix YouTube TV when it won’t load on Samsung TV. Make sure to go over each fix and see which one works the best for your smart TV.
Alternatively, if you have experienced YouTube TV buffering issues, read our guide to learn how to resolve this problem.
Method #1: Check If the YouTube TV Servers are Down
If you cannot log in to your YouTube TV account through the app or are unable to access the app, chances are there’s a problem with YouTube TV’s servers. Try checking sites like Downdetector and YouTube’s official pages on social media for server updates.
Once you’re experiencing problems while the servers are up and running, try to follow the fixes below.
Method #2: Power Cycle Your Samsung TV and WiFi Router
Power cycling is a quick fix to most problems on your smart TV. It re-initializes all of its components and resets all running apps and processes.
To power cycle your Samsung TV, follow the steps below:
- Turn on your smart TV and let it load its apps.
- Then, unplug its power cord from the socket and wait for thirty seconds.
- Plug the power cord back in and turn on your Samsung TV.
- Launch the YouTube TV app and check if it now works normally.
If you’re experiencing connection issues with your WiFi, you can try power cycling the WiFi router as well. To do this, proceed to these steps:
- Turn off your WiFi router and unplug its power adapter from the socket.
- Wait for one minute and plug the power adapter back in.
- Turn on your WiFi router and let your smart TV automatically connect to your wireless network.
- Open the YouTube TV app and see if the issue is fixed.
Method #3: Clear the YouTube TV’s App Cache
An app’s cache is one kind of temporary data that is stored on your smart TV to help it load faster and have better app performance. However, it can cause problems once it’s stored for too long and is not updated.
To clear cache data of the YouTube TV app on Samsung TV 2020 models and greater, follow these steps:
- Turn on your Samsung TV and press the Home button on the remote.
- Navigate to Support > Device Care. Your smart TV will now start to scan its internal storage.
- Choose Manage Storage and find the YouTube TV app from the list of apps.
- Select View Details and choose Clear Cache. Cache data of the app will now be cleared from your internal storage.
- Reboot your smart TV and launch the YouTube TV app. Log in to your account and see if the issue is solved.
Method #4: Reinstall the YouTube TV App on Your Samsung TV
If clearing the app’s cache didn’t work, you can try reinstalling the YouTube TV app from your Samsung TV. This is especially effective on older Samsung TV models, which don’t support clearing cache data.
To reinstall the YouTube TV app on your Samsung TV, do the following:
- Turn on your Samsung TV and press the Home button on the remote.
- Go to Apps > Settings and select Delete. Select it again to confirm.
- Then, reboot your smart TV and go to Apps and use the Search feature to find the YouTube TV app.
- Select it and choose Install.
- Once installed, load the app and log in to your account. Check if the problem is fixed.
If you have the app installed but it’s outdated, you can choose to manually install the updates for YouTube TV on your Samsung TV. To do this, follow these steps:
- Turn on your smart TV and select the Smart Hub button on the remote.
- Navigate to Featured > YouTube TV and press Enter.
- Select Update Apps and choose Select All > Update.
- Your smart TV will now start to download the updates for all outdated apps.
Once it’s updated, try using YouTube TV and check if it now works normally. If it still doesn’t work, we have an entire article on how to restart an app on Samsung TV.
Method #5: Update Your Samsung TV’s Firmware
Apps and features on your Samsung TV can start to malfunction once its firmware is not updated to the latest version. Firmware updates contain fixes to most errors, including support for certain apps.
To update your Samsung TV’s firmware, follow the steps below:
- Switch on your Samsung TV and press the Home button on the remote.
- Select Settings > Support and choose Software Update.
- Choose Update Now. Your smart TV will now start to download and install the latest firmware update available.
- Choose OK and reboot your Samsung TV.
- Launch YouTube TV and see if the issue is fixed.
Method #6: Factory Reset Your Samsung TV
If the fixes above didn’t work, your last resort is to proceed to do a factory reset on your Samsung TV. This resets your smart TV to its factory version and uninstalls all apps except for the preinstalled ones. It also deletes all user data, including downloaded content and saved passwords.
To factory reset your Samsung TV, proceed to the steps below:
- With your Samsung TV switched on, press the Home button on the remote.
- Go to Settings > General and select Reset. For older models, navigate to Settings > Support > Self Diagnosis and choose Reset.
- Enter your smart TV’s PIN—the default PIN for Samsung TVs is 0000.
- Wait for the reset to finish.
- Then, set up your Samsung TV and install the YouTube TV app.
- Log in to your account and check if the app works normally.
Once you have the YT app working again, switch over to our guide on How to Go Frame By Frame on YouTube to get the most out of your YT time.
Final Thoughts
The YouTube TV app is a great way to have access to live TV and premium channels. To make the most out of your subscription, however, you’ll need to have the YouTube TV app running optimally on your smart TV.
Hopefully, these fixes help you solve issues on the YouTube TV app when it’s not working or loading correctly on your Samsung smart TV.