Samsung Smart TVs offer tons of exciting apps and games. It is one of the top TV products trending today. However, just as it’s typical of electronic devices, issues are bound to occur. In some cases, you may experience the ‘Samsung Smart TV apps not workingissue.
Irrespective of the type of Samsung Smart TV you own; it’s easy to find the app you want and start enjoying more entertainment. The Freestyle, The Frame, a QLED TV, the Premiere, etc. With Samsung Smart TV, you can install or delete apps, lock them, or set them to Auto Update. Once everything is all set with your apps, you can watch TV however you’d prefer.
In some cases, some or all of your apps may stop working due to some reasons we would explain below.
Your apps may Crash, freeze, or not work/ load because you’re using outdated software or the wrong internet settings.
Fortunately, this issue is fixable. We’ve gathered some solutions you can adopt to fix the issue, below.
Fixing the Samsung Smart TV apps not working issue
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Check your Internet connection
When you encounter this issue, most of the apps involved are streaming apps. Apps like YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix. If your internet connection is poor, these apps will definitely give issues. A Smart TV that streams videos in 4K Ultra will need a high-speed connection.
To fix the problem, we recommend you use a LAN connection or cable in place of a WLAN or wireless connection. Wireless connections easily develop errors.
You can also fix this issue by upgrading to a higher internet plan to improve its’ speed.
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Restart your Samsung Smart TV
Restarting is quite different from turning off your TV and turning it on. Turning off will put the TV on standby.
While restarting shuts down the TV and reboot it, just like cold booting. This helps to fix other associated issues like pictures and menu issues.
You can restart your Samsung TV in two ways.
Using the remote
This is the simplest method to restart your Smart TV. You need to hold down the power button until the TV turns off and back on. Your TV should take about five seconds to come up.
Unplugging the TV
You can also decide to unplug the TV to restart it. To do this, remove the power cord from the surge protector or wall outlet. Wait for about a minute, and then plug it in again.
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Fixing apps that are not showing in Smart Hub
Smart Hub is the app store for Samsung Smart TV. Samsung Smart TV apps may not show in Smart Hub; change the current country code to a different one.
To fix this follow the steps below:
- Select Smart Hub on your remote control to load it.
- After loading, press 2, 8, and 9. The numbers may vary depending on your device series.
- Choose any country under the Internet Service location.
- Agree to the terms and continue.
- Wait for Smart Hub App to update based on the respective country you have selected. The option will allow new apps to fill the Smart Menus.
- After updating, change back to your country code.
Smart Hub will update again. Once fixed, try opening the apps that were not showing before.
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Update your Samsung TV Software
As earlier stated, one of the major causes of the Samsung apps not working is outdated software. You’ll have to update the software to resolve app freezes and glitches. If the current software does not support the app, it wouldn’t work. To update your Samsung TV follow these steps below.
- Press Menuon your remote control
- Select Support
- Choose Software Updates
- Press Enter
Not all Smart TVs are straightforward to update. If your device is earlier than the 2013 series, updates may not be available. Also, the instructions may not be similar to those of the recent series.
In such a case, you will have to manually update it using the USB-Stick. Visit Samsung Support and provide your TV model for more information.
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Reset the specific app
You may be experiencing this issue if one of your apps is malfunctioning, especially a streaming app like Netflix.
How to reset apps on Samsung Smart TV
To reset an app that is causing issues on your Samsung TV, follow the steps below.
- Open Smart Hub
- Choose Samsung Apps
- Search for the specific app that’s malfunctioning
- Select the app
- Delete and reinstall the app. Press the arrow button above the App icon. A little menu will open with a delete option.
- Restart your device and launch the app.
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Reset the Smart Hub
If after trying the solutions above you still experience the issue, you’d have to reset your Smart Hub. That is, you will have to re-download and reinstall the apps since they would all be wiped out.
Follow these steps below to reset your Smart Hub:
- Exit Smart Hub
- Go to Menu
- Select Smart Hub on your remote
- Go to Smart Hub Reset. You will receive a warning telling you the option will erase all apps
- Enter your PIN if prompted. The default is 0000. If it doesn’t work, contact Samsung Customer Care for assistance.
- Go back to Smart Hub
- Re-download the apps
- Install the apps
- Allow Smart Hub to update itself
- Wait to complete the setup
And that’s it, your Samsung Smart TV should perfectly now.
These solutions should help you fix the ‘Samsung Smart TV apps not working’issue you encountered.
Once you encounter this issue, try updating your device’s software. You can also delete and download the app again.
The solution that should come last is to reset your Smart Hub. As it is more stressful to re-download and reinstalls the apps.
How do I update the app on my Samsung Smart TV?
Most Samsung Smart devices run updates automatically. In as much as your TV is on and connected, updates to the ITV Hub will run automatically. We highly recommended that automatic updates are enabled to ensure that you always have the latest version of the app!
Some users have reported issues when updating apps on their TV. Although, before the app has been fully downloaded and installed the app may take a while, ensure to be patient while at it.
Sometimes, waiting may take a few hours. However, manual updates are available.
To manually update the ITV Hub app on Samsung Smart TVs 2014 and later:
- Turn on the TV
- Go to your Smart Hub
- locate the Apps area
- Press and hold the select button on the ITV Hub app and a sub-menu will appear
- Select Update apps
- If an update for ITV Hub is available, select it
- Select Update
To manually update the ITV Hub app on 2012-2013 Samsung Smart devices:
- Turn on the TV
- Go to the Samsung Smart Hub
- Then to the Apps area
- Go to More apps at the bottom of the screen
- Select Apps to update from the top center of the screen
- If an update for ITV Hub is available, select it
- Select Update