Marshmallow Streaming Logo
← Back to Knowledge Hub
Streaming Devices

Apple TV Basic Troubleshooting

#apple tv#streaming
📑 Table of Contents ▼
Last updated on February 24, 2026

Introduction

Whether your app is frozen, your remote is acting up, or your Apple TV is completely unresponsive, these basic troubleshooting steps will get you back to watching your favorite shows in no time.

Feel free to visit the official Apple TV support page for more information.

Restart Remote

If your Apple TV Siri Remote disconnects, lags, or—most commonly—if the volume controls suddenly stop working, a quick restart of the remote itself usually fixes the issue.

  1. Press and hold the TV/Control Center button (the icon that looks like a TV screen) and the Volume Down button at the same time.
  2. Hold both buttons for about 5 seconds, or until the status light on the front of your Apple TV box turns off and back on again.
  3. Release the buttons and wait 5 to 10 seconds for a "Connection Lost" notification to appear on your TV screen.
  4. Wait a few more seconds, and the remote will automatically reconnect.

Restart Apple TV

If your Apple TV is feeling sluggish or experiencing minor glitches, a soft restart through the settings menu clears out the system cache without deleting any of your data.

  1. Wake up your Apple TV and go to the Home Screen.
  2. Navigate to Settings > System > Restart.
Note: Be careful to select "Restart" and not "Reset." Resetting will erase your Apple TV and restore it to factory settings.

Force Close App on Apple TV

If an app freezes, gets stuck on a loading screen, or becomes unresponsive, you can force it to close and start fresh.

  1. Double-click the TV/Control Center button quickly to open the App Switcher.
  2. Scroll left or right to highlight the app that is giving you trouble.
  3. Force close the app based on how your remote is configured:
    • If the remote trackpad is turned ON: Swipe up on the clickpad.
    • If the remote trackpad is turned OFF (Click-only mode): Double-tap the Up directional button on the clickpad ring.
  4. Press the Back or Menu button to return to the Home Screen, then reopen the app.

Hard Rebooting Apple TV

If your Apple TV screen is completely black, frozen solid, or not responding to the remote at all, you will need to perform a hard reboot.

  1. Unplug the power cord directly from the back of the Apple TV box or from the wall outlet.
  2. Leave it unplugged for at least one full minute.
  3. Plug the power cord back in securely.
  4. Look at the front of the Apple TV box and confirm you can see the solid white light. This indicates the device is receiving power and booting up. The Apple logo should appear on your TV screen shortly after.