If you own a Google TV or Android TV then you are already enjoying one of the best TV systems ever. But nothing is without problems. So, we show you the most common Android TV problems and how to fix them.
Solve Android TV problems
You will be among the lucky ones who have access to an infinite number of applications and services for streaming music, movies, games, educational applications, and many customizable options and settings according to your personal preferences, as well as the ability to broadcast content to your phone screen, and many other features.
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Despite all this, it is not a perfect system, in fact there is no perfect operating system. Inevitably, you will encounter some software errors and problems while using the system, which may cause you to have an unsmooth and comfortable experience while using the TV.
But fortunately, it is always easy to deal with errors and software problems by following some simple procedures without the need to contact technical support or seek the help of an expert friend.
In this guide, we tried to collect for you many common Android TV system errors and problems and how to deal with them without the help of technicians. Complete this guide with us to learn about all possible solutions to overcome Android TV system problems in detail.
Internet connection problems
Just like any operating system on any other TV, Android TV needs an Internet connection to work properly and be fully functional. But if you're having problems with your WiFi network, the problems won't end with your TV.
But the good news is that it is easy to deal with these types of problems. You just need to check your internet connection at home and whether there is internet available on your computer or phone to check whether your internet connection is stable.
Now, on your TV, go to the settings screen by clicking on the gear icon located in the upper right corner of the system’s main screen, then go to the “Network and Internet” option. After entering, click on the “Discover Networks” option, and then your TV will start checking for networks. The available WiFi is displayed on the screen.
If the TV does not see your Wi-Fi network, it is best to restart the router, then wait a few minutes before trying to search for networks again.
It's also essential that you make sure you're trying to connect to the right network, especially if you have a dual-band router (2.4GHz and 5GHz) as most Android TVs don't yet support 5GHz.
There is another direction that you can follow to solve this problem, which is to go to the “Network and Internet” option, then delete your Wi-Fi network completely from the list, then search for available networks again. This is a very cool trick if your TV is unable to connect to the network.
You will definitely need to enter the network password again once the TV finds your Wi-Fi network. Also, check the proxy settings on the TV screen, because incorrectly modifying the proxy settings may result in many problems in the way the TV connects to the Internet.
So, go into the proxy settings and make sure the proxy setting is set to “None” and take a quick look at the IP address settings and make sure it is set to the DHCP option.
Internet connection problems can also occur due to a sudden difference in date and time. So, take a quick look at the “Device Preferences” settings then “Date & Time” and make sure the settings are set to “Automatically on”. However, if it turns out that the automatic adjustment does not match the actual time and date in your time zone, you can switch to “manual adjustment” and adjust the time and date manually.
Extreme slowness in some applications
If your Android TV system is working normally but you are facing terrible slowness while opening any app, then there might be an issue with the app data or cache.
Just try not to confuse issues of slow app itself with slow loading content because the second issue might be related to internet connection issues while the first issue means that it is the app's data or its cache that is having the problem.
To confirm whether your problem is the first or the second, try opening any other application. If the content loading on the application is proceeding normally, it means that you do not have any problems connecting to the Internet.
Therefore, you will need to go to the list of applications and search for the application that is suffering from slowness, and within the application settings, go to “Delete data” and “Delete cache”, then log in to the application again and check if the application has returned to normal.
If this solution does not work, you can consider “uninstalling the app” and then reinstalling it via Google Play Store or installing it from the same previous screen of deleting data and cache.
Full storage space on the TV can also cause many problems, including noticeable slowdowns and delays while opening some applications.
Therefore, you will need to delete some applications to free up more space on the TV to allow the system to store new information about the applications normally.
You can find out how much storage space your applications consume through the “Device Preferences” window, then “Storage,” and from here you can see how much space your applications occupy.
It is also worth noting that there are some applications that face many problems and errors after receiving new updates. These latest updates may be buggy, and fixing them is beyond your control. You have no other choice but to wait for the development team to release a new update for the app in order to fix the problem.
Noticeable slowness throughout the system
Sometimes you turn on your TV like you do every day, but you start to notice that it's noticeably slower than it used to be.
In this case, there are many things to consider, from running out of storage space on the TV's memory to problems with the console itself.
So, like we mentioned in the previous paragraph, you will have to check the storage space occupied by all the apps on your TV. If it becomes clear that you are running out of memory, you should delete some applications that you no longer use.
The next and most important step is to delete the data and cache of all the apps individually. It will take you some time but it is an effort that pays off in most cases. But if there are some applications that you use frequently, you can skip them from this attempt, for example, Netflix, HBO, or applications that you use frequently.
Some Android TV devices offer a feature called “system acceleration,” which is usually located next to the settings gear button. You can use this feature to speed up the system health, which will delete unwanted data and fix problems and errors caused by sudden shutdowns (during power outages, etc.).
You should also check if there are any new updates pending. These updates will speed up the system health and fix glitches that may be caused by applications after receiving new updates. So, go to “System Preferences,” then “Information,” then click “System Update.”
It is also possible that the problem is with the remote control itself. So, you can either try another remote control (if available) or even turn your phone into a controller to see if the TV responds normally to command input. If the TV appears to respond normally to commands entered from the phone, this means that you need to change the batteries of the remote control.
Time delay while downloading new applications
Sometimes you get a “Pending Download” message while downloading an app, and this message keeps appearing like it will stay on forever.
You have certainly encountered such a problem before on your Android phone, which can occur for many reasons, including problems with the Internet connection.
But at the same time, the issue could be caused by software bugs which can be troubleshooted by deleting Google Play Store data and cache.
It is also possible to use the “System Acceleration” function located next to the Settings button, which we talked about in the previous paragraph. But since it is a feature that is not available in all TVs, the safest solution is to delete the Google Play Store cache.
If the issue still occurs, you can take the next step and check the available storage space on your TV. You can delete all applications that you are not using or disable them if you are not able to remove them permanently.
If all your attempts to speed up the system fail, all that remains is to go for the nuclear option and perform a factory recovery from within “Device Preferences” then “Recovery”.
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Inability to make a payment to purchase an application
Sometimes you may not be able to complete the payment process for purchasing an application because Google has not verified your payment method. Unfortunately, in this case, you cannot do anything through the TV because the TV is not the cause of it.
But the best way is to try to purchase the application on another device, such as a phone or tablet. But be careful when choosing the brand that owns this application due to the similarity of many brands that own similar applications.
After completing the payment process on your device, the app should sync on your TV as well if you use the same account on the first device and the TV as well.
Problems with the remote control
The worst experience you can have is being unable to use the TV with the remote control. But don't worry, it is a very common problem on Android TV and can be easily solved with some routine procedures
First, replace the remote battery or - as we mentioned previously - try connecting your phone to the TV and start using it if you have a compatible phone - and check if the TV starts responding normally.
If you find that the TV is not responding even after replacing the battery, you will need to restart the TV and the remote to re-establish the connection again.
Now, click on the Settings button, select “Device Preferences,” and then choose “Restart.” At this particular time, remove the battery from the remote control, and as soon as the logo appears on the TV screen, reconnect the battery to the remote again.
On the screen you will notice instructions that you must follow in order to re-pair the remote with the TV again. In this case, you will need to constantly press the Tivo and Black buttons – if you have another remote, you will need to know which buttons you should constantly press during the pairing process.
Some TVs require you to tap the Home and Select buttons during the pairing process. In all cases, make sure to bring the remote control close to the screen to succeed in the pairing process.
If it turns out that the remote is unable to respond in any way despite replacing the battery, the remote may be dead. This means you'll need to buy a new remote, but as we mentioned earlier, you can use the phone temporarily through the Android TV Remote app to check if the remote is the culprit.
Google Play shows and movies do not appear on the screen
Many users complain that they are unable to see the movies and shows they purchased through the Google Play Store. In this case, you must ensure that you are logged in on Android TV with the same Google account that you used to upgrade and purchase movies.
You can easily enter the Settings screen by clicking on the gear button, then clicking on the “Accounts and Sign-in” option, then choose your “Used for Purchase” account and select the “Sync Now” option. Wait a while for the upgraded shows and movies to appear on your TV screen.
Have all your attempts failed?
Unfortunately, there is no standard guideline explaining how to deal with Android TV problems and this is normal due to the presence of many brands that manufacture Android TVs and the noticeable differences in software from one manufacturer to another.
If you try to check each company's repair guide, you will find many different guides. Therefore, it would be better to search for the repair manual of your TV screen manufacturer online.
If all your attempts to fix the problem fail or you are unable to identify the problem, you can certainly contact the technical support team and request urgent assistance.
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Conclusion
Google was able to redesign the user interface again on Android TV, and the user interface that was based on the appearance of traditional rows disappeared and was replaced by multiple tabs for content with new labels for all sections.
In this way, we obtained the Google TV system, which guarantees the user a unified and more convenient appearance while dealing with content across a different group of applications.
In addition to all of this, Google TV gave the ability to use Google Photos as a kind of screen saver and then gave users the ability to change the account name of their user profiles.
However, this update has not yet reached all TVs, especially older ones. While some companies have succeeded in updating all of their TVs, such as Sony and TCL, there are still many manufacturers that have not rolled out this update to their own devices.
Unfortunately, the companies did not provide a clear timeline for when users will receive the new update, and we have no alternative but to wait. But once your update is available, you will get a new notification, or you can check manually from within “Device Preferences,” then go to the “About” option, then “System Update.” If you find an update waiting, quickly install it.
