With almost 149 million paid subscribers, Netflix is the largest TV and movie streaming service in the world. Even with Disney Plus casting a very large shadow, Netflix won’t be going away anytime soon.
Read: Hulu vs. Netflix: Which one is right for you?
That said, even the world’s largest streaming service is prone to issues. From video and language to logging in and connectivity, there are some issues that will diminish your ability to enjoy Netflix. Here are some of the more common issues and possible fixes for them.
Netflix not working — logging in
Netflix is a great streaming service, but it’s very useless if you can’t even log into it. Here are some issues you might have with logging in and what to do about them:
- Type in the correct credentials. You might be missing a letter, number, or symbol here and there, so slow down and double-check what you type into the empty fields.
- Chat with other users on the same account. Someone might have changed the password and didn’t inform everyone else on the plan. Check with them first before taking the next step.
- Have the correct password. If you forgot your password, you can reset it by email, text message, voice call, or using billing information. For the latter option, make sure to have the first name, last name, and credit/debit card number by your side.
Netflix not working — streaming issues
You log into your Netflix account and find something to watch, only for the video to not play. You’re possibly having a streaming issue, but don’t worry — here are some things you can try to remedy the situation.
- Power cycle your device. It’s a meme, but restart your device. You can also restart your modem and router, but that’s not always necessary.
- Uninstall and reinstall Netflix. You’ll have to login again, but you can delete and reinstall the Netflix app. Alternatively, you can force-close the app and open it.
- Check your connection. Netflix recommends a minimum download speed of 0.5Mbps. Make sure that your internet speed is up to par and contact your internet service provider (ISP) if you encounter any slowdowns.
- Update the Netflix app. In order for Netflix to communicate with servers, make sure to have the latest version of the app downloaded and installed on your device.
- Update your device. Similarly, make sure your device has the latest version of whatever operating system it’s running.
- Check who else is using Netflix. Only the standard and premium plans let you stream Netflix across more than one device. Once you reach that limit, no one else can stream Netflix unless someone stops using it on their device.
- Clear the cache and data of the app or browser. The Netflix data might become corrupted, so make sure to clear the cache and data of either the Netflix app or your browser. If you’re using the app, sign out of Netflix and sign back in before clearing the cache and data.
Netflix not working — service issues
Apart from logging in and streaming, you might encounter issues with Netflix itself. For example, the app might not even open for you or the website might not work. Here are some solutions to such dilemmas:
- See if Netflix is down. Visit a site like DownDetector to see if Netflix is down or if Netflix is having some server issues.
- Log in again. Sometimes, Netflix will get fussy and not let you log in. If that happens, just enter your login credentials on the Netflix website to make sure everything is in working order. From there, refresh the data on your device and log in again.
- Refresh the Netflix data. If there’s a problem with the Netflix app or data on your device, refresh the Netflix data. That said, this step is typically limited to the Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and smart TVs.
- Clear Netflix cookies. The more you use Netflix, the more cookies the website creates. You can go to your browser’s settings and clear cookies if you’re having some issues.
- Switch to a different connection. It might just be that the Wi-Fi or cellular connection you use isn’t working well at the moment. If you can, switch to a different Wi-Fi connection. Alternatively, clear the Netflix app data on your smartphone or tablet and restart your device.
These are some of the more common issues with Netflix, but they’re not the only ones. If you’re looking for solutions to issues we didn’t cover, visit Netflix’s help center and type in the error code. Alternatively, you can visit the Netflix subreddit on Reddit to see if others are having similar issues.
NEXT: I’m going to ditch Netflix for Disney Plus — here’s why