Why Does My Roku TV Crash With Netflix?

As an owner of a Roku TV, I know firsthand the frustration of having it unexpectedly crash while watching something on Netflix. After much trial and error, I finally found a solution to this problem – and I’m here to share it with you, along with some other solutions I’ve discovered. In this blog post, I’ll explain why your Roku TV may be crashing with Netflix and what you can do to fix it.

The reason why Netflix crashes on Roku could boil down to a cache glitch, poor internet connection, outdated software, plan restrictions, hardware directions, or even a problem with the Netflix platform itself.

Tips for Fixing Roku TV Crashing with Netflix
Restart your Roku TV
Check your internet connection
Update your Roku software
Update the Netflix app
Deactivate and reactivate your Netflix account
Do a factory reset if necessary
Contact the Roku support team for assistance if none of these solutions work

Why Does my Roku TV Crash With Netflix?

Before you can fix the crash issue, lets’ first narrow down the plausible reasons:

TV Cache Glitch

For a smoother experience, Roku TV stores cache and data in its memory. Since it’s connected to the internet, data accumulates constantly, which drops the software performance over time.

Poor Internet Connection

Roku TVs need to stay connected to the internet. Poor, overloaded, or inconsistent internet connections result in a slow or interrupted load time. If the issue persists, this might cause the Netflix servers to disconnect and crash the app.

Outdated Software

An outdated Netflix app can cause crashes, bugs, and incompatibility issues. On the other hand, you also need to keep Roku’s software up-to-date. It’s mostly set for automatic upgrades, but you can double-check.

Netflix Platform Outage

Although it’s not a very common incident, Netflix servers going down could lead the app to close abruptly. Just in case, it will only take a few seconds to check Netflix’s website for any outages.

Streaming Plan Restrictions

Depending on your Netflix subscription plan, you have a set number of screens that can play simultaneously, ranging from 2 to 4. Going beyond your limit can cause a crash.

Check if you’re using a Netflix account that’s already playing on another screen. If you’re not sure how many screens are running your account, check your Netflix settings and kick out unwanted streamers.

Hardware Defects

If everything seems in tip-top shape but the problem is still repeating, it could end up being a manufacturing defect. Check if your set is still within the warranty period to refer back to the manufacturer.

How to Troubleshoot Roku TV Crashing with Netflix

There are some procedures you can take to resolve app crashes. One of the following solutions should work perfectly for you.

Let’s check them out!

Restart Roku TV

Restarting your TV can reset temporary memory usage and boost performance by clearing the cache.

Simply unplug the TV from electricity. Wait for at least 15 seconds, and plug it again. Open the Netflix app and see if that resolves the issue.

Check Internet Connection

Start by restarting your modem and disconnecting other devices temporarily. You can also check internet strength or speed from Roku’s panel.

Here’s how:

Press the Home button on Roku’s remote.
Go Network from the Settings.

Press Check Connection to test the internet strength.
The status should read as connected, and the signal and download as good or excellent.

Update Roku Software

If you don’t have the automatically upgraded feature on, you can always do it manually:

Go to the Home screen.
Navigate Settings and scroll down to find System.
Choose System Update

Press Check Now and Choose Update Now if an update is available.

Update Netflix

Following these steps will help you update your Netflix app:

Press the Home button on your remote.

Highlight the Netflix tile.
Press the asterisk button.
Check for updates.

Deactivate/Reactivate Netflix

Deactivating Netflix will automatically log you out, which should refresh the server connection once reactivated and logged back in.

The steps could vary depending on your Roku’s model, but here’s a general idea:

Roku 1:

Go to Roku’s Home Screen.

Press Netflix from the Settings.
Click on Deactivate this Player from my Netflix account menu and confirm.
Go back to Home Screen.

Press the Netflix tile, and follow the prompts to re-login.

Other Models:

Press the Home button on the remote.
Highlight the Netflix tile and press the asterisk button.

Choose Remove Channel and confirm.
Go back to the Streaming Channels option on the Roku Home Screen.
Press Movies and choose Netflix.

Click Add Channel, then sign in to your account as usual.

Opt for a Roku Factory Reset

Keep in mind that this is a drastic fix since factory resetting your Roku TV will wipe any custom settings or configurations. You’ll also have to re-add all of your channels.

As a last resort, here are the steps:

Press the Home button.
Go to Settings.
Scroll down to System.

Choose Advanced Settings.
Press Factory Reset, and the TV should reboot automatically after it’s done.

Pros of Roku TV with Netflix

Access to a wide range of streaming services

Easy to set up and use
Offers 4K resolution streaming
Affordable pricing

Cons of Roku TV with Netflix

Inconsistent streaming performance
Data consumption is high
Limited selection of apps and games

Occasional crashing or freezing

Conclusion

Why does my Roku TV crash with Netflix? The causes can range from outdated software to a bad internet connection, but they’re mostly easy to fix.

Starting with rebooting your Roku TV sounds most logical, but you can also follow the troubleshooting steps here before contacting the Roku support team.