Fix Netflix Not Working On Firestick [Free Online Tool]

If you’re struggling to load Netflix on your Amazon Firestick, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we list several confirmed fixes, listed in the order that will get you the fastest results.

Once you find the solution that works for you, don’t forget to vote (it just takes one click), so we can help others with the same issue.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

A common reason for Netflix suddenly not working on Firestick is a broken or weak WiFi connection. You can fix this by restarting your WiFi router. Other common solutions include restarting your Firestick (by unplugging it), checking for software updates, or uninstalling Netflix and then reinstalling it.

Ready? Let’s dive straight in.

Check your internet connection

There are several internet connection issues that can prevent Netflix from working properly on your Firestick device.

Even if you’re reading this article on the same internet connection as your Firestick, make sure to check these common issues:

• Is your WiFi working (is it connected to the internet)?
• Is the WiFi signal too weak?
• Do you have a slow download speed?
• Is a VPN causing connection issues?

With the first issue, Netflix won’t load at all.

If it’s one of the other three issues, Netflix may load, but be very slow and have buffering issues.

Note: if other internet-requiring apps are working fine, this isn’t your issue and you can skip these steps.

Is your wifi working?

Try to access your WiFi on another device, such as your phone.

Or run a network connectivity test on your Firestick:

settings > network > check network status (press the play button on your remote)

If it doesn’t work, you’ve likely found your problem – the WiFi is down.

You can usually fix WiFi issues by restarting your WiFi router and checking all the physical connections are in place. If this doesn’t fix it, you’ll need to contact your provider. 

Is your wifi signal strong enough?

If the WiFi is working, the next thing to check is your signal strength (this is a common issue if you’ve just moved or set up your Firestick).

Run a network connectivity test on your Firestick:

settings > network > check network status (press the play button on your remote)

If your signal strength is weak, poor or fair, keep reading. If it’s good or very good, move on to checking your download speed.

Signal strength 

If the signal strength is poor, your Firestick and Netflix are going to suffer from performance issues.

There are two solutions to poor signal strength:

• Move the TV / Firestick device
• Use a WiFi extender

Move the TV / Firestick

Your Firestick could be too far from the WiFi router, in which case you’ll need to move it (and the TV closer).

Your Firestick could also be in a ‘WiFi dead zone’, which is a small area of weak signal, sometimes close to the router. Some surprising things can affect your WiFi signal, such as fish tanks or plants.

If this is the case, moving the Firestick around slightly can help.

Elevating the Firestick or moving it from directly behind the TV are good places to start (a HDMI extender can come in very useful here).

Use a wifi extender

If you can’t (or don’t want to) move the Firestick, you can bring the WiFi closer to the TV with an extender.

WiFi extenders boost the signal in areas where it’s a bit patchy.

I have several of these TP-Link RE315 extenders dotted around my house. They’re super reliable little workhorses that barely cost anything. Money well spent if you’re constantly running into weak connection issues.

Internet download speed

The next thing to check is your internet download speed.

You can do this on your phone or laptop with speedtest.net.

Netflix needs download speeds of:

• Standard definition: >1 Mbps
• High definition: >3 Mbps for 720p, >5 Mbps for 1080p
• 4K Ultra HD: >15 Mbps

If your download speeds are low, it could be that another device on the WiFi is ‘stealing’ all the power by streaming or downloading big files.

Or you could just have slow internet.

You can try using an ethernet cable if this is possible for you (you’ll need this adaptor).

Or it might be worth contacting your ISP (internet service provider) to discuss upgrade options.

Turn off VPN (if you’re using one)

If you’re using a VPN, this could be the problem.

Using a VPN is technically against Netflix’s terms of service, so if they detect you’re using one, the app won’t work.

Or the VPN could have a weak connection which is causing problems with the internet.

I personally notice this when using cheaper, less stable VPNs. It can be extremely frustrating, especially as you’re not given any warning that the VPN is facing connection issues.

Simply turn your VPN off and see if this fixes the problem.

If it did, it may be time to consider a new VPN provider.

Restart your firestick

If the WiFi seems fine, the next thing to do is restart your Firestick. Restarting your device can solve a whole host of problems.

There are two ways to restart your Firestick.

Manual restart

1. Unplug your Firestick from the wall
2. Wait for at least 10 seconds (but I’d say 30 seconds to make sure)
3. Plug the Firestick back in and turn it on

Menu restart

1. Navigate to the Firestick homepage (you can press the home button on the remote)
2. Select Settings
3. Select My Fire TV
4. Select restart
5. Wait for the Firestick to restart

Remote restart

1. Press the Pause/Play button and the Select button (in the center of the navigation ring) simultaneously for several seconds
2. The firestick should restart

Once the Firestick has restarted, check to see if Netflix is working again.

And don’t worry, resetting the Firestick won’t do anything to the setup of your device (but a Factory reset does, more on this below).

All your settings and channels will remain (although you may have to log back into certain channels). 

Verify that Netflix isn’t the problem

The problem could also lie with the Netflix app itself.

Try to access Netflix via another device. If this works fine you can skip these steps.

If you have a problem on the second device too – you need to troubleshoot Netflix.

Is Netflix down?

This is unlikely to be the issue, but it’s quick and easy to check.

To check if Netflix is down, you can:

• Check the status on the Netflix website
• Check for updates via Twitter
• Use a site like down detector

If there is indeed a user-wide problem with the app, all you can do is wait.

Are you up to date with payments?

If you’ve replaced a card recently, or your account is low on funds, the payment for your Netflix account may have failed to go through.

You should have been notified about this via email, but it can be easy to miss these updates.

To fix this issue, you will need to update your payment details or make sure there is enough money in your account.

As soon as the overdue bill has been paid, you’ll regain access to your account. 

Have you reached the screen limit?

Depending on your Netflix plan, you will have a limit on the number of screens you can use at any one time.

For example, on the cheapest plan, you can only watch one screen at a time. 

If you’re logged into your account in multiple places, it’s possible someone is using your account.

If you know who the culprit is, you’ll need to message them and tell them to get off! 

If you’re not sure who it is, you can log out of all devices via netflix.com and then change your password. 

Check for updates

Software updates happen all the time. Your Firestick device should update automatically but for various reasons, this might not have happened. 

And if your software isn’t up to date it can cause issues (like Netflix not working). 

You can manually check for updates by following these steps. You need to check both Firestick and Netflix. 

To check for Firestick updates

1. Navigate to the Firestick Homepage (you can press the home button on the remote)
2. Select Settings
3. Scroll to the right and select My Fire TV (on older devices this may be called “Device” or “System”)
4. Select About
5. Select “Check for updates” or “Install updates”
6. Install any updates (do not turn off the firestick during this process)

Be patient – installing an update can take between 5-15 minutes.

To check for Netflix updates

1. Navigate to the Firestick Homepage (you can press the home button on the remote)
2. Navigate to the Netflix app in the app section
3. If the app needs an update, you should see a notification pop up as soon as you click on the app
4. Select Update

Side note: it’s also possible that the issue is with a recent update that has a bug.

If this is the issue, Amazon will release a fix or allow you to downgrade the software again.

Clear the cache and data on the Netflix app

Sometimes the stores filed in the Netflix app can go wrong, so you’ll need to delete them (i.e clear the data and the cache.)

To clear the cache on Netflix, navigate to the Firestick homepage and then go:

Firestick homepage > Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > Netflix > Clear cache.

Next, you want to clear the data via:

Firestick homepage > Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > Netflix > Clear data.

Once you’ve done this, sign in out of Netflix before checking if this has loved the problem.

Uninstall and reinstall Netflix

Sometimes apps corrupt for an unknown reason.

To fix this, you can uninstall and reinstall your Netflix app. 

To uninstall the Netflix app

1. Navigate to the Firestick Homepage (you can press the home button on the remote)
2. Select Settings
3. Select Applications
4. Select Manage All Installed Applications
5. Scroll down until you reach Netflix
6. Select Delete or Uninstall.

You will then need to restart the Firestick.

This is very important – this will clear its memory so all traces of Netflix will be gone.

After restarting the Firestick, you can reinstall Netflix.

1. Navigate to the Firestick Homepage (you can press the home button on the remote)
2. Click on the Search icon (located in the upper left corner)
3. Type Netflix
4. Click on the Netflix app
5. Select the Download or Get option.

You may have to re-login to Netflix when you open it.

Factory reset

This should be the last port of call because doing a factory will completely erase all your personal data and settings from the Firestick. 

It will be back to how it was when you bought it. 

But if nothing else has worked, it’s worth trying.

There are two ways to perform a hard reset.

1. On your Firestick remote, press and hold Back and the Right side of the navigation circle together for 10 seconds. On the pop up message select Reset to start the factory reset.
2. Reset via settings

To reset the Firestick via settings

1. Navigate to the Firestick Homepage (you can press the home button on the remote)
2. Select Settings
3. Select My Fire TV
4. Select Reset to factory defaults
5. Wait for the device to reset

Once you have turned the Firestick device back on you will need to set it back up again. You can follow the on-screen instructions to do this.

Less common issues

These fixes are less common but do apply in certain situations.

Reset your DNS/modem settings

You’d probably know if you’ve changed your DNS settings on your Firestick, but it’s also possible that someone you share your Firestick with has made some tweaks.

DNS servers help transfer information between your computer and the server providing you with Netflix.

You may be using a custom DNS to improve speed or have increased security.

But changing your network connection settings can cause problems with Netflix.

One Reddit user said:

“possibly your dns provider has been blacklisted? Maybe try another one, such as the Cloudfare servers (1.1.1.1).”

TheLimeyCanuck – Reddit forum user

Restoring them to default, or changing to a different custom DNS can fix a broken Netflix.

Here’s how to change the DNS settings of your Firestick

You may also need to restore your modem or router to your internet provider’s default settings. If you’re not sure how to reset your Wifi router settings, contact the provider.

Change your amazon location

Amazon says on its website that “[Firestick] content availability varies by country.”

And (surprisingly) Netflix doesn’t appear to be available in all countries on Firestick.

One forum user said that after Netflix disappeared from their Firestick, they were able to get it back by changing the address on their Amazon account.

They realized their current address was in a country that didn’t support Netflix on Amazon.

Here are the steps:

1. Deregister your Firestick from your current amazon account (via settings > my account > amazon account > deregister)
2. Log onto your amazon account from a different device (e.g a mobile or laptop)
3. Check your address is set to a country that supports Netflix on Firestick (e.g USA). If not change your address to be in the USA
4. Log back into your amazon account on the Firestick
5. Check if Netflix is working again

You could also try using a different amazon account if you have access to one.

Contact support

Finally, you can always contact Amazon or Netflix customer support.

• Amazon customer support: https://www.amazon.com/hz/contact-us/foresight/hubgateway
• Netflix customer support: https://help.netflix.com/en/contactus

Let us know what worked