Apple TV Won’t Connect To WiFi: 11 Easy Fixes (2023 Guide)

Now that I got an Apple TV…

I can watch my favorite show, “For All Mankind.”

It talks about reaching the moon and Mars.

But the problem is…

My Apple TV couldn’t even reach my Wi-Fi.

The good news is:

We don’t need NASA to solve our connectivity issues.

All that we’ll need to solve this issue is here.

Keep reading to discover:

• How using AirPlay can bypass your Apple TV’s internet issues.
• Why outdated tvOS can stop your Apple TV from having internet.
• 11 effortless solutions to an Apple TV that won’t connect to Wi-Fi.
• Which ethernet cable is best for your Apple TV for a better network connection.
• And so much more…

Why won’t my Apple TV connect to WiFi?

Your Apple TV won’t connect to Wi-Fi because Apple services are down. Outdated tvOS or TV firmware can also cause this issue. A loose wireless connection or system error can also stop your Wi-Fi from reaching the Apple TV.

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Apple TV won’t connect to Wifi: 11 ways to fix it

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#1: Power cycle your Apple TV

I used to panic whenever a gadget of mine broke down…

But not anymore.

Why?

Because a technician friend of mine told me a secret…

There’s an easy fix for most software issues…

It’s called a power cycle.

This type of restart clears all charges on your device.

And do you know what the good part is?

It wouldn’t take you more than a minute to perform a power cycle:

1. Turn off your Apple TV and the TV itself.
2. Unplug the TV from the socket.
3. Wait 30 seconds.
4. Put everything back together.
5. Turn Apple TV and your TV on.

Note: Do the same for your router or modem for good measure.

Now, what if you’re too lazy to stand up?

Don’t worry. Even I’m too lazy sometimes.

The good news is that you can do a power cycle while sitting down on a couch. You just have to:

1. Press the Settings button on your Apple TV remote.
2. Go to the System page.
3. Select Restart.

#2: Check if Apple is down

Look, Apple isn’t perfect…

And, like all other manufacturers, Apple itself has downtimes.

So, maybe the problem isn’t you, your Apple TV, or the TV itself…

But Apple’s having server issues that aren’t letting you connect to the Wi-Fi.

How can you know for sure?

1 way is to check other services like iTunes or FaceTime.

But a more straightforward method is to access their status report website. This will inform you if any service is down.

#3: Reconnect to your Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi signals, like every other signal, are unpredictable.

1 day you’d have no problems connecting to it, and the next…

Let’s just say things might’ve not gone as planned.

When this happens, what should be one of your first courses of action?

Simple. Reconnect the Wi-Fi network.

How?

Step 1: Disconnect

1. Press the Settings button on your remote.
2. Go to the Network tab.
3. Tap Wi-Fi.
4. Select the Wi-Fi network you want to remove.
5. Click Forget to finalize the disconnection.

Step 2: Reconnect

1. Return to the Network tab.
2. Press Scan for Networks.
3. Select the Wi-Fi you want to connect to.

#4: Update tvOS

Let’s say you just bought an Apple TV.

It’s a fine streaming device…at first.

After a couple of weeks, you notice it’s starting to have microstutters and lag.

But, you don’t pay it any attention.

However, months later, you notice the whole system’s slower than a hare in a turtle race.

Not only that, but you also notice glitches and errors like:

• Flickering.
• Apps not working.

And worse, your Apple TV can no longer connect to your Wi-Fi network.

So, you ask yourself:

“Where did I go wrong?”

The answer’s simple:

You never updated your Apple TV.

And if that’s the case, you’d have to update it as soon as you can. Here’s how to do so:

1. Press the Settings button on your Apple TV remote.
2. Go to the System tab.
3. Tap Software Updates.
4. Under Update Software, select Download or Install.

Now your Apple TV should be good as new. But…

#5: Update your TV’s firmware

What if it’s still slow and can’t connect to Wi-Fi service?

Not only that, but what if your entire TV is experiencing these glitches and not just your Apple TV?

In that case, your problem isn’t an outdated Apple TV…

Rather, it’s an outdated TV. 

This means you’ll have to update your entire device.

But how? After all, no TV is the same.

Don’t fret. Let me teach you how to software update on the most mainstream TV brands.

Update your Samsung TV

1. Press the Settings on your TV remote.
2. Go to Support.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. Select Update Now.

Update your Sony TV

1. Press the Home on your TV remote.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Head to Customer Support, Setup, or Product Support.
4. Tap Software Update.
5. Select Network.
6. Press Yes or OK to confirm the update.

Update your LG TV

1. Press the Home button on your TV remote.
2. Go to your Settings menu.
3. Head to All Settings.
4. Press Support.
5. Tap Software Updates.
6. Select Download or Install.

Update your Vizio TV

1. Press the Home button on your TV remote.
2. Head to Admin & Reset.
3. Select System Information.
4. Tap Check for Updates.

Update your TCL TV

1. Press the Settings button on your TV remote.
2. Head to More Settings.
3. Select Device Preference.
4. Go to the About section.
5. Tap System Update, and then Network Update.
6. Press OK to confirm the update.

#6: Edit router settings

Look around your home and count the number of devices using the same Wi-Fi.

Why?

Chances are, you’ve exceeded the maximum amount of devices that can connect to your network.

There are 2 ways you can fix this:

The first is simply asking someone in your home to disconnect from the internet.

And the second?

You can remove the connection limit from the router itself with these simple steps:

Step 1: Access the Wi-Fi interface

1. Get a laptop or a PC.
2. Open Command Prompt and type “ipconfig/all.”
3. Copy the number next to Default Gateway to any web browser.
4. Enter the given username and password of your ISP.

By default, the router’s username and password should be “admin” and “password.”

If that didn’t work, contact your ISP for help.

Step 2: Remove the limit

1. Go to the Wi-Fi tab on the left side of your screen.
2. Head to Wi-Fi Options.
3. Press Max Wi-Fi.
4. Select the number of devices you want to connect to your network.

#7: Use a mobile hotspot

Is it possible that the reason you can’t connect to your Wi-Fi is that…

You forgot to pay for it?

Or maybe the internet service itself is down?

If you suspect this to be the case, the easy solution is to get your phone…

And then use it as a mobile hotspot.

How?

For Android

1. Go to the Settings page.
2. Head to Network & Internet.
3. Press Hotspot & Tethering.
4. Toggle on Hotspot.

Alternatively, you can simply expand your taskbar…

And select Hotspot from there.

For iOS

1. Go to your Settings page.
2. Head to Cellular.
3. Press Personal Hotspot or Settings.
4. Select Personal Hotspot.
5. Toggle on the slider to Allow Others To Join.

#8: Use AirPlay

What do you need your Apple TV for?

Surely, it’s to watch streaming apps.

After all, are there any other reasons for buying a streaming device?

Knowing this, what if there’s a way to bypass your network problem?

You don’t need your Apple TV to watch Netflix or Disney Plus directly…

All you need is a different Apple device and cast it to your Apple TV.

You simply need Apple AirPlay to do so.

It allows you to share display and audio between 2 different Apple devices.

What’s more, enabling AirPlay is a walk in the park.

All you need to do is:

Share screen from iPhone or iPad to Apple TV

1. On the home screen of your device, press the Control Center.
2. Select Screen Mirroring.
3. Press your Apple TV from the list of devices.

Share screen from Macbook to Apple TV

For macOS released after Catalina

1. Go to the Control Center from the menu bar.
2. Select Screen Mirroring.
3. Click your Apple TV from the list of devices.

For Catalina macOS or any systems released before

On the menu bar, you’ll see a Screen Mirroring button.

It’ll look like a screen with a dark triangle at the bottom middle part of it.

Simply press that button to begin AirPlay with your Apple TV.

You may also be interested in: AirPlay Not Working On Smart TV

#9: Switch to a wired connection

What’s better than a wireless connection?

A wired one.

Most experts agree that ethernet cables are the way to go.

Not only can they connect your TV to the network directly, but they’re also:

• Faster.
• Less latent.
• More reliable.
• Less stressful on your bandwidth.

But, here’s a question:

Which one should you get?

After all, there are too many ethernet cables out there.

Worry not…

Because I took the liberty of listing all categories of ethernet cable here:

Cat 3	10 Mbps	No information
Cat 5	100 Mbps	No information
Cat 5e	1 Gbps	No information
Cat 6	10 Gbps	55 meters
Cat 6a	10 Gbps	55 meters
Cat 7	100 Gbps	15 meters
Cat 7a	100 Gbps	15 meters
Cat 8	40 Gbps (on 2000 MHz)	30 meters

#10: Factory reset your Apple TV

Sometimes, your Apple TV can’t connect to the Wi-Fi, not because of 1 reason…

But because of a lot of reasons.

The truth is:

All it takes is 1 error for your Apple TV to get more glitches in its system.

Now, there’s no way to prevent this…

It’s your Apple TV’s way of saying it’s getting old or needs replacing.

However, you can prolong its life temporarily.

How?

You just have to factory reset it.

And to do that, you must:

1. Press the Settings button on your remote.
2. Go to System.
3. Select Reset.

Here’s a brain teaser:

What should you do if you lose your remote? Can you still reset your Apple TV?

A resounding yes.

Just follow the instructions on this video:

#11: Contact Apple

Are you stuck? Does it seem like nothing’s working?

We’ve all been there before.

The good thing is you don’t have to go through it alone.

You can contact Apple for a personal consultation here.