(11 Fixes) Disney Plus Not Working On Smart TV [2023 Guide]

Everyone’s talking about WandaVision, Loki, and Moon Knight.

Apparently, Marvel’s doing mystery and thriller shows now on Disney Plus.

And, while I can’t wait to see all of them…

I’m still here trying to figure out a mystery of my own:

How to make Disney Plus work on my smart TV.

And what I found out might also help you… 

Keep reading to discover:

• 9 ways to fix a Disney Plus that’s not working on a smart TV.
• What do the error codes that Disney Plus gives its users mean.
• Why your location settings matter when fixing a Disney Plus that won’t open.
• And so much more…

Why is Disney Plus not working on my smart TV?

Your Disney Plus isn’t working because of your VPN, your cache, or your internet connection. If you’re using a Samsung TV, it could also be the blue or black screen glitch. Lastly, when your Disney Plus isn’t working, there should be an error code telling you what exactly is wrong with it.

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Disney Plus not working on smart TV: 11 fixes

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#1: Learn about the error codes

The most essential step to knowing why your Disney Plus isn’t working?

Understand the error codes that they’re giving you.

“But, there are too many error codes out there!”

You don’t have to memorize them all.

And you don’t have to list them all either…

Because we’ve already done that for you.

Here’s the complete list of error codes, along with a short description of what they mean:

Error codes 22, 24, 27, 28, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 44

When one of these codes appears, it means the video you’re trying to play is unavailable.

Error codes 8, 9, 10, 14, 21, 30, 32, 33, 72, 87

If you get one of these, then you’re having issues with logging in.

Error codes 29, 39, 42, 43, 76, 83

All of these mean that you’re experiencing network connectivity issues.

Error codes 2, 6, 7, 19

You’ll get these error codes only when you encounter a problem while making an account.

Error codes 3, 5, 81, 81b

Are you trying to update your account? If so, you can encounter these codes when you fail to do so.

Error codes 13, 34, 75

This means that the accounts opened in your Disney Plus exceed your subscription plan.

Other error codes

• 12: Disney Plus is down.
• 86: Your account is blocked.
• 4 & 89: Your payment was rejected.
• 85: Disney Plus can’t delete your account.
• 1017: You have a problem with your device’s hardware.
• 25: Disney Plus is currently having problems on their side.
• 70: You’re trying to play a non-PG video on a kids’ account.
• 31 & 38: Your location and time don’t match your Disney Plus region.
• 11 & 73: You’re trying to access a video that’s not available to your region.

#2: Power cycle your TV

While watching, did you suddenly receive an Error Code 1017?

Or maybe your app is stuck on a loading screen?

Well, power cycling takes care of that.

A power cycle can be simply described as a full restart of your TV.

All you need to do is:

1. Turn your TV off.
2. Unplug it from the socket.
3. Wait for 30 seconds.
4. Turn it back on.

#3: Clear cache

Cached data is information stored on your device about you.

I know you might ask…

“Wait, why is my data being stored in the first place?”

Imagine a restaurant.

You had an amazing dinner at this place a week ago. So great that you told the chef you’re going to return soon.

You came back, but you forgot what you ordered.

But they didn’t because they noted this information after you said you’d return.

Cache works the same way.

However, it still takes up space on your device.

Over time, cached data can overload your TV’s storage and corrupt files.

When this happens, you should know how to clear the cache.

For Chromecast

1. Go to your home screen.
2. Press Apps.
3. Select Disney Plus.
4. Click both Clear cache and Clear data.
5. Select OK.

For Samsung

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Select Settings.
3. Go to Support.
4. Press Device Care.
5. Select Manage Storage.
6. Hover over Disney Plus, then press View Details.
7. Click both Clear Data and Clear Cache.

For Sony

1. Go to your home screen.
2. Press left, then select Apps.
3. Hover over Disney Plus.
4. Press the OK button until a pop-up appears.
5. Select Info from the pop-up.
6. Click both Clear Data and Clear Cache.

For LG

1. Go to your home menu.
2. Select System Settings.
3. Press Application Manager.
4. Look for and select Disney Plus.
5. Press Clear Cache.

#4: Reinstall Disney+

When in doubt…

Reinstall Disney Plus.

Not only does this ensure that your app remains updated.

This can also get rid of issues that happened on your Disney Plus app after you used it.

And, take it easy. This process isn’t complicated.

You only need to follow these 2 steps:

Step 1: Delete your Disney Plus app

To reinstall an app, you must first delete it.

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” guide to uninstalling an app on a smart TV.

However, the first thing you need to do is to go to your home menu.

And then:

For Samsung

1. Go to ‘Apps’.
2. Select ‘Options’.
3. Disney Plus should be on your screen. Hover over it until a pop-up option appears.
4. Press ‘Delete’.

For Sony

1. Go to ‘Apps’.
2. Hover over the Disney Plus app.
3. Long press the ‘OK’ button on your remote.
4. There should be an options bar on your screen. Select ‘Uninstall’.
5. Confirm the uninstallation by pressing ‘Yes’.

For LG

1. Go to ‘Edit’ mode by selecting the pencil logo.
2. Hover over the Disney Plus app.
3. Press the ‘Up’ button on your remote.
4. Click the delete logo at the top of the Disney Plus app.
5. Press ‘Yes’ to confirm.

Step 2: Install Disney Plus

The next step is to install the app again.

You can do this by:

For Samsung

1. Select Apps again on your home menu.
2. Click the search button on the upper right part of your screen.
3. Type the ‘Disney Plus’ until it appears from the choices.
4. Select ‘Install’.

For Sony

1. Go to your home screen.
2. Select the Google Play Store app.
3. Click the search button on the upper right.
4. Type ‘Disney Plus’.
5. Select ‘Install’.

For LG

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Open the LG Content Store.
3. Then, go to Apps.
4. Disney Plus should appear on the list of apps.
5. Select Install.

#5: Don’t exceed the connection limit

Ask someone in your family to stop using Disney Plus for a second.

Then try opening Disney Plus again.

Does it work this time?

If the answer’s yes, then your problem is simply the connection limit on Disney Plus.

This comes as a surprise to most people…

Just because Disney Plus allows up to 7 profiles on one account…

Doesn’t mean that 7 people can watch at the same time.

In fact, only 4 people can watch under the same account concurrently.

So, if you really want to watch something on Disney Plus, just yell at your nearest sibling.

#6: Turn off your VPN

Do you live in a country without Disney Plus…

And you’re just using a VPN to access it?

If so, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to disable your VPN.

But, don’t worry.

You can just switch to a different VPN.

Here are some examples of the most trusted VPN services:

• NordVPN.
• SurfShark.
• CyberGhost.
• ExpressVPN.
• Mullvad VPN.

Warning: Make sure that you’re paying for your VPN.

This way, you can ensure that there are fewer people using the IP address your VPN gives. Therefore, they’re safer to use.

#7: Change location

This is also related to your VPN.

Are you using a VPN, but you forgot to change your location settings?

Well, Disney Plus can detect that.

To fix this, all you need to do is change your settings.

Location

The steps to changing your region settings depend on which TV you have.

For example, here’s how you can do it on Samsung and Sony TVs.

For Samsung TV

To change your Samsung’s region settings, you have to reset your entire TV.

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Select All Settings.
4. Under support, go to Device Care.
5. Press Reset Smart Hub.
6. Wait for the reset to finish.
7. Once your TV has rebooted, select the region settings that reflect your VPN.

For Sony TV

On the other hand, you don’t have to reset your Sony TV to change its region settings.

Instead, here’s everything you need to do:

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Scroll down and select Device Preferences.
4. Press Region.
5. Select the region settings that reflect your VPN, then press OK.

#8: Check your internet connection

Sometimes, the answer to your problem is the simplest.

Have you checked your internet connection?

If your primary connection is to a Wi-Fi, know that wireless networks are unreliable.

This is because of the several appliances and furniture that can disrupt its signal. 

Some examples of these are:

• Mirrors.
• Radios.
• Radars.
• Thick walls.
• Baby monitors.
• Motion sensors.
• Your neighbor’s wifi.
• Entertainment systems.

To ensure a secure and quick internet connection, invest in an ethernet cable.

Note: You need at least 5mbps to watch HD videos and 25mbps for 4K UHD content. You can use third-party network speed tests to measure your connection.

Moreover, remember that not all TVs have an ethernet port. 

So, before you buy a cable, you need to check your TV for a port first.

Once you’re sure that your TV allows ethernet connection, you should:

1. Open both your TV and your router.
2. Plug the cable into both.
3. Wait until a pop-up confirms your internet connection.

You might also be interested in: LG TV Not Connecting To WiFi: 11 Ways To Fix It

#9: Mirror other devices

Say you know what’s the problem…

But it’ll take time to fix.

And you just can’t wait to watch the new episode of your favorite show.

What can you do in the meantime?

If you have a different device, you can just mirror it to your TV.

And here’s how you can do it:

Mirroring your phone to the TV

The first method is mirroring your phone.

Mirroring allows your phone to share its display with your TV.

The downside of this is that you can’t use your phone. Not without your activity also appearing on the screen.

But, if you just want to watch a show and not touch your phone, mirroring is perfect for you.

Just grab your phone, open Disney Plus, and then:

1. Make sure your TV and your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On your phone, go to the Google Play Store or App Store.
3. Download and install Google Home. Here’s an alternate link for iOS users.
4. Open the app.
5. Login using your Gmail account.
6. Click the TV under Other Cast devices.
7. Press Cast My Screen at the bottom.

Note: This will only work on Chromecast. Other TVs also have this function, but there are different setup methods involved.

And, voila. Your TV should now have the same screen as your phone.

Connecting your laptop using HDMI

Alternatively, if you have a laptop and a spare HDMI cable…

Just connect your laptop to your TV.

Fortunately, you can do this in less than 5 minutes:

1. Connect the HDMI cable to both devices.
2. Open both devices.
3. On your TV, change the input to HDMI.

Note: Make sure you disable the following when using Disney Plus on your laptop:

• Content filters.
• Antivirus apps.
• Proxy accelerators.
• Pop-up and ad blockers.

Once done, you can just open Disney Plus on your laptop…

And you’re good to go.

On the other hand, if you’re still confused and you want a visual explanation…

You can just watch this video on how to connect your laptop instead:

#10: Check if Disney+ is down

There’ll be times when the solution is to just…

Relax, grab some food, and wait.

Disney Plus, like everything else, has some downtime.

To be updated when they’re going down, you can follow Disney Plus’ official Twitter account.

Or check third-party down detectors.

#11: Reset Smart Hub

Note: This is only for Samsung TVs.

Do you get stuck on a black or blue screen when you open Disney Plus?

Well, the only fix for this issue is to reset your Samsung Smart Hub.

You can follow these 5 simple steps to do this:

1. Press the Home button on your remote.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Select Support.
4. Choose Self Diagnosis.
5. Press Reset the Smart Hub.

Note: Doing this will effectively factory reset your Samsung TV. This means all your settings change, downloads, and data will be deleted.

BONUS: Contact Disney+ Support

Did none of our DIY fixes work?

If yes, then you can reach Disney+ themselves here to ask for assistance.