How to Fix It When YouTube TV Isn't Working on Fire Stick

Stop YouTube TV from crashing on Amazon's streaming device

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Sandra Stafford
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Sandra Stafford
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  • Fayetteville State University
Sandra Stafford is a writer who specializes in tech and writes about all sorts of gadgets—tactical flashlights, blue light-blocking glasses, therapy lamps and more.
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Updated on April 4, 2023
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Michael Barton Heine Jr
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Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr
    Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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    YouTube TV can occasionally have problems on Fire TV. You may get a message that says “Can’t connect,” or the app may crash while you’re streaming. Whether YouTube TV or the Fire Stick is causing a problem, resetting will probably fix the problem.

    Why Is My YouTube TV Not Loading?

    YouTube TV has error messages for specific problems like using the service on too many devices, but it can also malfunction with no apparent cause. Intermittent issues with freezing or crashing may be due to Wi-Fi interference or problems with processing cached data. You may not be able to determine what caused YouTube TV to stop working on your Fire TV, but resetting the app or the device will fix most problems.

    How Do I Fix YouTube TV On My Fire Stick?

    If you were using YouTube TV when it suddenly stopped working, the problem is usually easy to resolve. Try the troubleshooting steps listed below in order.

    1. Check for software updates on the Fire Stick, then check YouTube TV for outages to ensure the problem isn’t on their end.

    2. Restart YouTube TV. If the app is unresponsive, a malfunctioning feature may be running in the background. Force stopping YouTube TV will end all activity. Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > YouTube TV and select Force stop.

    3. Restart Fire TV. Some users have fixed YouTube TV problems by restarting the Fire Stick with their remote. Press and hold the button combination Select and Play/Pause. After a few seconds, the Fire Stick will restart.

    4. Unplug the Fire Stick. You can also restart the device by unplugging it from your TV’s HDMI port, waiting a couple of seconds, and plugging it back in.

    5. Clear the cache and data on the Fire Stick. Your Fire Stick stores a lot of unnecessary information. As those junk files accumulate, the Fire Stick can malfunction or crash while processing them. Go to Settings > Applications > Manage Installed Applications > YouTube TV. Clear cache and Clear data in either order.

      Doing this will delete user settings and information from the device, so you’ll need to log in again afterward.

    6. Restart your modem and router. If none of the above steps resolves the problem, try resetting your internet connection.

    7. Restore the Fire Stick to factory default. If you’re still having trouble with YouTube TV, you can try this as a last resort. Returning the Fire Stick to factory default settings deletes user information and apps. Your Amazon purchases will be restored when you log in to the device again.

    FAQ
    • How do I tell if YouTube TV is down?

      Go to a site like Downdetector to check if YouTube TV is down. If there's a problem on YouTube's end, all you can do is wait until it's fixed.

    • Why can't I find YouTube TV on my Fire Stick?

      First-generation Fire Sticks do not support YouTube TV. Amazon removed YouTube TV from the Amazon app store for a while due to legal disputes between Amazon and Google, but it is now available for most Fire TV devices.

    • How many devices can I use with YouTube TV?

      With a basic YouTube TV subscription, you can stream content on three devices at once. The 4K Plus plan gives you unlimited streams over your home Wi-Fi network and the option to download videos to watch offline.

    • How do I fix it when my Fire Stick won't connect to the internet?

      If your Fire Stick won't connect to the internet, check the device's Wi-Fi connection and reset your network hardware if necessary. If possible, use an Ethernet cable to connect your TV directly to your router or modem. If you use a VPN, you might need to disable it.

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