What to Do If Netflix App on Your iPhone Doesn’t Work

The bandwidth is great, the screen of your iPhone is large, the earphones sit well. It’s time to relax and watch an episode or two of your favorite show on Netflix. But suddenly… the app just won’t run and show you even the list of videos. What’s wrong? Can it be fixed? Glad to tell you that the answer is mostly yes, and if your Netflix app for iOS doesn’t work, here are nine methods you can use to fix it.

Check Your Internet Connection

If you are offline, there is no way Netflix will stream videos from the server (though if you have saved some in the cache, these will play okay). So if you are to enter any area with an unstable or absent Internet connection, you better download enough videos to have something to watch while offline.

Check Netflix Server Status

The issue may be on the server’s side. If you cannot connect if via your browser or from other devices either, probably this is the reason why the app doesn’t work. Luckily, it’s a rare occasion, but still possible.

Reset Your Network Settings

There may be an error with your iPhone’s network settings. To reset them, open Settings, go to General, then scroll down till you see Transfer or Reset iPhone. Tap it, then tap on Reset, and choose Reset Network Settings. This will remove all the Wi-Fi passwords and other data, but it may be the only way to reset a buggy connection.

Close and Restart the App

The versatile recommendation for Windows applications may work on iPhone too. To do so, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, choose Netflix from the list of the running apps, and swipe upon it. When the app is closed, you can run it again; it helps more often than you might expect.

Check Your Screen Time Restrictions

When Apple introduced Screen Time with restrictions, it made your life more controllable – with its pros and cons. So, open Settings, look down at the Screen Time section, open it, and check “App Limits”. If you have set any restrictions on Netflix, here you’ll find them and adjust if necessary.

Check Your Subscription Status

Netflix is a subscription service, so as long as you are subscribed, you can access all of its content available in your country. But when the subscription stops, so does your access. Check whether your subscription is active. Go to Settings, tap your avatar to enter your Apple ID section, and then Subscriptions to see whether the Netflix subscription is active or expired.

Check Date and Time

If your subscription is okay, and so is the connection status, but the app refuses to load videos, check the date and time settings of your iPhone. If they mismatch with the server time, this can also be a reason why your subscription isn’t recognized. To do so, go to Settings, go to General, and then to Date & Time. Activate “Set Automatically”.

Update the App

If you have not updated your Netflix app for long, this can be the reason why you cannot stream videos in it. To do so, you need to run your App Store, find Netflix there, and update the app if possible. Note that if you have been ignoring it for a long, you may have to update your iOS as well, and this will take much more time and data.

Delete and Reinstall the App

It’s the most radical way to handle the app that won’t work. Errors in it are almost improbable, but if that’s your case, you can delete the app and install it again from App Store. Set it up from scratch, enter your login and password, prolongate the subscription if necessary.
 
Sorry, Apple, we didn’t recommend switching from Netflix to Apple TV+. As soon as you have your Stranger Things and The Squid Game, we will. Did these recommendations help you? If so, which one worked? Share your experience with the others in the comments, and we will be thankful!