Apple TV allows you to download and run apps to enhance your user experience.
But sometimes, the apps freeze, crash, or become unresponsive. So, how do you restart an app on an Apple TV?
You can restart an app on an Apple TV by using the device’s remote. You must double-press the Home button and force the app to stop. Once you open the app switcher, you can select the app you want to restart and quit. You can restart that app by going to your Apple TV’s Home screen.
Restarting an app on Apple TV can solve many performance issues if the data files aren’t corrupt. Sometimes you may have to remove the cache or close other apps before you restart. This article is a step-by-step guide to restarting an app on your Apple TV.
Force Stop the App
It’s normal for apps to refuse to work. They can freeze, slow down, crash, or disappear. In such cases, you may have to force-stop the app before restarting it.
There are several reasons that apps crash or freeze:
- The app needs an upgrade. An outdated app can cause several issues, such as lagging or freezing. Developers roll out newer upgrades, and if you don’t install them, you may face compatibility or performance issues.
- The app is corrupt. When an app gets corrupted, its data files can cause problems. Restarting can help, but you may have to reinstall it if it doesn’t.
- The app has a bug. Certain glitches in the app also cause it to stop or freeze. The app may not be corrupted or doesn’t even need an upgrade, but it can still stop responding. Restarting can make it work again.
- Your device is low on storage. When an Apple TV is low on storage, it may cause problems for some apps. These apps freeze, become slow, or just crash. Before you restart the app, it’s important to clear Apple TV’s cache so restarting the app can work.
- Too many apps are open. Some apps can freeze or become slow because their temporary cache is too full. This can, in turn, take up too much space on Apple TV’s RAM. You must close all unnecessary apps before restarting the one you want to use.
- Defect in the app’s coding. You can’t do anything about this one. Sometimes the code at the back end of an app can be bad or faulty, which affects the app. You must wait until the app’s developers roll out an update or fix the code.
Forcing the app to stop is the first step in restarting an app on your TV.
To do this, you should go to Apple TV’s home screen by pressing the Home button on the remote.
Then, open the App Switcher on the home screen.
Open the App Switcher
Once on the Home screen, you must double-click the Home button on Apple TV’s remote to open the App Switcher.
When you want to use multiple apps, the App switcher allows you to switch between them.
The switching saves you from going to the home screen again and again.
App switching is a fantastic multitasking feature that lets you manage multiple apps without closing any.
Select the App
In this step, select the app you want to close or quit.
You can scroll to the app by using the touch surface of the Apple TV remote.
Once you get the app you want to restart, keep it on the screen.
You must use the touch surface with some remotes and click the pad for others.
Quit the App
In this step, you need to quit the app to force close it. You can quit the app using two methods:
- Swipe horizontally on your remote to quit the app.
- Double-click the touch surface twice if you don’t have the swipe feature or if it’s disabled.
Exit the App Switcher
After quitting the app, you’ll need to open it again using the icon.
To access the icons, you should exit the App Switcher and return to the home screen.
You only have to press the home button for the home screen, and it will then close the App Switcher.
To exit the App Switcher, press the Menu button on the first-generation remote.
Restart the App
You can select the app you want to restart using the remote and press the touch surface. Now your app should run smoothly. However, you will need to check for other issues if restarting doesn’t help.
- Upgrade the app. Look for app upgrades and install them if available because doing so prevents any compatibility issues.
- Update the device’s software. Sometimes updating your Apple TV’s software may also help. An outdated device can have compatibility issues if your apps are updated. You can relaunch the app after installing all available updates.
- Clear Apple TV’s cache. As mentioned, too many running apps or a shortage of storage can impede app performance on your TV. Clearing the device’s cache can solve these issues. You can do it by clicking the Manage Storage option. The bin icon will get rid of the app and the cache.
- Reinstall the app. Sometimes reinstalling the app becomes inevitable, especially if it gets corrupted. You can delete the app from the Manage Storage option and then reinstall it from the App Store. After that, search for the app using your remote and then reinstall it. Apple TV’s app store is on the Home screen.
- Close all apps. The device’s RAM can perform better if you close unnecessary apps. You can use the App Switcher to close all apps and then restart the one you want to use. This improves app speed and minor glitches.
How To Restart an App on Apple TV? Final Thoughts
You may have to restart an app on Apple TV for several reasons.
However, sometimes you will need to force stop the app before you can restart it.
Force-stopping an app becomes necessary when it freezes or becomes too slow.
Restarting an app on Apple TV isn’t too difficult.
But sometimes you may have to check several other things if restarting doesn’t work. Once you restart the app, it should run properly.