Joel the Apple Guy

Q: 4th gen All news apps will not refresh content (ABC, CNN, Skynews,  and more)  A restart imports all new news for all apps!  Restarting every day!

All news apps will not refresh news content.  4th gen AppleTV.  A restart updates/imports new news articles.  I am restarting apple TV every day!  One app (ABC ) even has a date in it saying "news on June 30", and will not update to July 1st untill I restart apple TV!  I sssume that since the problem is with all apps that it is a Apple TV issue or network issue?

AppleTV 2, Windows 10

Posted on Jul 2, 2016 8:54 AM

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Q: 4th gen All news apps will not refresh content (ABC, CNN, Skynews,  and more)  A restart imports all new news for all ap ... more

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  • by Winston Churchill,Helpful

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Jul 3, 2016 8:21 AM in response to Joel the Apple Guy
    Level 10 (104,156 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 3, 2016 8:21 AM in response to Joel the Apple Guy

    IS your Apple TV still connected to the network when this happens.

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall Jul 2, 2016 3:01 PM in response to Joel the Apple Guy
    Level 5 (4,363 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 2, 2016 3:01 PM in response to Joel the Apple Guy

    Have you checked the top menu bar in the apps to look for a Refresh button or setting? Be sure your TV is set to 16x9 so you see the full app screen.

  • by Diana.McCall,Apple recommended

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall Jul 3, 2016 8:11 AM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 5 (4,363 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 3, 2016 8:11 AM in response to Diana.McCall

    OK. As a test, I installed the ABC news app on my ATV 4. Under Featured, it showed Top Stories - Jul 2, 2016. Left the app running and slept ATV. This morning, I woke ATV, selected ABC news fro the home menu, and it still showed Jul 2. Swiped from Featured to Selected and back to Featured, the page reloaded, and now shows Jul 3, correct for today. That's all you need to do to make it refresh the selection, no need for a restart! I expect the other apps are implemented similarly.

  • by Joel the Apple Guy,

    Joel the Apple Guy Joel the Apple Guy Jul 3, 2016 8:21 AM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 3, 2016 8:21 AM in response to Diana.McCall

    Yes you have recreated exactly and correctly the problem that I am experiencing!  I am aware how to correct one app by the method you suggest.  Since I have about seven news apps that have this problem I find it easier to just restart the appleTV.

     

    However I was looking for a better fix since this seams to be a systemic Apple TV software problem with the way the IOS integrates with all apps!  If I am not mistaken this did not occur on previous software versions of Apple TV Gen4 and Gen3?  Thanks for the testing!

  • by Joel the Apple Guy,

    Joel the Apple Guy Joel the Apple Guy Jul 3, 2016 8:27 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 3, 2016 8:27 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Yes, network works great.  I am actually hardwired directly to a Comcast cable box/router.  I can stream Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, you tube just fine.  See the post to the helpfull person who recreated my symptom.  Feel free to download the ABC News app and whatch it fail after waiting 24 hours!  Thanks for the response!

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall Jul 3, 2016 9:17 AM in response to Joel the Apple Guy
    Level 5 (4,363 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 3, 2016 9:17 AM in response to Joel the Apple Guy

    I think you don't understand the difference between the ATV 3 software and tvOS. In ATV 3 there are no separate apps, just menu items. When you select one, it downloads new data from its server, and it does this every time you select it. In tvOS, apps are separate programs, just like in iOS. That means they remain running when you switch to a different app. So, they need some cue to make them refresh. Your solution of restarting the system works because it starts with no apps running. Then, as you open each app, it initializes itself from the server. I don't think there's much Apple can do to force an app to refresh its menu. Perhaps the app developers should refresh whenever they are brought to the foreground. But that's a job for the app developers, based on user feedback.

    Incidentally, is your tvOS updated to 9.2.1, and are the apps up to date?

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall Jul 3, 2016 2:26 PM in response to Joel the Apple Guy
    Level 5 (4,363 points)
    Apple TV
    Jul 3, 2016 2:26 PM in response to Joel the Apple Guy

    You could try reporting this problem to Apple at https://www.apple.com/feedback/appletv.html . There may be some sort of event they can trigger when an app is brought to the foreground that would force the approppriate action in the app.