There’s a problem connecting for playback

This is not just on Apple TV. It is also with the Apple TV app downloaded on my smart Tv. Everyone is getting the same messsge after trying to troubleshoot the issue: unable to connect, there's a problem connecting for playback. Try again later. How do we fix it?

the first message is “unable to play. There’s a problem playing this video. Try again or trouble shoot the issue. Then there is a button for each option - try again or start troubleshooting. Neither option is effective. The trouble shoot button results in the first message above.

all other TV apps are working fine. This is in the software because there is no Apple TV device involved. It’s running on a smart tv. It was working 2 days ago

If you don’t know the answer, please have the Apple app tv developers address the issue.

wifi works fine for everything else. The problem only exists in the Apple App. No alerts

I was having the same issue. It would play recaps but not any shows. I have a Roku and I did a restart (not a factory reset) and that did the trick! I can now watch any movie or show. I didn’t have to log out and log back into my Apple TV app, just did the Roku restart. Hope this helps

I get the exact same message. Every other app on my TV works and this just started happening on my 2018 Samsung TV. If plays the series recap but won’t start the new show. No other app on the TV won’t work. The answer given is poor- there can’t be other issues that are the same in all these households. Someone should respond with a real answer.

This problem has been going on awhile and it looks like Apple doesn’t know why. Think I’m going to have to cancel. Too many other options to waste time on figuring this out!

I solved the problem. Uninstall the Apple TV channel. Reinstall. Get frustrated by "wheel of death". Unplug the Roku for a minute and restart Roku. Apple TV channel miraculously appears on Roku channel list. Use * button to make sure it's the latest version. Sign in to Apple TV. It's 1998 all over again. Uninstall and reinstall. Unplug and replug.

The message I received says:

UNABLE TO CONNECT

there’s a problem connecting for playback. Try again later.

but this is happening for about 3 day already

Me too! Reset everything. Tried removing and adding back Apple TV app. Cannot get to the sign in screen….just get the spinning wheel of death. Everything was fine a few days ago. Obviously this is an Apple problem with so many people experiencing the same issue. Help?

I am having issues across my LG tv, PS5 and Firestick. It works when I use my macbook pro and if I use a browser. I have tried all the recommendations here. I've reset I've unplugged I've deleted and signed out. Nothing seems to be working. Please help

Having the same issue. I signed out, but I was not able to sign back in. The screen just had a spinning dot but never stopped to allow me to sign back in. This is so frustrating.

Hi tralyn114,

We see you came from If your Apple TV can't connect to Wi-Fi. The message you're receiving could be caused by a myriad of different things. For a targeted answer, we'd need to know which specific apps or app this is happening in, and if you're having any other internet related issues on your Apple TV.

We'd also need to know the exact message it is displaying, word for word.

If you're referring to the Apple TV app specifically, the steps in If you can't watch or stream movies and TV shows in the Apple TV app - Apple Support should help.

"If the movie or TV show won't start playing

After each step, try to stream or download the movie or TV show again.

1. Check the System Status page for service interruptions or check a third-party provider's website for any interruptions. If there are service interruptions, try to stream or watch the video later.
2. If you're having trouble signing in with your Apple ID, you can reset your Apple ID password or learn how to get a verification code and sign in with two-factor authentication.
3. If your cellular connection is poor, connect to Wi-Fi instead.*
4. Try watching on a different device using the same Wi-Fi or cellular connection. If it doesn't work, contact your internet service provider to see if there's an issue with your network.
5. If other people are using Apple TV+ or Apple TV channels, make sure it doesn't exceed the limits for streaming on multiple devices."

Cheers.

Last week, I was signed out on two devices (Roku sticks, Samsung smart TVs). I needed to remove the app and reinstall to be able to sign in. This week was the play back issue. I reset the Roku as suggested, and that solved the problem.

This worked for me!! I had exact same issue as everyone else, spinning wheel of death and all… I simply “reset” the Roku box by disconnecting the power cable for a minute, putting it back in, reinstalled Apple TV app on Roku and all worked perfectly for the first time in days!!

Same! Please help!

Log out of Apple TV on your tv, restart Roku then sign back into Apple TV. Playback will work. I just did it & now my shows are working! Hope this helps!

It worked, Thanks