There’s a problem connecting for playback

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.

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

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!

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!!

I’ve had this problem for a couple days, only on Apple TV.

My other streaming services are fine. I cannot play anything on apple. I use a Roku streaming stick for my TV. I “reset” my Roku went back into Apple TV and my shows played without an error

Same issue. Roku device. Only the recaps and promos would play but none of the actual content. I did as bonbons suggested and restarted my Roku and it fixed it!

Unplugging the Roku stick might work. But what do you do if you have a Roku TV with a built-in stick?

Then cold restart the TV itself. Unplug from power temporarily.

___________________________

Another user (mygreensocks) suggested this procedure from Roku Support staff, which reportedly helped several users.

1. Remove the Apple TV app,
2. Shut off and unplug the TV (or streaming device),
3. Wait 30 seconds,
4. Plug the TV (or streaming device) back in,
5. Reload the Apple TV app.

Else try the Network Connection Reset, as mentioned by user Jarieta.

1. Roku: Home﹥Settings﹥System﹥Advanced System Settings﹥Network Connection Reset

If the issue persists after that, then please contact the Apple Support staff for further assistance.

It’s Nov 18,2023 and I had the same issue. I unplugged my Roku for one minute. Plugged it back in and now AppleTV app works.

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.

I had to delete and reinstall the Apple TV app. I’d recommend deleting the app and then reinstalling after rebooting everything that is in your configuration. I don’t know whether this works for everyone.

This worked for us too! We turned the Roku off and back on, waited a few minutes and it did a software update and now the Apple TV works fine. Thank you so much for telling us!! Hope it works for the next person too.

i was having the same issue. I uninstalled and reinstalled like this comment said to do and it’s working again.

As of yesterday, Thursday Nov 9, the issue resolved for me on all of my Apple TV devices. Try logging out/in again. I do believe it was an Apple server issue.

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.

yup like they say in The IT Crowd…turn it off and on again!