Apple TV keeps crashing NON-STOP!!!

We use Apple TV for all our TV watching in all rooms. We bought them at separate times, but they are the same model. We have Apple TV Software 6.2.1 and Resolution 720p.


Our Netflix and Hulu keeps crashing 3-4 times per show, and our music app crashes when playing songs, whether I am streaming it using Airplay from my iPhone or using the AppleTV app.


Our Apple TV just crashes and crashes and crashes!!!!! YES! I have restarted the Apple TV devices. YES! I have unplugged the modem and router and plugged them back in (in the proper sequence). YES! Our wifi speed is fast enough: over 60 Mbs download & 15 Mbs upload. YES! I have reset our ALL of our Apple TV devices to factory settings and set them back up again as new. I have done ALL of the usual advice for fixing the problem.


We are avid Apple fans but are getting sick of the constant crashing. We can't get through one show without having it crash at least once.

Posted on Sep 17, 2015 12:10 PM

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139 replies

Oct 22, 2015 8:01 AM in response to satchfan

I have had the same issue for months now. As the original post describes, I have restored back to factory settings. There are many instances of this occurring on 2nd Gen Apple TVs. I do not believe this is a connection issue as some may suggest. This is clearly either a software issue (unlikely or it would affect more folks) or a hardware issue (more likely due to a bad batch of product). It seems as though the "simple" answer from those on the forums and/or Apple is to just restore but that is not successful. There needs to be a deeper resolution to this issue.

Oct 22, 2015 3:36 PM in response to vazandrew

I appreciate the response but that does not seem like a logical reply. To say that it is related to network issues is a bit outrageous. If there were network issues, the system should quit the app, there is no logical reason for the entire piece of hardware to restart. As you mentioned above, it is extremely unlikely if not completely unrelated to software. I do not think it is network related as many people have this issue from all around the world. This has to be a hardware issue. There is no other way to explain it. While i understand your helpful advise of diagnosing the network, there is no way that it would affect one piece of hardware out of a bunch and not be the actual hardware itself. Please avoid suggesting that to us again on this thread.

Oct 22, 2015 6:46 PM in response to VDub619

Yes, A network issue can impact one device, there are many variables to consider and I have diagnosed such causes in the past with other users. This is a support forum so of course there will be posts of this nature, but that doesn't automatically mean it's the hardware. If you want to verify that it's hardware related I already stated you can properly troubleshoot your network to, test on another network and/or take it to Apple to be diagnosed.

Oct 23, 2015 6:04 AM in response to vazandrew

vazazndrew. I appreciate your help, I know sometimes it is a process of elimination to discover the cause of an issue. I will do some more work and see what I can find, I seriously doubt anyone else will let me access their network with my Apple TV since they would have to give me their password but I will see what I can do. Curious to see if I can pick your brain on this though. Why does it not disconnect when watching Apple content? I have literally tried to watch something on Netflix and was disconnected repeatedly, then I switched to a movie I had bought from Apple and it worked fine. The problem is so abundant and specific to Apple TV that Netflix has a support page for Apple TV users, https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13201.

Reddit Board on the topic: https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/3jvarb/second_generation_apple_tv_crashi ng/

Oct 24, 2015 1:55 AM in response to ou812ManySushi

I have seen some complaints from ATV3 users. I only have experience with ATV2 crashing/rebooting during a Netflix App movie stream on a random basis. (I also do not use Hulu.) I have not experienced the crash/reboot while streaming an Apple movie.

My solution: I have stopped using the Netflix App on ATV2 and started using the Netflix interface on my smart TV instead: I never have had it crash on that "client" over the same network.

This confirms that it is a software issue at Netflix. Why doesn't this happen on other devices? "Netflix uses a different client code for every client implementation and this is a terrible way to version a server API."

The incompetence at Netflix does not absolve Apple from not openly addressing the crash/reboot errors. It will be interesting to compare the performance on ATV4.

I can't help but wonder... The current problem may serve both companies: 1) Apple would prefer you rent movies from them and buy the new ATV4. 2) Netflix may see a growing number of ATV users as a threat if Apple decides to initiate a monthly fee movie stream model.

Oct 29, 2015 7:54 AM in response to satchfan

Has anyone noticed the problem getting worse over the last couple of days? The last two nights in a row, ANYTHING I try to watch on Hulu or Netflix shuts off the ATV before the movie or show even starts. Some of these were movies I had watched successfully only a few days ago. If I go over to Apple, per the norm, everything works absolutely fine.

I have an appointment to take my ATV into the Apple store this weekend. The downside is the closest one is an hour away.

Oct 29, 2015 9:13 AM in response to wizardlover

I have spoken to both Apple and Netflix support about this they always point to a Network problem which I know is not the case because my Smart TV's Netflix App over the same Network works fine. My particular ATV2 crashes only happens during Netflix movie stream and not via other App streams: During the "crash" the ATV2 appears to auto-reboot but the "apple" logo never appears on the screen before it launches the menu, so it appears the complete reboot may not actually occur.

My theory is that ATV 1 & 2 are now outdated machines because they will not accept ATV software update version 7.2 that only the ATV3 accepts. Since Netflix admittedly designs its server API differently for each client, they may have changed the API to follow the new ATV 7.2 update and not backward compatible, who knows. The result appears to have overload the older ATV's buffer (just a guess). For folks that have older ATV 1 &2 and experience crashing during streams, try this before streaming: Soft Reboot ATV:

Press and hold the Menu and Down keys for at least 6 seconds until the white light on the ATV rapidly blinks. Let go of the buttons and the device will restart.

This will not harm your settings and possibly flushes data from the memory(?) Seemed to help for me because my next movie did not crash. I make no claims for other older ATV's. This is much less painful than doing all the stuff that Netflix recommends here where you have to enter all App Passwords again, etc.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13201.

Ultimately I recommend replacing the outdated ATV with the new ATV4 which I am in the process of doing. It should be a much better experience with the new interactive controller.

Oct 29, 2015 10:55 AM in response to Kevin McGeary

I did notice a few months back that I was unable to download a series of movies (i.e., all the Star Wars or Batman movies) at once as a set. The error message said that I needed to update my software. When I went to update it I was told my system was up-to-date even though my version was not the most recent. I was curious if this was related with my issues with ATV disconnecting and restarting all the time.

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Apple TV keeps crashing NON-STOP!!!

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