4 Ways to Fix Apple TV Not Downloading Apps

Quick Tips

• Open Settings > General > Manage Storage > delete icon beside the relevant app > confirm your decision.
• Go to Settings > Apps > Automatically Update Apps > wait for it to change to On.
• Open Settings > System > Reset > confirm the same. Set up Apple TV and try again.

Basic Fixes:

• Restart Apple TV: You can use the System menu on your Apple TV remote to restart your Apple TV device. Then, open the App Store and try downloading the app again.
• Check the App Store server status: When one of the Apple servers faces an outage, you face problems with downloading apps on the Apple TV. You can visit the Apple System Status page and ensure a green indicator beside the App Store. 
• Check storage on your Apple TV: If your Apple TV has insufficient storage space available, it will not be able to download and store new apps. So, check and ensure there’s at least 30% storage space available.
• Force quit other apps: If your Apple TV is running low on memory, you may have a problem downloading apps. Double-press the TV button on the remote to open the recent apps. Swipe up on an app and close it. Now, open the App Store and download the app again.
• Update tvOS: Outdated tvOS can be the main reason behind issues with downloading apps on Apple TV. Apple regularly releases new system updates for Apple TV. So, download and install the latest tvOS updates on your Apple TV.

Fix 1: Delete Unnecessary Apps

If your Apple TV has less storage space, it may face issues with downloading apps. tvOS doesn’t offer a detailed storage breakdown. You need to delete irrelevant apps and games and try again. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Settings and select General.

Step 2: Scroll to Manage Storage.

Step 3: Hit the delete icon beside the relevant apps and confirm your decision.

Fix 2: Enable Automatic App Updates

Apple TV also allows you to automatically update your currently installed apps. This ensures your apps don’t error out when downloading new apps. Follow the below steps to do it.

Step 1: Open Settings and select Apps.

Step 2: Select Automatically Update Apps and wait for the option to change to On.

Fix 3: Remove and Re-Add User Profile on Apple TV

Did you recently change your Apple account password? Apple TV may fail to download apps due to an account authentication error. You’ll need to sign out from your current account and sign back in. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Settings and select Users and Accounts.

Step 2: Select your name under default user.

Step 3: Select iCloud and check your Apple ID. Hit Sign out.

Sign in with your iPhone or sign in manually from the next screen. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Then, try downloading the app again.

Also Read: How to fix notifications not working on Apple TV

Fix 4: Reset Apple TV

Resetting the Apple TV should be the last resort to fix the Apple TV not downloading apps issue. It deletes all the apps, device data, and you must start from scratch. Follow the below steps to do it.

Step 1: Open Settings and select System.

Step 2: Select Reset and confirm your decision from the following menu.

Wait for the reset process to finish. Then, set up your Apple TV device again and try downloading the relevant app to see if the issue has been fixed.