5 Ways to Fix Android TV Not Downloading Apps

Quick Tips

• Check your Wi-Fi connection to ensure the Play Store can access the internet to download apps.
• Unplug the TV and plug it back in to force restart the UI and download apps.
• Update your Android TV to the latest software version to eliminate bugs.

Fix 1: Check the Storage on Your Android TV

Most Android TVs come with 8GB of internal storage. Out of which, only 5GB is usable out of the box. If there is less storage on your Android TV, you will face issues with app installation. Here’s how you can check storage space on your Android TV.

Step 1: Open the Android TV home screen and select the Settings gear at the top-right corner.

Step 2: Scroll to the Device Preferences menu.

Step 3: Select Storage from the following menu.

Step 4: Click on Internal shared storage.

Step 5: Scroll down and check available space on your Android TV.

If you have only a few MBs of storage space left, go to the Cached data section from the same menu. Hit OK and clear cache data for all apps on your Android TV.

Also Read: 4 fixes for Google TV or Android TC not connecting to Wi-Fi

Fix 2: Disable and Enable the Google Play Store

You can temporarily disable the Google Play Store and enable it again to resume the app downloading process without a glitch. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open the Android TV Settings menu (refer to the steps above).

Step 2: Scroll to the Apps section.

Step 3: Select See all apps.

Step 4: Scroll to Google Play Store.

Step 5: It will open the Play Store app’s info menu. Select Disable and wait for a minute or two. Enable Play Store again and try downloading apps.

Fix 3: Uninstall Play Store Updates

Google Play Store automatically updates itself in the background. A recent update might have messed up app functions on your smart TV. It’s time to uninstall updates and revert to the stable version.

Step 1: Open the Google Play Store app info menu on your Android TV (refer to the steps above).

Step 2: Select Uninstall updates and confirm your decision.

Fix 4: Clear Google Play Store App Cache

Google Play Store collects cache data in the background to remember your personal information and search history. A corrupt Play Store cache can leave you with issues on Android TV. You can clear the Play Store cache on Android TV and try downloading apps again.

Step 1: Launch the Google Play Store app info menu (refer to the steps above).

Step 2: Check cache data and click on Clear cache.

Fix 5: Install Apps Using Your Android Phone

If you are still facing issues with Play Store on Android TV, you have an option to install apps using your Android phone too. First, you must ensure you use the same Google account on the  Android TV and Android phone. When an app is compatible with an Android TV, you will find an option to install the same on your TV.

Step 1: Open the Google Play Store on your Android phone. Search for an app you want to install on Android TV.

Step 2: Tap on the down arrow button beside Install. Enable a checkmark beside your Android TV. Then, tap on Install.