Are you stuck with the “Flashing Light of Death” on your Apple TV? Although it seems strange, there are some quick solutions to fix this issue. It primarily occurs due to an indication of hardware malfunction, faulty cables, technical glitches, overheating, etc. In this article, we have explained simple workarounds to rectify the blinking light problem, which will work for all Apple TV models.
How to Fix the Apple TV Blinking Light Issue
Here are the troubleshooting you can follow on your Apple TV to fix the blinking light problem.
Restart Apple TV
If the light flashes on your Apple TV, the first thing you should try is to restart the Apple TV. This happens if your Apple TV fails to get adequate power due to voltage fluctuations. Restarting is a straightforward method to fix such type of issues within a fraction of a second.
Turn off your Apple TV and unplug the Apple TV streaming box from the power source. After a few moments, plug the device back into the power source, and turn it on. Inspect whether the flashing light on your device has been turned off. If it doesn’t work, proceed to the next troubleshooting method.
Check the HDMI Cables and Port
Sometimes, the HDMI cables connected to your Apple TV might get damaged. This may cause a major problem in the Apple TV’s performance and the light on your device will start to blink. In such cases, you need to switch to a different HDMI cable to prevent the light from flashing. Another reason for the blinking light issue is the accumulation of dust particles in the HDMI port of your Apple TV. So, clean the dust and debris in the Apple TV using a dry cloth and check if the light blinks.
Change the Device Resolution
If the resolution of your Apple TV is unsupported, it may cause led to the blinking light issue. To fix this, you have to change the resolution on your device.
1. Get the Apple TV remote and hold the Menu and Volume Down buttons simultaneously.
![Press the Menu and Volume Down buttons on your TV remote](https://www.appletvlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Apple-TV-Blinking-Light02.png)
2. Hold the buttons for 5-10 seconds and then release them.
3. Now, the Apple TV will change the resolution for every 20 seconds. From there, tap on OK to choose the desired display resolution.
Restore Apple TV to Factory Defaults
If the above-mentioned solutions doesn’t work for you, you can reset the Apple TV to bring your device to its factory state. To do this, you need a Mac or a Windows PC with iTunes.
1. Remove the HDMI cable from your Apple TV and fetch the USB cable.
2. Use a micro-USB or USC-C cable and connect your Apple TV to a Mac or Windows.
3. Now you have to choose the Restore Apple TV option. If you are using macOS, use the following steps.
- If your Mac runs on Mojave or earlier versions, open iTunes → Apple TV icon → Restore Apple TV.
- If, in case, your Mac is running on the Catalina macOS version, open Finder → Apple TV → Restore.
![Hit the Restore Apple TV option](https://www.appletvlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Apple-TV-Blinking-Light07-1.png)
4. Now, follow the on-screen instructions and complete the restoring process successfully.
5. Once done, disconnect your Apple TV from Mac or Windows. Then, reconnect it into the TV using an HDMI cable. Then, switch on your Apple TV and check if the flashing light turned off.
Motherboard Failure
In rare cases, the blinking light on the TV indicates an issue in the Apple TV’s circuit or a defect in the motherboard. As a consequence, your Apple TV won’t display any pictures and cause the status light to continuously blink. Since it is a technical problem, you have to contact Apple TV technician to diagnose the issue and fix it.
![Motherboard of Apple TV 4K](https://www.appletvlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Apple-TV-Blinking-Light06.png)
Overheating Issue
An overheated Apple TV may cause the light to blink frequently on your TV. Though this reason is an exceptional one, it might cause a serious issue. If you don’t mind about this and continue to use your Apple TV for a longer time, there is a higher chance for your device’s processor to get damaged. So, you should always keep your Apple TV in a ventilated area.
Contact Apple Customer Support
If the status on your Apple TV keeps flashing after trying all the solutions, there is one last remedy. You can contact Apple TV customer support for further assistance. Optionally, visit the nearest Apple TV service center in case of a functional defect in your device. If your Apple TV has warranty, you can use it to avoid unnecessary charges for the spares that were replaced.