As you know, a strong internet connection is required to stream series, shows, or AirPlay content from iOS devices to your Apple TV. It can be quite frustrating if you cannot connect your Apple TV to WiFi. To be exact, the WiFi connectivity problem occurs due to issues with your Apple TV or WiFi router. You can solve this issue by using simple troubleshooting methods. This article covers the DIY solutions to fix the Apple TV not connecting to the WiFi.
Why Won’t Apple TV Connect to WiFi?
If you are experiencing WiFi connectivity issues on your Apple TV, it is time to investigate the various reasons behind it. The reasons could be general or specific. Below, I’ve listed some common reasons behind the WiFi connectivity issues.
- Distance between the WiFi router and Apple TV.
- Interference with the WiFi signal by other external devices.
- Multiple devices are connected to the same WiFi.
- Temporary bugs and errors.
- Software glitches.
- Entering incorrect WiFi credentials.
- Incorrect Date and Time settings.
- Usage of VPN.
- Outdated Apple TV Firmware.
12 Ways to Troubleshoot Apple TV Not Connecting to WiFi
Here, I have listed some ways to fix the Apple TV not connecting to the WiFi. You can try out the necessary solution and start enjoying watching your favorite series with a strong WiFi connection.
Check for Proper Internet Connection
The first and foremost thing you have to do is to check if the WiFi is working properly. That is, try connecting other Apple devices to the WiFi network. If the other devices get a proper network signal, the problem is not with the WiFi network but with your Apple TV.
In such cases, check if there are other devices that interfere with the WiFi router and your Apple TV. If you find any devices blocking your Apple TV from getting WiFi, try clearing the area between the two and bringing the router and Apple TV closer. If you still find no network signal for your Apple TV, then move on to the next method.
Connect Apple TV to Stable WiFi
If there is more than one WiFi network in the nearby area, your Apple TV might be connected to another network. To check if you are connecting to the proper network, proceed with the steps below.
1. Turn on your Apple TV and navigate to the Settings.
2. From the settings option, choose Network.
Note: If you are using older Apple TV models, then choose Settings → General → Network.
3. Now, check if the Apple TV is connected to the correct WiFi network (home or hotel WiFi).
![Check for the WiFi connection](https://www.appletvlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Apple-TV-not-connecting-to-WiFi-Check-for-the-WiFi.jpg)
4. If not, tap on the WiFi option and choose the desired WiFi network from the available options.
5. Enter the correct WiFi password and hit Continue to connect with the selected WiFi network.
If your Apple TV still struggles to connect with the selected network, you can try proceeding with the next possible option.
Remove Other Devices from the WiFi Router
Multiple devices that are connected to the same WiFi router may also reduce the WiFi signal strength. Even though WiFi routers can handle multiple devices at the same time, it is necessary to disconnect a few other devices from the router and check if the Apple TV is getting the necessary WiFi signal. If you still find a problem connecting to WiFi, then look up to other solutions below.
Forget and Reconnect the WiFi Network
If your Apple TV 4K or HD suddenly loses its Internet, try forgetting the WiFi network and reconnecting to it again.
1. Open the Settings app on Apple TV.
2. After that, select the Network option and choose WiFi.
3. Now, choose the WiFi connection.
4. Choose Forget Network to disconnect the WiFi.
![Choose Forget Network to fix Apple TV not connecting to WiFi issue](https://www.appletvlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Apple-TV-not-connecting-to-WiFi-Choose-Forget-Network.jpg)
5. Again, navigate to Settings → Network → WiFi and select the WiFi network.
6. You can now enter the password and connect the Apple TV to the WiFi again.
Change the Date and Time Settings
There are cases where the incorrect Date and Time settings of the Apple TV interfere with the WiFi connectivity. In such cases, you can change the Date and Time settings to fix the connectivity issue.
1. Tap Settings on the Apple home screen and select General.
2. After that, scroll down to Set Automatically and turn it on.
![Turn on set automatically option to change time and date](https://www.appletvlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Apple-TV-not-connecting-to-WiFi-change-date-and-time-1024x571.jpg)
3. Now, click Time Zone and choose a time zone.
4. You can see the new time zone displayed on the screen.
Turn Off the VPN Network
If you enabled VPN on your Apple TV, try disconnecting it. If you are using Apple TVs that do not support VPN services, then you might have configured it on your WiFi router. So, you should disable it on your WiFi router. Even though the disabling steps may vary on Apple TVs depending on the VPN service and router type, here is the general way to disable VPN on a WiFi router connected to an Apple TV.
1. Sign in to the admin page of your router app.
2. Navigate to Settings, which might be under the Security or Advanced tab, depending on the router you are using.
3. Now, you can disable the VPN connection by tapping the Disable or Off button.
4. After saving the changes, you can sign out of the router admin page and try connecting Apple TV to WiFi.
If you are still experiencing a connectivity issue, you can try restarting the router.
Restart WiFi Router
In some cases, the connectivity issue could be solely caused by the WiFi router itself. It is advisable to restart the router at least once a month to ensure it is corrupt-free and to clear out memory space. You can follow the restart method to improve WiFi speed and ensure a proper network connection for your Apple TV.
1. Remove the WiFi router from the power cord.
2. Wait for 30 seconds to let the device rest.
3. Plug the WiFi router back into the power source and wait for it to establish an internet connection
4. Switch on your Apple TV and check if the TV is connecting to the WiFi.
Restart Apple TV
If your Apple TV couldn’t connect to the WiFi even after restarting the router, then try restarting the Apple TV to fix the issue.
1. After turning on your Apple TV, navigate to the Settings app on the Apple home screen.
2. Now choose System from the list of Settings options.
3. Scroll down and select Restart from the options under Maintenance menu.
![Click Restart to fix Apple TV not connecting to WiFi issue](https://www.appletvlearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Restart-Apple-TV.webp)
If restarting the Apple TV cannot solve your issue, proceed with the upcoming fixes.
Check Security Settings on the Router
It is essential to check the security settings on your WiFi router. To ensure that the problem is not with the security settings, follow the steps below.
1. Make sure that you have entered the correct credentials of the connected WiFi router.
2. Ensure that the WiFi router is using the Mac address filtering and is enabled.
3. You can get the Apple TV’s Mac Address by navigating to Settings → General → About.
4. After that, enter the noted Mac Address to the router’s list.
5. Lastly, check if the router is set to WEP, if it is switch it to WAP or WAP2.
The connectivity problem should be resolved after trying out the above solution. But if you still encounter the issue, then scroll down to check out the next solution.
Update Apple TV
If you are facing issues on your Apple TV due to the accumulation of app caches and some other bugs due to the usage of older Apple TV versions, then it is necessary to fix them. Updating the Apple TV to the latest firmware version might help you. Check if updating the Apple TV helps improve the WiFi connectivity; if not, navigate to the next method.
Reset Apple TV
In rare cases, you might still find the WiFi connectivity issue on your Apple TV even after using the troubleshooting steps above. In this situation, resetting your Apple TV is the only choice and the most effective way to fix the WiFi connectivity problem. After resetting, you can set up your Apple TV from scratch and try connecting it to WiFi.
Contact Apple Customer Support
If the WiFi connectivity problem still persists even after resetting your Apple TV, then it is time to seek external help. You can contact customer care support and try discussing the problem. You can contact them through the Apple support page and get proper guidance from technical experts. Additionally, you can also make a one-on-one appointment with the nearest service center to inspect your streaming box.
Try this Alternative!
If your Apple TV is not responding to WiFi, then you can go for a wired connection, which can be considered an easy alternative. However, this method might not work on Apple TVs with a WiFi-only model. Others can connect the router to Apple TV via an ethernet cable. After connecting the cable, the internet connectivity will be established and will be recognized by the Apple TV.
FAQ
The reason could be that even though the 5 GHz provides faster internet, the WiFi signal travels a lesser distance. So, if your Apple TV is placed away from the WiFi signal coverage, then you might not be able to connect with them.
Other than WiFi-only Apple TV models, all other Apple TV models will have an ethernet port. If your Apple TV is connected to the ethernet cable, you might not see the WiFi option.