(11 Fixes) Hulu Not Working On Vizio Smart TV [2023 Guide]

Hulu headaches.

As soon as the app stops working on your Vizio smart TV…

Don’t start thinking that your luck ran out.

Because there’s actually 1 simple, frustrating reason behind it.

But here’s the biggest question.

Is it fixable?

Well, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t confident, right?

Read on to find out:

11 quick fixes to get Hulu working again on your Vizio TV.
How to tell whether your Vizio TV’s compatible with the Hulu app.
3 countries that Hulu’s only available in (and workaround solutions for it).
And so much more…

Why is Hulu not working on my Vizio smart TV?

Hulu isn’t working on your Vizio smart TV due to a compatibility issue. Older models don’t support Hulu anymore. If your Vizio TV’s compatible, another issue can be geo-restriction or bad WiFi connection. Finally, app glitches, an overloaded cache, and an outdated software are also possible causes.

Hulu not working on Vizio smart TV: 11 fixes

#1: Check if your Vizio TV model’s compatible

Who would’ve thought app compatibilities could be this frustrating, right?

Chances are…

If you have a 2017 Vizio TV or higher, it’s compatible with Hulu.

But to be sure, you can take a look at the full list on Vizio’s support page.

From here, you should check your Vizio TV’s model number as well.

Here’s how to do it:

Press the “Menu” button on your remote.
Select “System.”
Choose “System Information.”
Check your model number.

Now, what happens if your Vizio TV’s not compatible?

You have 2 options here:

Invest in a streaming device (Roku, Apple TV, Firestick, or Chromecast).
Explore a new streaming platform like Paramount+, Disney Plus, Prime Video, etc…

#2: Make sure Hulu’s servers are working fine

If your Vizio TV’s compatible, you might want to check their servers first.

Server downtime could be one reason why Hulu stopped working.

But how would you know anyway?

There’s 1 way to find out: check Downdetector.

On the site, you’ll see the status of Hulu’s servers and any reported outages in the last hour.

#3: Check for any geo-restrictions

Did you know Hulu’s a geo-restricted app?

Meaning, Hulu restricts content access based on your physical location.

Currently, the app’s only available in these locations:

Puerto Rico.
United States.
U.S. military bases.
Some locations in Japan.

Put simply, if your location’s outside the U.S., you can’t access Hulu.

Normally, a VPN solves this issue.

VPNs allow you to surf the internet anonymously and privately.

However, you’ll need a high-quality VPN for this.

ExpressVPN and NordVPN are great options.

Related read: (5 Fixes) Hulu Not Working On Chrome

#4: Troubleshoot your WiFi connection

If your Vizio TV loses its WiFi connection, Hulu stops working.

It sucks, I know.

But when your router cuts you off for no good reason, first things first, don’t panic.

There’s a no-brainer fix for this:

Unplug your router and modem.
Turn off your Vizio TV.
Wait for 3 to 5 minutes.
Plug your router and modem back into its power source.
Turn on your Vizio TV.

#5: Restart your Vizio TV

Sometimes, the best fixes are the simplest.

Not to mention the easiest and least time-consuming.

But first, why this fix?

For one, Hulu might not be working if your TV’s glitching.

And when a glitch happens, apps may stop functioning too.

In addition, this might’ve caused your Vizio TV to freeze or hang, leading to Hulu, well…

Crashing right in front of your face.

Talk about an impact, right?

But thankfully, as mentioned earlier, this fix’s the least time-consuming.

Here’s how to do it:

While your screen’s still turned on, unplug your Vizio TV.
Wait for 1 minute.
Plug your Vizio TV back into its power source.

#6: Reset the Hulu app

So your Vizio TV’s not glitching, what next?

Feast your remote’s eyes…

On your Hulu app.

In cases like these, your app could be causing the issue.

There could be bugs that prevent Hulu from loading or launching properly.

When that happens, you’ll have to delete the app and reinstall it again.

It’s the best way to reset Hulu.

So here’s how to do it:

Go to your Vizio TV’s App Store.
Search for Hulu.
Select the app from the list of search results.
Tap the “Delete” button.
Wait for a minute or so.
Install Hulu and relaunch the app.

#7: Update your Vizio TV

Want a crash course on how to ensure your Vizio TV stops running into issues?

One useful tip is to remember to always update it.

Why?

Because running an outdated software on any smart TV leads to:

A slower TV performance.
App incompatibility issues.
Limited access and range of TV features.
Unresolved bugs and glitches in the system.

In fact, Hulu’s pretty strict when it comes to compatible devices.

And when I say compatible, Hulu just isn’t talking about the brand and model of your TV.

When it comes to your TV’s software version, that plays a role too.

Samsung TVs have this problem too with Hulu when running on outdated software.

Not to mention, this goes for streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, Firestick, etc…

That said, let’s go ahead and update your Vizio.

“Does it take long?”

Before your steak even sizzles, you’ll be done with this fix.

All you need to do is:

Press the Menu button on your Vizio TV remote.
Tap “System.”
Select “Check for Updates.”
Wait for your Vizio TV to finish scanning for updates.
Install the update.

Check out: How Often Do Smart TVs Update Their Software? 5 Examples

#8: Delete all your Hulu app’s cache

Cache is useful for loading apps or websites faster.

And that’s because it’s temporary data that stores info like images to reduce app loading time.

But see – here’s the thing.

All that cache sitting in your app or device takes up your storage too.

And when it overloads, expect glitches and crashes to happen.

So how do you remove all the cache on Hulu?

Normally, you can do this in your TV’s settings; however, for a Vizio…

You’ll need to do a hard reset.

And what this does is it clears all the cache in your system along with bugs, errors, & glitches.

To do it on a Vizio TV, here’s how to do a hard reset:

Press the Menu button on your remote.
Select “System.”
Tap “Reset & Admin.”
Select “Reset to Factory Settings.”
Wait for the reset to finish.
Set up your Vizio TV again.
Launch Hulu.

#9: Update the Hulu app

You’ve already heard this one before, right?

Just like how updating your Vizio TV works, Hulu needs to meet the same requirements.

But that’s not the most important reason.

What’s crucial about app updates is…

Developers usually release new versions to solve bugs/malfunctions.
If there were problems in the previous version, an update solves the issue.

Take Spotify, for example.

When the app stopped working on mobile data, it became a serious issue for a lot of users.

Fortunately, Spotify was made aware of the problem, and in effect…

They released an update to remove the app bug that was causing the issue.

The lesson to be learned from all this?

Update your apps.

Good thing I came prepared on how to do this fix step-by-step, right?

Here’s how to update your Hulu app:

Access your Vizio TV’s App Store.
Type Hulu on the search bar field.
Select the app.
Tap the “Update” button.
Wait for the app to finish updating.
Relaunch Hulu.

#10: Disconnect all devices from your WiFi

For the record, streaming any movie or TV show requires a chunk of data.

According to Netflix, the recommended speed for streaming 720p movies is 3 Mbps.

Now, take note.

That’s just 1 device.

If you’re streaming using 2 movies at home…

This can easily double or triple the recommended speed.

And what if…

A family member’s currently in an online gaming session?

Point is, if there are a ton of devices streaming at the same time, you get a weaker WiFi signal.

And as a result, your Vizio TV might just end up losing its connection.

“How do I fix it, then?”

The best solution is to disconnect a few devices from your WiFi network.

For instance, try turning off your smartphone and tablet’s internet connection.

Then, launch Hulu on your Vizio TV.

Dig deeper: 6 Things To Do if Your Smart TV Slows Down the Internet

#11: Contact Hulu/Vizio

Here’s the deal.

If none of the solutions we’ve walked through fixed your issue, it’s either:

A hardware problem with your Vizio TV.
An internal error with Hulu that only they can resolve.

For contacting Hulu, the best places are either their Help page or on Twitter.

From here, you can also contact Vizio to check if it’s a hardware problem.

More often than not, it’s rare for a hardware defect to be the main cause.

Want a bonus tip?

Try streaming Hulu on another device.

Alternatively, stream another app like Disney Plus or HBO Max.

If both work fine, then it means this issue’s Hulu-related.

In other words, your Vizio TV isn’t the problem.