(9 Fixes) LG Smart TV Apps Not Working [Updated 2023]

I wonder how technology always picks the worst timing to become annoying.

Because when all you want to do is stream your favorite shows in peace…

Right then and there, your LG Smart TV apps also stop working.

I know it’s frustrating.

But now, I’m here to help.

So…

Continue reading to find out:

The most common reasons why this problem occurs.
9 effective solutions to make the apps on your LG Smart TV work again.
How you can easily install 3rd party apps if nothing seems to fix this issue.
And much, much more…

Why are my apps on my LG Smart TV not working?

Your apps on your LG Smart TV aren’t working because there’s a glitch in your system. This issue also happens when you have a slow internet connection or the wrong DNS settings. And in other cases, having outdated apps or LG TV firmware also contributes to the problem.

LG Smart TV apps not working: 9 fixes

#1: Power cycle your TV

When apps suddenly stop working on your LG TV…

It’s usually due to some minor glitches in your device’s system.

But luckily, it’s pretty easy to remove these annoying bugs.

All you need to do is reboot your TV.

Or, in other words, power cycle it.

I know the term “power cycling” might be unfamiliar to you.

But really, all it means is to completely cut your TV’s power by unplugging it.

Although simple, this process can bring a lot of improvements like:

Refreshing your TV system.
Deleting its temporary caches.
Removing minor software or hardware glitches.

And when you make these improvements…

You’ll also refresh your apps, making them work again.

So with that being said…

Here are the steps to power cycle your TV:

Turn your TV off.
Disconnect its power cable from the outlet.
Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds.
Wait for 1 minute.
Plug your TV back into the outlet again.
Turn it ON.

Try to open the apps that stopped working earlier.

If you still can’t open them…

#2: Check your Internet Connection

LG TVs are called “smart” if they have access to 1 crucial factor: the Internet.

So if your TV can’t connect to your network…

It’ll be hard or impossible for your device to load its system correctly.

After all, most, if not all, of the top-used apps on LG TVs can only work online.

So without the Internet, it’s only natural for them to stop functioning.

Don’t worry. It’s easy to know if your Internet’s the 1 causing the problem.

To check your Internet connection on your LG TV:

Press Home/Smart on your remote control.
On the top-right of your screen, select the gear icon.
This’ll bring up Settings.
From the choices, select All Settings.
Tap Network > Wi-Fi Connection > Advanced Wi-Fi Settings.
You’ll see the icons at the top with green circles.

If the 1st circle doesn’t have a green outline.

Contact LG’s customer support.

It means that you have a connection problem that only LG can fix.

And if this isn’t the case for you…

#3: Reboot your Router

“Do I still need to do this if all circles on my screen were green on the previous fix?”

The answer is a resounding “YES.”

Because the previous solution just ensured that your TV is connected to the Internet…

But it didn’t guarantee that your Internet is fast enough.

As mentioned earlier, your TV needs a stable Internet connection to load its app.

And the easiest way to make your network faster with the least effort is to…

Reboot your router.

Don’t worry. This solution will work regardless of your Internet service provider.

To reboot your router:

Unplug its power cable from the outlet.
Wait for 60 seconds.
Plug the router back into its power source.
Ensure that all of its lights are green.

Note: This process might disconnect your TV from the network. Ensure that your LG Smart TV is still connected to the Internet after turning ON the router again.

#4: Change your DNS settings

Not familiar with what DNS is?

DNS stands for “Domain Name System.”

And it’s a feature that helps your TV communicate with online apps or websites.

You can think of DNS as the translator between your device and the Internet world.

Without it, your TV won’t be able to use online apps even if it’s connected to your Wifi.

Because your device and the Internet are using different languages.

And they won’t understand each other if the DNS, their translator, isn’t properly configured.

But don’t worry. It’s easy to…

Change your DNS Settings:

On your LG remote, press Home.
Go to Settings.
From the list, tap All Settings.
Click Network > Advanced Wi-Fi Settings.
Tap Edit.
Uncheck the Set Automatically box.
Go to the DNS Server.
Change its value to 8888.
Click Connect.
Wait for the confirmation to appear.

Want to know more about what DNS does? Watch this video:

#5: Check your regional location

A wrong geo-location configuration can also make your TV apps stop working.

This is usually the case with premium apps like Netflix or Youtube…

But it’s not only limited to those 2.

Trying to access an app within the wrong region will fail its authentication.

And your app won’t load no matter how many times you try to open it up.

“But my apps were working fine yesterday. I didn’t change my location since.”

Due to minor system errors…

Your regional location can change without your intervention.

So even if your location was accurate yesterday, it could’ve changed overnight.

But fret not.

It’s effortless to set your TV to its proper location again.

To change your region settings:

Press Home/Start on your remote.
This will bring up the launcher bar.
On the top-right corner, tap the gear icon.
At the bottom, tap All Settings.
From the left bar, select General.
Click Location.
Select Service Area Zip Code.
Enter your location’s zip code.
Press Enter.
Your location will be updated automatically.

Restart your TV and see if your apps are now working.

Further reading: (11 Fixes) LG TV WiFi Keeps Disconnecting

#6: Update your apps

It’s not uncommon to forget to check if your apps are running on their latest versions.

After all, LG did promise that the apps on your TV are supposed to update automatically.

But well…

Technology is never perfect, is it?

Your TV’s “automatic updates” function isn’t always on time.

And sometimes, due to altered settings or outdated TV firmware…

This function can even stop working altogether.

But running the outdated versions of your apps isn’t good in the long term.

After all, you’re losing out on the benefits of updates like:

Improved security.
Newly added features.
Protection against bugs and glitches.

And if you leave your apps outdated for far too long…

They can even stop working.

But don’t worry. I’ll teach you how you can easily get your apps back on track.

Here’s how you can update your apps on your LG TV:

Press Home on your TV remote.
Head to LG Content Store.
Tap Apps > My Apps.
Find the app you wish to update.
Click Update.

Note: If you can’t see the option to update your app, it’s already running on its latest version.

After updating all the apps you need, it’s time to…

#7: Ensure that your TV is updated

Frankly speaking, an updated app still won’t be able to function properly…

If the system it’s running on is outdated.

Updating an app allows it to run faster and smoother.

But it can only reach its full potential if its environment is actually letting it run fast.

Think about this:

Even if you’re riding a sportscar….

You still can’t exceed 40 km/hr of speed if you’re driving in a residential area.

Having an updated app in outdated firmware is comparable to this scenario.

No matter how fast your app is, it’ll still be glitchy if your system is slow.

So just like you need to drive on a highway if you want to drive fast…

If you want your app to run smoother…

You need to let it operate on updated TV firmware.

Don’t worry. It’s easy to update your LG Smart TV.

To update your TV to its latest firmware:

On your LG TV remote, press Home/Smart.
Tap Settings.
Select All Settings > General Menu.
From the options, click About this TV.
Turn ON the “Allow automatic updates” section.
Now, tap the button saying Check for updates.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: Don’t unplug or turn your TV OFF during the ongoing update process.

#8: Reinstall apps

Sometimes, the app itself is the 1 causing the problem.

And in these instances, you need to reinstall the app to make it work again.

There are 2 steps to this process:

Uninstalling the app.
Reinstalling it again.

But having 2 parts doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s more complicated.

So don’t worry. This solution won’t take you much longer than the previous ones did.

Now, proceed to the 1st part, which is to…

Uninstall your LG TV app:

On your remote control, press the Home/Smart button.
From the LG launcher, select More Apps.
Click the app that you wish to uninstall.
Tap the X symbol.
Select Remove.
Confirm the action by pressing OK.

To reinstall an app:

Press the Home button on your remote again.
Tap More Apps.
Click the LG Content Store application.
Select Premium.
Find the app you wish to reinstall.
Click it and tap the Install option.

This reinstallation process will reset the apps on your LG Smart TV.

And it’ll also delete any glitches that were attached to them before.

#9: Factory reset your TV

If none of the previous solutions were able to fix your problem…

Then it’s time to factory reset your TV.

“What’s that?”

A factory reset will bring your TV settings to their initial states.

And it’ll also remove your information from your TV, including any:

Stored passwords.
Installed applications.
Customized TV settings.

Along with these data…

You’ll also remove any faults or problems associated with your TV’s system.

Which will help your apps work again.

So without much delay, here are the steps to…

Factory reset your LG TV:

Tap Home on your remote.
On the top right, select the Settings icon.
Tap General from the choices.
Click Reset to Initial Settings.
Enter your password if you’ve set any.
Let your TV restart.
Set up your TV again.

#Bonus: Install 3rd party apps on your LG TV

If you’ve come this far…

Then I have no choice but to let you in on a secret.

If you still can’t install or use the app you want on your device…

Then you might want to consider installing 3rd party apps on your LG TV instead.

There are 3 easy ways to do this, and they’re by using:

So if you’re still having trouble playing apps on your LG Smart TV, don’t worry.

The best thing about technology is…

There’s always more than just 1 way of achieving something you want from your TV.