What do TV manufacturers advise when apps go AWOL?Ī missing app is often beyond your control, and getting it back can be a waiting game.
Not sure if your TV's smart? Learn more about what's special about these TVs and see our pick of the best models in our guide on what is smart TV. Check our TV reviews to see which of the popular streaming and catch-up apps each model supports. Read on for these troubleshooting tips and our advice if they don't work.īear in mind that buying a smart TV doesn't guarantee you'll be able to get every app in the first place. We asked manufacturers for their advice on what do if you've lost access to any apps. Most only lost access for a short period of time, but whether you can't use your favourite apps for an hour or a month it's still frustrating.
In a survey of 2,050 people we found that, of the 57% who owned a smart TV, 22% had lost access to one or more apps, on average. The apps can be gone for days, weeks or months, and sometimes they never return. The convenience of having live TV and catch-up services on one device with one remote is undeniable, but for years we've received reports of popular apps vanishing from people's TVs.
That means they can access a range of catch-up and streaming apps, including Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Netflix and YouTube. Almost all the TVs from leading TV manufacturers LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony are smart.
