The Frozen App Problem
While the Apple TV (running tvOS) is generally an incredibly stable streaming device, individual third-party applications can occasionally crash. You might open Netflix or YouTube only to be met with an infinite spinning loading wheel, a completely black screen, or an interface that completely ignores your remote clicks. Because the Apple TV does not have a traditional power button or a visible mouse cursor, it can feel like your only option is to physically yank the power cord out of the wall. Fortunately, tvOS includes a hidden App Switcher interface, similar to the iPhone, which allows you to forcefully terminate and restart misbehaving applications.
How to Access the App Switcher
To force close an app, you must first back out to the main system interface and open the multitasking view using the Siri Remote.
- While stuck inside the frozen app, double-click the TV/Control Center button on your Siri Remote. (This is the button that looks like a small television set or a rectangle with a line underneath it, depending on your remote generation).
- The screen will zoom out, displaying a carousel of all your recently opened applications.
- Use the trackpad or directional ring on your remote to swipe left or right until the frozen app is centered on your screen.
How to Force Close the App
Once the problematic app is highlighted in the center of the App Switcher:
- Swipe Up vigorously on the remote’s touch-sensitive trackpad. (If you are using the older, all-black Siri Remote, swipe up on the glass surface. If you are using the newer silver remote, swipe up on the circular clickpad).
- The app’s preview window will fly upward and disappear off the top of the screen.
- This action forcefully kills the application process in the background, clearing it from the Apple TV’s RAM.
Restarting the App
Press the Menu or Back button to return to the main Apple TV home screen. You can now select the app icon to launch it again. It will perform a completely fresh start, forcing it to reconnect to the internet and load its interface from scratch, which almost always resolves the freezing issue without requiring a full system reboot.