The fastest way to restart an app on Samsung TV
To restart an app on a Samsung TV, press the back button on your remote to close the app completely, then open it again from the home screen or app menu. This forces the app to reload from the beginning and clears any temporary data that might be causing it to freeze or behave oddly.
If the back button does not work or the app is completely frozen, hold down the back button for three seconds — this will force-close the app on most Samsung models. You can then reopen it normally.
For older Samsung TV remotes without a dedicated back button, press the exit button instead, which serves the same purpose.
Key Takeaways
- Press the back button on your remote to close an app, then reopen it from your home screen to restart it cleanly.
- Hold the back button for three seconds to force-close a frozen app that will not respond to a normal exit.
- Restarting an app clears temporary files and often fixes playback problems, buffering, or login issues without affecting your saved settings.
- If restarting does not solve the problem, clearing the app's cache through your TV's settings menu may help.
When to restart an app versus clearing its cache
A straightforward restart works for most problems: the app freezes mid-video, playback stutters, or you cannot log in even though your password is correct. Closing and reopening the app refreshes its connection to the internet and resets its temporary memory.
If restarting does not fix the issue, the app's cache — stored data the app uses to load faster — may be corrupted. Go to Settings > Apps > find the app name > Storage > Clear Cache. This removes temporary files but keeps your login information and preferences intact.
Clear the cache only if restarting has not worked. Most of the time, a restart is enough.
Restarting apps on different Samsung TV models
The back button method works on all Samsung TV remotes made in the last five years. On Tizen OS models (the operating system Samsung uses), the process is identical: back button closes the app, and holding it for three seconds force-closes a frozen one.
If your remote is very old or you have a Samsung TV from before 2018, look for an exit or return button instead of back. These buttons do the same job. Press it once to close the app normally, or hold it to force-close.
You can also restart an app by navigating to it in your app menu and pressing the select button (the center button on your remote) while the app is highlighted, then choosing Close or Force Stop if that option appears.
What happens when you restart an app
Restarting an app closes it completely and clears everything it was doing in the background. Any video you were watching will stop, any game progress that was not saved will be lost, and any temporary downloads will be deleted. When you reopen the app, it starts fresh.
Your login information, saved preferences, and account settings remain unchanged because they are stored on Samsung's servers or in the app's permanent storage, not in the temporary memory that gets cleared.
This is different from restarting your TV itself, which takes much longer and affects everything on the device. Restarting a single app is faster and solves most problems without disrupting anything else.
Restarting apps that are stuck or unresponsive
If an app is completely frozen and will not respond to remote button presses, hold the back button for three seconds. You will see the app close and return to your home screen. This is a force-close, and it works even when the app appears to be dead.
If even the force-close does not work and your entire TV is sluggish, restart your TV itself by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in. Once it boots up, the problematic app should work normally.
Avoid force-closing apps repeatedly. If an app crashes or freezes every time you use it, clearing its cache or reinstalling it from the Samsung App Store may be necessary.
Restarting streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube
Streaming apps are the most common reason to restart. If Netflix is buffering constantly, YouTube videos will not play, or Disney+ is stuck on a loading screen, close the app with the back button and reopen it. This refreshes your connection to the streaming service's servers.
For streaming apps, restarting is usually faster than clearing the cache because it does not require navigating to settings. Try the restart first. If the problem continues after restarting, then clear the cache.
If restarting and clearing the cache do not help, check your internet connection by opening another app that uses the internet, like a web browser. If other apps work fine, the problem is with the streaming app itself, and you may need to reinstall it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will restarting an app delete my saved games or login information?
No. Restarting an app only clears temporary files it was using while running. Your saved games, login credentials, and account settings are stored permanently and will be there when you reopen the app. You will need to log in again only if the app requires it for security reasons.
What is the difference between restarting an app and restarting my TV?
Restarting an app closes only that one program and takes a few seconds. Restarting your TV shuts down the entire device and reboots the operating system, which takes a minute or two. Restart the app first for most problems; restart the TV only if the app restart does not work or your TV is running slowly overall.
How do I know if an app is actually closed?
When you press the back button, the app will disappear from the screen and you will return to your home screen or the previous menu. If you see the app's screen go black briefly before closing, that is normal. The app is closed when you can no longer see it on your TV.
Can I restart multiple apps at once?
You can close multiple apps one at a time by pressing back on each one, but there is no way to restart all apps simultaneously. If your TV is running slowly because many apps are open, closing them one by one will help. If you want to close everything at once, restart your TV instead.
What should I do if an app keeps crashing after I restart it?
If an app crashes repeatedly even after restarting, try clearing its cache through Settings > Apps > [app name] > Storage > Clear Cache. If that does not work, uninstall the app from the Samsung App Store and reinstall it. If the app still crashes, contact the app maker's support team — the problem may be with the app itself, not your TV.