Disney Plus stops working on your TV for five main reasons: your internet connection dropped, your app needs an update, your device ran out of storage, your account hit a streaming limit, or Disney's servers are temporarily down

Most of the time, the problem is not Disney Plus itself but the connection between your TV and Disney's servers. Your TV might be connected to WiFi that is too slow or unstable to stream video. The Disney Plus app on your TV might be outdated and no longer compatible with Disney's current system. Your device might have filled up with cached data or other files, leaving no room for the app to work. Your account might be streaming on too many devices at once — Disney Plus limits you to four simultaneous streams depending on your plan. Or Disney's servers might be down for maintenance, which happens without warning.

The fix depends on which of these is actually happening. Start with the simplest checks first: restart your TV and router, check your internet speed, and update the Disney Plus app. If those do not work, move to the steps below in order.

Key Takeaways

  • Restart your TV and your internet router first — this fixes most streaming problems in under five minutes.
  • Check your internet speed using a speed test app on your phone or computer; Disney Plus needs at least 5.5 Mbps for 4K video and 3 Mbps for HD.
  • Update the Disney Plus app through your TV's app store, then clear the app's cached data by going to Settings > Apps > Disney Plus > Storage > Clear Cache.
  • Sign out of your Disney Plus account on all devices, then sign back in on your TV only — this resets your streaming limit if you have hit the four-device maximum.
  • If nothing works, check Disney's status page or Twitter account to see whether their servers are down, which requires you to wait rather than troubleshoot.

Restart your TV and router to clear temporary glitches

A restart clears temporary problems that prevent your TV from talking to Disney's servers. Unplug your TV from the wall outlet and leave it unplugged for 30 seconds. While the TV is unplugged, unplug your internet router as well. After 30 seconds, plug the router back in first and wait for all its lights to stop blinking and settle into a steady state — this usually takes two to three minutes. Then plug your TV back in and wait for it to fully boot up.

Once your TV is on, open Disney Plus and try to play something. If it works, you are done. If it does not, move to the next step. Do not skip this step even if it seems too straightforward — it resolves the problem roughly half the time.

Check your internet speed and WiFi signal strength

Disney Plus needs a minimum internet speed to stream without constant buffering or stopping. For HD video, you need at least 3 Mbps. For 4K video, you need at least 5.5 Mbps. If you are streaming on multiple devices at once, you need more speed total.

To check your speed, use a speed test app on your phone or computer — search for "speed test" in your phone's app store or go to speedtest.net in a web browser. Run the test while you are in the same room as your TV. If your speed is below 3 Mbps, your internet connection is too slow. Contact your internet provider to see whether your plan is delivering the speed you are paying for, or move your TV closer to your router to get a stronger WiFi signal. If your speed is above 3 Mbps but Disney Plus still will not play, the problem is not your internet speed.

Update the Disney Plus app and clear its cached data

An outdated app cannot communicate properly with Disney's current servers. On your TV, go to your app store — this is called the Play Store on Android TVs, the App Store on Apple TVs, and the Samsung App Store on Samsung TVs. Search for Disney Plus, and if an Update button appears, tap it. If no Update button appears, the app is already current.

After updating, clear the app's cached data. Go to your TV's Settings menu, find Apps or Applications, select Disney Plus, then select Storage or Memory. Tap Clear Cache. This removes temporary files the app has stored, which sometimes become corrupted and prevent the app from working. Do not tap Clear Data — that will erase your login information and you will have to sign in again.

Open Disney Plus and try to play something. If it works, you are done. If it still does not work, move to the next step.

Sign out of all devices and sign back in on your TV only

Disney Plus allows four simultaneous streams on most plans. If you are streaming on your phone, tablet, computer, and TV at the same time, you have hit that limit and your TV will not play. The fastest fix is to sign out everywhere and sign back in on your TV only.

On your TV, open Disney Plus, go to your account settings, and select Sign Out. Then open a web browser on your phone or computer, go to disneyplus.com, sign in to your account, go to Account Settings, and select Sign Out Everywhere. Wait 30 seconds, then sign back in on your TV only. Try to play something. If it works, you have solved the problem. If you need to use Disney Plus on another device later, sign in on that device — you will be able to stream on up to four devices as long as they are not all playing at the same time.

Check whether Disney's servers are down

Disney Plus occasionally goes offline for maintenance or due to technical problems. When this happens, no troubleshooting on your end will fix it — you have to wait for Disney to restore service.

To check whether Disney's servers are down, go to Twitter and search for "Disney Plus down" or "Disney Plus not working". If many people posted about the problem in the last hour, Disney's servers are likely down. You can also check DownDetector.com and search for Disney Plus — if the site shows a spike in reports in the last few minutes, service is disrupted. If Disney's servers are down, there is nothing to do except wait. Service usually returns within an hour, but check back every 15 minutes to see when it comes back.

Check your account plan and device compatibility

Some older TV models do not support the current version of the Disney Plus app. If your TV is more than seven years old, Disney Plus may no longer work on it even if it worked before. Check your TV's model number — it is usually on a sticker on the back of the TV — and search online for "[your TV model] Disney Plus support" to see whether Disney still supports that model.

Also check your Disney Plus plan. The Basic plan with ads streams on only one device at a time. The Standard plan streams on two devices at a time. The Premium plan streams on four devices at a time. If you have the Basic plan and you are trying to stream on a second device, Disney Plus will stop playing on your TV. Upgrade your plan through the Disney Plus app or website if you need to stream on multiple devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Disney Plus work on my phone but not my TV?

Your TV and phone are probably on different WiFi networks or your TV's connection is weaker. Move your TV closer to your router or check whether your TV is connected to a guest network instead of your main network. Also check whether you have hit your four-device streaming limit — if you are streaming on your phone, tablet, computer, and TV at the same time, your TV will stop playing.

Does clearing the cache delete my watch history?

No. Clearing the cache removes temporary files only. Your watch history, saved shows, and login information stay on your account. You will stay signed in after clearing the cache.

What should I do if Disney Plus says my account is being used on too many devices?

Sign out of all devices by going to your account settings on disneyplus.com and selecting Sign Out Everywhere. Wait 30 seconds, then sign back in on your TV only. If you need Disney Plus on another device, sign in on that device — you can stream on up to four devices as long as they are not all playing at the same time.

Can I use Disney Plus on a TV that is not a smart TV?

Not directly through the app. You can stream Disney Plus on a non-smart TV by connecting a streaming device like a Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, or Chromecast. These devices plug into your TV's HDMI port and let you read the Disney Plus app.

How long does it usually take Disney to fix a server outage?

Most outages last between 30 minutes and two hours. Disney does not announce maintenance windows in advance, so you will not know when service will be interrupted. If Disney Plus stops working and you have ruled out all other causes, check Twitter or DownDetector to confirm the outage, then wait and check back every 15 minutes.