Is the BBC iPlayer app not working on your Amazon Firestick? Have you tried restarting the app but can’t stream content or keep experiencing buffering issues? This article will show you why the app is malfunctioning on your Firestick device.
The BBC iPlayer is one of the most, if not the most, popular streaming services. It streams mainly British TV content, which is loved by millions around the globe. Although BBC iPlayer programming is available to UK residents exclusively, you can access some of the programming content outside the UK as well.
BBC iPlayer app is accessible on multiple devices such as Amazon Fire TVs and Firestick devices. However, quite a few users report that the app is causing trouble on their Firestick streaming devices. This tutorial is going to help you resolve this issue.
Why has BBC iPlayer stopped working on Firestick?
If the BBC iPlayer app has stopped working on your Firestick, it could be due to any of the following reasons.
- BBC iPlayer service is experiencing an issue or an outage
- Your Firestick device is outdated and needs a new OS upgrade
- BBC iPlayer app cache is bulking up with junk files on the Firestick device
- A lot of Firestick apps are running in the background resulting in less RAM allocation to the BBC iPlayer app
- You are running an older version of the Player app on your Firestick
Is there a problem with BBC iPlayer at the moment?
Before attempting any troubleshooting steps in this guide, head to any third-party service status checker website and see if the BBC iPlayer service is down. You may be thinking that something is wrong with your Firestick or internet connection. However, it can be a simple hiccup in the BBC iPlayer servers, causing a momentary outage.
What happened to BBC iPlayer app?
BBC’s recent announcement unveils that the Firestick devices and Android devices running on OS 4 are no longer supported to stream its content. You need Android and Amazon Fire OS 5 or higher to stream the BBC iPlayer content on the app and website.
Therefore, either upgrade your streaming device OS or change your device. To check if an update is available for your Firestick,
- Go to Firestick Settings and select Device Options.
- Next, select System Updates and then hit the Check Now button.
- If a new version is available, download and install the Firestick update.
- Afterward, launch the BBC iPlayer app and verify that the Firestick is streaming content without any issues.
How to fix BBC iPlayer not working on Amazon Firestick?
If you have the updated your Firestick device and still the BBC iPlayer app is not working, try the following troubleshooting steps.
Clear BBC iPlayer app cache
To resolve BBC iPlayer intermittent app issues on Firestick, clearing the app cache might help. To do this:
- Go to the Settings menu of your Amazon Firestick and then head to “Manage All Installed Applications.”
- Select the BBC iPlayer app to view its cache size.
- Under the cache size, select the “Clear cache” option to rid of the app’s junk files.
Turn off Collect App Usage Data
Amazon Firestick collects data from all the installed apps on the streaming device. The BBC iPlayer app also uses background connections while streaming content that can strain the app’s functionality. However, you can turn this feature off to get the Firestick working again and eliminate buffering and connection issues. To do this:
- From Firestick Settings, navigate to Preferences –> Privacy Settings.
- Select the Collect App Usage Data option and use your Fire remote to turn it off.
Close background apps
A lot of times, the BBC iPlayer app on your Amazon firestick can buffer if a whole lot of processes are eating up its RAM. To fix it, you need to Force Close the apps running in the background. However, instead of manually closing all the apps one by one, you can download the Background Apps and Process List app and close all apps in one go.
To download and use the app on your Amazon firestick, do these steps.
- Type “Background Apps and Process List” in the search box and select “Get” to download it.
- Now open the “Background Apps and Process List” app.
- In the top left corner, select the “Close all apps” option.
- Finally, launch the BBC iPlayer app to verify that it works fine on Firestick.
How do I update BBC iPlayer on Firestick?
If you are using an older version of the BBC iPlayer app, sometimes, it won’t work with your Firestick. Therefore, you need to update the app to its latest version. To upgrade BBC iPlayer on Firestick, you can turn on automatic updates in the following way.
- From the Home page, go to Settings –> Applications –> Appstore
- Select the Automatic Updates option
- Finally, make sure to set the Automatic Update to “ON.”
How do I reinstall iPlayer on Firestick?
If all of the above fixes did not get the BBC iPlayer app to work with your Firestick, try uninstalling and installing the app in the following way.
- Go to the Amazon firestick Home screen and select Settings
- Next, select Applications and then choose “Manage Installed Applications.”
- Use the directional pads to go to the BBC iPlayer app
- Choose the BBC iPlayer app and select the Uninstall option
- Finally, select Uninstall again to confirm your decision
- Now head back to the firestick Home screen
- Go to Settings –> Applications –> Appstore
- Search for the BBC iPlayer app and press the Get button to install it
A new version of the BBC iPlayer is installed; try launching the app and see if it works with Firestick.
Conclusion
BBC iPlayer app streams some of the best content suitable for all ages. You can enjoy your favorite British TV shows on an affordable Firestick streaming device. However, if the BBC iPlayer app is not working with your Firestick, try the troubleshooting steps in this guide to resolve your issue.
Internet speed is also a prevalent cause of BBC iPlayer intermittent issues on Firestick. Therefore, reboot your modem or router and then apply the fixes one by one.
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