BBC iPlayer Not Working On Firestick? Here Is How To Fix It!

The BBC iPlayer is one of the most popular streaming services for British TV content, which is loved by millions around the globe, but quite a few users report that the app is not working on their Firestick streaming devices. They often experience issues like content failing to load, not playing at all, or it keeps on buffering.

In this article, we’ll discuss why this happens, and we’re also going to help you resolve this problem without wasting too much of your time.

Why won’t BBC iPlayer work on Firestick?

• BBC iPlayer service is down.
• Your Firestick device is outdated and needs a new OS upgrade.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 apps are running in the Firestick background, resulting in less RAM allocation to the BBC iPlayer app.
• You are running an older version of the streaming 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.

How to fix BBC iPlayer not working on Amazon Firestick?

Try the following methods one by one if BBC iPlayer is not working on your Amazon Firestick streaming device.

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 get 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, which 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.

Update iPlayer app

If you are using an older version of the BBC iPlayer app, sometimes, it won’t work or shows a dark screen on 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.”

TIP: Internet speed is also a prevalent cause of this problem. Therefore, reboot your modem or router and check whether it works.

Update Firestick firmware

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.

Reinstall the app

If all of the above fixes did not get the BBC iPlayer app to work on your Firestick, try uninstalling and installing it 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 app is not working on your Firestick, try the troubleshooting steps in this guide to resolve your issue.