Hisense's FAQ has an entry on downloading and updating apps, and app faults on the TV follow a pattern. Check whether every app fails or one: if only one fails, check that service's status page and sign in on its website. Restart the TV by unplugging it for sixty seconds. Check the internet with the Network test, since apps need a working connection, and confirm the date and time are correct because a wrong clock breaks secure connections.
The checks in more detail
On VIDAA, apps update from the App Store, so open it and update the app or remove and reinstall it; on Google TV open Settings, Apps, choose the app, clear cache and data, then reinstall; on Roku TV remove the channel and add it again. Free storage by removing apps you do not use. Update the TV software, since old versions can break newer apps, and older Hisense models stop receiving app versions, so an app may no longer support them.
If an app opens then closes immediately, clearing its data is the usual fix; if it opens and spins, the network is the usual cause. A wrong region setting can hide apps from the store, so check the country under System settings. As a last resort, factory reset and sign in again after noting your apps. Note the exact error code an app shows, since services publish what each code means and a code often names the cause.
An app that opens and closes straight away usually has a cache problem, and one that opens and spins usually has a network problem, which tells you where to look. If every app fails at once but the same apps work on a phone on the same wifi, the TV's network settings or software are at fault rather than the services. Compare the app on a phone or another streaming device before blaming the TV; if it fails there too, the account or service is the cause.
Differential
Likely causes of “Hisense TV line apps will not open, update or install”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A service outage
What separates it One app fails because the streaming service has an outage
How to confirm Check the service's status page, to see whether it has an outage
- 2
A corrupt cache
What separates it The app crashes when it opens because its cache is corrupt
How to confirm Clear the cache and the data of the app, and then try again
- 3
Old TV software
What separates it The app shows errors because the TV software is old
How to confirm Update the TV software, and then try the app again
- 4
A wrong date or time
What separates it Secure connection errors show because the date or time is wrong
How to confirm Set the time and the date automatically, so that the app can connect
- 5
An unsupported old model
What separates it The app is missing because the model is too old to be supported
How to confirm Use an external streaming device, since the TV no longer supports the app
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The app that fails and the error that it shows
- Whether other apps work on the same TV
- The time setting and the network that the TV uses
- How much free storage the TV has
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedTry another app
ReversibleTry another app, to isolate whether the problem is with one app or the TV.
Restart the TV
ReversibleRestart the TV by leaving it unplugged for sixty seconds, and then plug it in.
Clear cache and data
ReversibleClear the cache and the data of the app, or reinstall the app afresh, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check the network
ReversibleCheck the network and the clock, since apps need both to connect securely, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Free some storage
ReversibleFree some storage by removing apps that you do not use, to make room, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Update the software
ReversibleUpdate the software on the TV, and then retest the apps that were failing, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Contact Hisense
ReversibleContact Hisense if all of the apps fail, and give them the model and the error.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- VIDAA
- Apps come from the VIDAA App Store.
- Google TV and Roku TV
- Use their own stores.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the U6N Mini-LED TV, A7N 4K TV.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If every app fails after a reset and a good connection, contact Hisense
- !If only one service fails, contact that service, since the fault may be theirs
- !If the app is dropped, use an external streaming device
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Reset, WiFi, Bluetooth, apps and remote FAQ.
Common faults and fixes.
Wi-Fi fixes.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I update apps on VIDAA?+
On VIDAA you update apps through the App Store, from the home screen.
How do I clear an app on Google TV?+
On Google TV, clear an app's data in Settings, under Apps.
Can storage matter?+
Yes, storage can matter, since apps need room to update and run.
Can old models lose apps?+
Yes, old models can lose apps, when the service stops supporting them.
Should I update the TV?+
Yes, update the TV, since new versions fix problems with apps.
Will I lose my subscription?+
No, you will not lose your subscription, and you sign in again afterwards.