Apple TV users may sometimes see an error displayed that says ‘An error occurred loading this content‘ when trying to use Netflix. This is a common error. It’s usually caused by problems with your local network or Internet connection. Try these steps to solve the issue.
Check For Outages
This error could sometimes be caused by a widespread issue. Check here to see if there is a problem with the Netflix service. If there is a widespread issue, you’ll just need to wait it out.
Restart Apple TV
In most cases, this problem can be solved by simply restarting the Apple TV. Simply go to “Settings > General > Restart“, and Netflix should no longer show the error.
Reset Network Equipment
Try unplugging all of your network equipment, such as your wireless router and modem, waiting 10 seconds, then plugging it all back in. This should reset all of the equipment and can result in better network performance.
Ensure Strong Network Signal
Be sure you have a strong connection to your local router and the Internet. If you’re on a wireless connection, ensure you are using a 5Ghz connection. The 2.4Ghz band is prone to interference from equipment all over your neighborhood and could be affected by electronics, microwaves and other wireless routers.
If you don’t have the option for a 5Ghz connection on your router, it might be time to upgrade to a dual band router that supports 5Ghz networks.
Still can’t get a strong wireless connection? It might be time to run an Ethernet cable from your router to your Apple TV.
Ensure Proper Bandwidth
Check to make sure other equipment on your wireless network isn’t hogging all the bandwidth of your Internet connection. If you have a teen downloading large files via BitTorrent, you probably won’t have enough for Netflix on your Apple TV. Other people watching streaming video in another room might cause an issue too if your bandwidth isn’t large enough.
See Netflix: How Fast of an Internet Connection Do You Need?
Use Google Public DNS
Some Internet providers may slow your connection to Netflix intentionally. To avoid this, try using Google’s Public DNS service. You’ll need to access the DNS settings in your wireless router, and set the DNS primary and secondary servers to the following.
Google Public DNS IPv4 addresses:
- 8.8.8.8
- 8.8.4.4
Google Public DNS IPv6:
- 2001:4860:4860::8888
- 2001:4860:4860::8844
Note: You can use the IPv4 or the IPv6 option. Not both.
Disable VPN
If you’re using a VPN service, try disabling it to see if that gets you working.
If disabling the VPN service gets you working and you’d like to continue using your VPN service, try connecting to a different location in your VPN software.
Update Software
Check to see if there are any software updates to your Apple TV. On most models, you can do this by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
If you had the “An error occurred loading this content” error and have solved it, let us know what worked for you in the comments section.