Apple TV app crashes plague small number of users before Apple TV+ launches

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited December 2019
A small number of Apple TV owners are unable to use the Apple TV app on their set-top devices, a potentially embarrassing issue just ahead of the launch of the Apple TV+ service which relies heavily on the app functioning properly.




Apple is preparing to launch Apple TV+ on November 1, which heavily relies upon the Apple TV app for users to select and view content from the service. The Apple TV app is also a central element of Apple's newest Apple TV experience, including channel subscription options, making it an extremely important part of the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K.

However, reports from users suggest that, barely over a week before its launch, there are issues with the Apple TV app where it crashes, an inconvenience which prevents users from watching content at all. First reported by 9to5Mac, the app is crashing following the first swipe down in the Watch Now tab.

While the Apple Support Forums are relatively quiet, users are turning to Twitter to air their grievances on the issue, including a video in one instance of the crash happening repeatedly.



It is unclear what exactly is causing the problem, but it is evidently extremely limited to a very small number of people using tvOS 13, which introduced the new Apple TV experience, or tvOS 13.1. Versions of the app on other platforms do not have the same issue, and the number of reports are low, indicating it to be a minor problem.

While a likely cause of crashes could be streaming video files that are corrupted during transmission to the device, it doesn't seem to match in this case. It is also odd that it affects only a few, whereas an app bug usually would be more evident in a larger number of complaints.

Given the issue with the app, Apple is likely to release an update for tvOS that fixes the bug in the future, possibly in conjunction with another update around the time of Apple TV+'s launch. Apple is currently beta-testing tvOS 13.2, but it is unclear if anyone enduring the crashes is using that release.

Apple TV+ will go live on November 1, priced at $4.99 per month, but customers buying select Apple hardware can get a year's access to the content at no charge.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    xander04xander04 Posts: 5member
    This update has effectively bricked both my Apple HD and Apple 4K. 
    Constantly crashes and streaming via Airplay from iPhone X is a non starter. 
    Hope they fix it by Nov 1st. 
  • Reply 2 of 7
    WgkruegerWgkrueger Posts: 352member
    xander04 said:
    This update has effectively bricked both my Apple HD and Apple 4K. 
    Constantly crashes and streaming via Airplay from iPhone X is a non starter. 
    Hope they fix it by Nov 1st. 
    Reset your devices. A PITA but it fixed my issue with the app crashing. 
    edited October 2019
  • Reply 3 of 7
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 2,678member
    The AppleTV app is definitely buggy in the current version. I'm not having the issue that's specifically described in the article, but crashes during streams are an issue right now.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    If there’s one device that is consistent across an entire platform it’s the Apple TV. There are only two models supported for Apple TV+, you can only download apps from the app store, most people don’t hack or jailbreak the device. So we’re all using the same hardware, the same software. There is little customization possible so unless these reports turn out to be related to some setting or configuration setting I don’t understand why a “few” users are experiencing this issue. It sound to me like either a corrupted update or a hardware problem. For the record I am not experiencing the reported crashes.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    jccjcc Posts: 326member
    AppleTV has always been buggy requiring frequent reboots. Just reboot and you’ll be fine.
    docno42
  • Reply 6 of 7
    danuffdanuff Posts: 33member
    I'd check and see if the effected users also have Apple Arcade. Sounds like a memory leak in the actual TV+ or in a game.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    tabakstabaks Posts: 9member
    There is a HUGE BUG affecting Apple TV app and security settings on iPads. So far, it has NOT been addressed. Basically, if you disallow app deletion in settings - Apple TV app is REMOVED from your desktop! It can not be searched for, it can not be found. The ONLY way to run it is by Open(ing) it from Apple Store app (only from there, every time) or by lowering your system's security/integrity by turning off the app deletion prohibition. This is such a GLARING BUG (which I have shown/demonstrated in detail to support specialist) that Apple can't in all honesty expect to be "treated as an adult" in game of bug fixing and care for customers!
    edited October 2019
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