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If you're struggling to watch Netflix on your Sky Q box — you're not alone.
Engineers at Sky TV are hard at work on a "known issue" with the Netflix app that's preventing it from loading correctly. The problem seems limited to the Sky Q box, the last set-top box from the broadcaster that requires a satellite dish. Frustrated Sky Q viewers have flooded forums and social networks with complaints about the issue, which some subscribers complain has been present for months.
Speaking to GB News, a spokesperson for Sky said: "We understand that some Sky Q customers are experiencing issues with Netflix and we apologise to anyone who has been impacted. Our teams are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible."
Sky has bundled a subscription to Netflix with all of its TV bundles since March 2020. The streaming service is baked directly into the software that powers its Sky Q boxes, as well as Sky Glass and Sky Stream that followed, with new boxsets, documentaries, and films regularly recommended based on your viewing history.
Unfortunately, the glitch with Netflix means that trying to open the app to watch any of these suggestions leaves Sky Q viewers staring at a red spinning circle to denote loading progress. Others have complained about the Netflix logo being stuck on-screen.
Responding to one Sky Q viewer impacted by the Netflix bug, a customer representative for the satellite broadcaster posted on X, formerly Twitter: "There is a known issue with Netflix on Sky Q at the moment and our teams are working hard to resolve that as soon as they can. My apologies for any frustration caused while things are being sorted."
Hello, Karen. Thanks for the tweet. There is a known issue with Netflix on Sky Q at the moment and our teams are working hard to resolve that as soon as they can. My apologies for any frustration caused while things are being sorted. ^MC
— Sky Help Team (@SkyHelpTeam) August 9, 2024
Hello there. Rest assured our support teams are working on this. A newer version of the app will be released ASAP. In the meantime, Netflix will remain accessible on other devices, e.g a mini box, a smart TV app or mobile devices/laptops. Please send us a PM for more support. ^CL https://t.co/GtFddYihHy
— Sky Help Team (@SkyHelpTeam) August 6, 2024
Netflix on my @skytv box hasn’t worked in weeks, just have the red circle constantly going round, I’ve restarted my box numerous times and reset the apps, not sure what else to try🤷🏻♀️ @SkyHelpTeam @NetflixUK
— G (@georgiekellyxx) August 3, 2024
@SkyHelpTeam when is the Netflix app going to be fixed on the sky Q box? I have been unable to use it for 3 months, it just sticks on the loading page. Am I going to get a refund for the time I’ve not been able to? pic.twitter.com/nUaFKcBlz1
— Jack (@JackLee80) July 30, 2024
Another member of the Sky TV support team responded to another complaint about the Netflix issue on X by posting: "Rest assured our support teams are working on this. A newer version of the app will be released ASAP. In the meantime, Netflix will remain accessible on other devices, e.g a mini box, a smart TV app or mobile devices/laptops."
If you have other streaming devices, like a Roku, Fire TV Stick, Xbox or PS5, it's true the Netflix login created during the Sky Q set-up process will work.
It's unclear exactly when the issues with Sky Q boxes started. Some viewers have suggested it's been a few weeks, while others claim to have experienced problems for months. Posts on the Sky Help Forum date as far back as September last year, although it's unclear whether this is the same glitch or a very similar bug with the version of Netflix created for Sky Q boxes.
One of the earliest posts from the latest torrent of complaints, dated July 16, claims the Netflix app hadn't "been working for ages now despite me doing all the things Sky says to do," suggesting the glitch with the streaming predates this post.
While there's no bug fix available yet, other Sky Q viewers have suggested temporary workarounds in the Sky Help Forums that might solve the issue.
According to some disgruntled Netflix fans, signing out of the app on your Sky Q box from another device — like a laptop or desktop PC — can resolve the glitch. To do that, follow the below steps:
Doing the same steps as above — but also taking the time to change your password, is also recommended by some Sky Q users.
Other workarounds from Sky Q viewers include opening up a succession of other streaming apps on the box, like Prime Video, Disney+, and Paramount+, for example. After these have all booted up correctly, watch something for a few minutes, then return and attempt to open Netflix again.
Sky Q, released in the UK in March 2016, is the last flagship set-top box powered by a satellite dish
SKY PRESS OFFICE
Other frustrated Sky Q users claim that turning off "Test Participation" — a setting you'll find buried deep within the Account page on Netflix in your web browser, or via a smartphone can resolve the endless loading issue.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
At its peak, there were more than 3.6 million people watching on Sky Q.
However, Sky has confirmed to GB News that 90% of new customers who take out a subscription with the broadcaster now opt for broadband-powered kit, like Sky Glass and the best Sky Stream deals. Ditching the satellite dish has become so popular that Sky has started to wind down its satellite dish operations and cull channels from its oldest Sky+ boxes.
