Apple TV Outage Today: Is It Working Now? (Full Fix Guide)

Did you have trouble watching shows on Apple TV or downloading apps today? You are not alone. A major Apple service outage happened on January 20 and 21, 2026, affecting thousands of users worldwide.

In this guide, we explain what happened, why it happened, and how to fix it if you still have issues.

What Happened to Apple TV?

Starting Tuesday evening (January 20), many Apple users reported that their services were down. Users saw error messages like "Unable to Play" or "Cannot connect to the App Store."

The following services were affected:

• Apple TV & Apple TV Channels

• App Store

• Apple Music

• iCloud Mail & Photos

• Apple Maps Traffic

Why Did the Outage Happen?

Apple has not officially explained the exact cause yet. However, tech experts believe it was a Backend Server Error or a problem with their Cloud Infrastructure. Some reports suggest it happened during scheduled maintenance of the App Store that went wrong.

Is Apple TV Working Now? (Current Status)

Yes. According to the Apple System Status page, all services have been fully restored. The outage lasted about four hours before engineers fixed the issue.

How to Fix Apple TV Connection Issues

If your Apple TV is still not working, follow these simple steps to fix it:

1. Restart Your Device: Unplug your Apple TV for 60 seconds and plug it back in.

2. Sign Out/In: Go to Settings and sign out of your Apple Account, then sign back in.

3. Update Software: Make sure you are using the latest tvOS version.

4. Check Internet: Ensure your Wi-Fi is working correctly.

Will This Happen Again?

While Apple services are usually very reliable, minor server issues can happen. Apple is constantly updating its servers to prevent future crashes. To stay updated, you can always check the Official Apple System Status website.