If your Apple TV crashes after trying to download and install an update, that means you need to restore the update. Here’s how to restore your Apple TV in case it randomly crashed.
It may have never happened to you on your own Apple TV, but there may be a time when it finally happens. An Apple TV can sometimes crash randomly or most commonly during the installation process of a new iOS update.
If this happens, or if it has just happened to you, there is only one way to bring the streaming box back to life, and that is to restore it using iTunes.
I was unfortunate enough to have my Apple TV crash on me shortly after downloading and installing a new update, and just trying to restart the box doesn’t help. You have to completely reset and restore everything for it to work again.
This is definitely something that doesn’t happen very often, but it’s important to know what to do when it happens. Here’s how to restore your Apple TV.
What does a crashed Apple TV look like?
If you’re not sure if your Apple TV crashed, there’s an easy way to find out and it’s hard to miss.
Simply put, you will see the iTunes logo appear on the screen with a USB cable connected to the Apple TV graphic (see below). Also, the LED light on your Apple TV will flash quickly.
You can try restarting the streaming box by pressing and holding the volume and menu button simultaneously for six seconds to force restart, but the Apple TV will return to this iTunes screen. Unfortunately, you will have to restore the box.
Restoring Your Apple TV
To restore your Apple TV, you’ll need your computer with iTunes installed, a microUSB cable, and an internet connection.
Follow these simple steps to restore and get your Apple TV back to full working condition.
Note that this will reset everything, so you’ll have to sign back in to any streaming services you use like Netflix and Hulu Plus.
It’s kind of weird that you plug your Apple TV into your computer via the microUSB connection, and I actually never knew there was a microUSB port on the back of the Apple TV, so this was definitely a surprise.
However, this is how you fix a crashed Apple TV and your computer acts as the software downloader and installer for the box. It’s actually a neat little way to update Apple TV, but it’s certainly not ideal most of the time considering your Apple TV never leaves your home entertainment setup.
