Vizio SmartCast gives you multiple ways of streaming, controlling, and playing your entertainment. You can use it to stream TV and movies in 4K and share photos and videos.
SmartCast is also one of the best platforms for playing your music and playlists.
While you can do many things with the app, there are times when you might encounter errors. One common error is usually accompanied by the message “Vizio SmartCast not available at this time.”
This error prevents you to watch content on Vizio TV. You will only see a black screen. In our research, we have found a couple of issues that may be responsible for the error:
- You have too many unused apps
- Some of the casting apps are taking too much memory
- You have not connected your device to the internet
When you get the Vizio SmartCast TV not working error, you can fix it in several ways. Here are a few solutions to consider.
1. Restart the TV
One of the simplest solutions for fixing many errors with the Vizio SmartCast is to restart the television. It is a useful option, especially if the TV menu does not work, or the Vizio SmartCast keeps freezing.
It helps to flush out all the unimportant, temporary, and random data and memory caused by unused apps. Follow the steps below:
- Unplug the TV from the power source
- Leave it unplugged for five minutes
- While still unplugged, press and hold the power button for a full one minute
- After one minute, plug it in the power source
- Turn on the TV
After switching it on, use the menu on your remote to access the previous channels.
2. Update System Firmware
Vizio SmartCast has been receiving many updates in recent times. If you do not update the system, you will miss out on useful features and bug fixes. Updates will also fix the Vizio TV apps not showing errors.
Here is how:
- Turn on the TV and connect to a network
- Go to Settings
- Navigate to Systems
- Select Check for System Updates
- Confirm you want to check for updates
- Start installing the updates
After the installation, the TV will restart. You should now watch content without errors. Note that you cannot update the system if you can’t connect Vizio Smart TV to the internet.
3. Factory reset the TV
If the above steps did not work, you need to factory reset the Vizio SmartCast TV.
- Press Menu on your remote
- Navigate to Systems and press OK
- Select Reset & Admin
- Select Reset TV to Factory Defaults
- An on-screen prompt will appear
- Select Reset and press OK
The system will begin to reset. Next, you will have to reinstall your applications and other settings to continue.
If Vizio SmartCast is still not working, you can get in touch with Vizio Support.
On the other hand, if you have come across a different solution other than those we’ve mentioned here, let us know in the comments below. You could help others who are experiencing the same issue.
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I have the 70″ and EVERY TIME I TURN IT ON and try to get SmartTV, I get the not available message. Funny thing is i can push any of the dedicated buttons on the remote (NetFlix, Amazon, Hulu,..) and the channel will load.
OK, I think maybe it’s just slow on the boot, so after NetFlix loads I push the ‘V” button on my remote, guess what? “Smart TV not Available”. I’ve done the soft start, etc, but what gets me is the fact that I shouldn’t HAVE to go through this routine almost every time I want to watch a channel like YouTube that doesn’t have a dedicated button on the remote!
It’s frustrating.
All the stuff that Vizio gets paid by content providers gets updated endlessly when SmartTV does finally load and display, so why can’t they just send out a patch to fix this problem? You know, as a service to their customer that has also given them money for a product that isn’t performing as it should.
You guys are lucky, a factory reset at least gets your SmartCast to work. Mine is just blank, locks the TV up for a minimum of 30 seconds before you can switch to another input. Brand new, out of the box behavior.
So, I spent two hours on the phone with Vizio support. The rep, after going through the soft-power and factory reset TWICE (which I had already done multiple times!!!) finally admitted that there is a bug that their software engineers need to fix. And, of course, with COVID, there is absolutely no time frame for the fix. The perfect excuse.
Well, since this crap has been going on for a year now (according to the Vizio Reddit), it will probably never get fixed. Time for another class action lawsuit against Vizio, and for more than $30.
do my vizio smartcast tv have a built in chip that givd me a signal connection use like my smart phone? what is my battery to wy smart phone? what is my power plug to my smart tv? why do i need all those black boxes connect to my tv? what is smartcast tv? what is apps to the tv. why have my tv apps and phone apps disappear from my tv and phone setting screem?
Should not have to do all of that. Never had to do that in the old days and you would think with all this advanced tech someone would figure something out
I agree. Got this 65″ Vizio “smart tv” for Christmas. The last couple of weeks I have had to do this reset garbage every time I turn it on. I WILL NEVER buy another “smart tv” again. For now I will bring the trusty Roku out. What a shame.