KEY POINTS

  • Apple TV apps might be greyed-out at times
  • Reports say the apps continue to work fine, but the app icons look ugly
  • It's easy to fix this issue

Apple TV users, whether the Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, might be surprised to see some of the apps on their Apple set-top box greyed-out as if something's wrong with them. Here's how to fix that.

When apps have their icons or logos greyed-out across the Apple ecosystem, this usually means they can't be used for some reason. It's either they are updating and suddenly had a problem with the update process (as in the case of this iOS user), or they could be caused by bugs in the system (like what this Reddit user thinks).

Greyed-out apps on the Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, however, continue to work as intended. Their app icons, however, look ugly and most users wouldn't want that. Whatever the case, Apple Insider says users should just leave the apps like that.

Why are they greyed-out?

Apple hasn't said anything about the case yet, but a quick look on the internet reveals that this has been happening for quite some time now. Apple Insider said the issue could somehow be connected to the apps' update status.

Here's how to fix greyed-out apps

It's easy to fix greyed-out apps on Apple TV. Here's how users can deal with it:

  • First, users should launch Settings on their respective Apple TVs.
  • Next, once there, users should select System.
  • Lastly, users should click on Restart.

Restarting the Apple TV should fix the problem, resulting in app icons looking colorful again. That said, if ever the issue reoccurs, users are advised to restart their Apple TV as needed to fix it.

Another way to fix it

If the greying out is caused by problems with the apps being updated, updating all Apple TV apps to the latest version will help prevent the issue from happening again. Users can tweak some settings on their Apple TV so that their apps will automatically update every time. Here's how:

  • First, users should launch Settings.
  • Next, once there, users should select Apps.
  • After that, users should look for and choose Automatically Update Apps then switch it on.

Updating apps to the latest version helps ensure that bugs with older versions will be fixed. That said, if ever the problem continues to occur, users are advised to restart the device as needed.

Apple TV
Pictured: The new smaller version of Apple TV is displayed at an Apple Special Event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts September 1, 2010 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images/Justin Sullivan