The most common Disney+ problems and how to fix them

Disney+ rose quickly to become one of the most popular streamers, particularly for Marvel fans, Pixar followers, and, of course, people with small children who need to watch Frozen 2 once a day. There’s a wealth of content from some of the most popular brands in the world, and the app itself usually offers a smooth, snappy performance.

But things still go wrong. If you’re having Disney+ problems, our guide can help you work them and get back to your properly playing content.

Check your error codes

Disney+ problems won’t always bring up an error code, but if they do your first step should be to check the error code, what it means, and what’s advised to fix the problem. This is usually the fastest way to get results if there’s an easy fix. You can either go to the Disney+ Help Center and type in your error code or visit this fairly comprehensive list of codes on whatsondisneyplus.com. More infamous codes include:

Error 73, 31, or 11: This is a problem with location availability. It usually means that you are using a VPN to try and access Disney+ content that’s geo-restricted in your region. VPNs can sometimes help you with this, but Disney+ is one of those apps that tends to sniff out and block these VPN users. If you aren’t using a VPN, try rebooting your device.

Error 24 or 43: These are connection errors that indicate something is wrong with your internet connection. Try rebooting your Wi-Fi, and make sure the internet isn’t down in your area.

Error 22: This means that Kids Mode is blocking more mature content.

Error 39: This is a special error primarily for Xbox users that means you are trying to play Disney+ on more than one device. Shut down the app on other devices and it should work.

Error 90: This indicates a general error that could have many causes. Check to make sure your account/billing information is accurate first, then take a look at some of our suggestions below for possible fixes.

You can’t create or sign in to a Disney+ account

First, check the basics like making sure that your email and password are correct, and that your billing details are accurate: Something like putting the wrong credit card security code could be the cause of your account problems, and Disney+ generally requires a U.S.-issued credit card to work properly. Also, check your location information to make sure it’s accurate. If this is your first time signing up for Disney+, make sure your password meets requirements.

In other cases, particularly with error code 86, your account may have been blocked. This can happen if the email used to sign up is associated with someone under the age of 18, or if Disney has found the account has violated the terms of service. For more information, you should contact Disney+ customer service.

You can’t connect to Disney+ when you open the app

Usually signified by the error code 83 or 42, this was one of the most common problems when Disney+ first launched, typically due to server overload. Disney largely fixed this issue and now Error 83 isn’t as common, although you might still encounter it in particular busy viewing hours, or if something is going wrong with Disney’s servers. In these cases, start by switching to a different device and trying again — this has yielded surprisingly good results in the past. Otherwise, your best bet is to wait for 30 minutes and then try again.

If the problem doesn’t seem to be on Disney’s end, try rebooting your internet connection and see if this helps. It could also be an issue with low bandwidth, so if you have other devices on your network that are taking up a lot of bandwidth with other activities (people playing online games, etc.) then shut them down and try again. If none of this works, see if your router needs an update.

If you are on a web browser, you can also try to clear your browser cache and try viewing again to see if this fixes the problem.

Your video frequently lags or skips

This usually indicates an internet issue, especially if you get an error code 76. If you have a lot of other devices online, hoarding bandwidth, take them offline, shut down the Disney+ app, and open it again. If you are watching in a browser window, clear your browser cache, shut down the browser, and open it again.

If this isn’t working, check to make sure your internet is fast enough to stream the Disney+ content you want to watch. First, pick a speed test and run it on your device to see your results. If it’s less than 5.0Mbps, you will probably have trouble playing high-definition video. If your speed is less than 25Mbps, then you probably won’t be able to watch 4k video.

Disney+ keeps crashing or freezing when you try to watch something

First, trying clear out your browser cache. If you are using the Disney+ app, then head to the app settings on your device, go to Disney+, and look for a section that says Clear cache and clear data or something similar. Disney+ has a cache of its own that may need to be cleared for everything to work properly. Note that on Apple devices, the best way to do this is to completely uninstall the app and reinstall it.

Second, power cycle your device and, if possible, your router. That means manually turning off your device entirely, unplugging if necessary, and then waiting a little bit before turning it back on. Open up the app and try playing again.

Your video isn’t in 4K (and it should be)

If you are playing a Disney+ title that you know is in 4K but you are getting low-quality playback, start with the basics. The device or display that you are on needs to be able to play 4K content and your internet speed needs to be at least 25Mbps. Otherwise, 4K probably isn’t an option for you at this time. Disney+ will usually detect your system settings and switch to whatever format works best, which is why a particular title may be in 4K on one device, but low-quality on another device.

If your setup involves a cable connection, you should check that your HDMI, USB, or other cable types can handle 4k connections. Older cables may not have the improvements necessary for 4K, which can cause issues.

You downloaded a video, but it won’t play

Disney+ allows you to download content to mobile devices (not available on laptops) for later viewing without the need for the internet. If you downloaded a title and are having trouble watching it, first trying deleting and re-uploading the download, then opening and closing the Disney+ app and checking for Disney+ updates. If downloads still aren’t working, restart the mobile device that you on and check for updates for the platform (iOS, Android, etc.). Remember that you do need an internet connection for the download to complete successfully.

If your download won’t start at all, check for an error 13, which indicates that you have tried to download on too many devices for your account. Disney+ will only let you download on up to 10 devices.

You can’t create a profile on Disney+

Disney+ typically only allows up to seven profiles, so make sure you haven’t hit the profile limit with old profiles or profiles from other family members.