Learn what to do when you have trouble with your Xfinity Instant TV service.
What you'll need
- Xfinity Instant TV
- Access to the Xfinity Stream portal (xfinity.com/stream)
- Access to the Xfinity Stream app
Difficulty
Easy
I was watching a program at home, but when I left I couldn't watch it on the app
Were you watching an Xfinity On Demand program?
Due to restrictions by content providers, some Xfinity On Demand programs can only be viewed when you're connected to your Xfinity home network.
Were you watching a cloud-based DVR recording?
When you're away from your Xfinity home network, you can watch cloud-based DVR recordings over the internet only after they have finished recording. If the recording was in-progress, you'll have to wait until the recording is complete to watch it on the go.
Were you watching live TV?
With Xfinity Instant TV you can only watch live TV when you are at home and connected to your Xfinity home network. Learn more about what you can do at home and on the go. See Get Started with the Xfinity Stream App.
The app says I'm not at home, but I'm at my house
There are a few things you can do when the app says you are away from your home network, but you are in your house. Give this a try:
- Make sure WiFi is on in your device settings.
- Make sure your device is connected to your Xfinity home network and not the Xfinity WiFi network or another wireless network by accident.
- Restart your device, open the Xfinity Stream app, and see if the app recognizes that you're connected to your home network.
- Still having trouble? Contact us and we'll get things working for you.
A cloud-based DVR recording won't play or suddenly stops playing
Are you using the Xfinity Stream portal (xfinity.com/stream) or the Xfinity Stream app?
Xfinity Stream Portal
- Clear the cache in your web browser settings.
- Close your browser.
- Wait two minutes.
- Open your browser and return to the Xfinity Stream portal (xfinity.com/stream).
- Try playing the recording.
- Still having trouble? Contact us.
Xfinity Stream App
- Make sure your device has an active network (either in-home Xfinity network or an internet connection).
- Close and reopen the app.
- Try playing the recording.
- Still not working? Force-quit the app.
- Apple: Quickly press the Home button twice to see previews of your recently used apps, then swipe left or right until you find the Xfinity Stream app. Swipe upwards on the preview of the app until it is no longer on the screen.
- Android: Open the Settings, tap Apps, then tap the Running tab. Find XFINITY TV and tap Force stop. Not all Android devices function the same way. If you're having trouble force-quitting the app on an Android device, try turning the device off and then back on again.
- Wait two minutes.
- Open the app.
- Try playing the recording.
- Still having trouble? Contact us.
It takes a long time to download cloud-based DVR recordings or Xfinity On Demand programs
Some programs download faster than others depending on their length and whether or not they're in HD. If downloading takes a long time, try using a faster network connection.
My downloaded program is corrupted and will not play
There are a few things you can do if a download is corrupted and will not play. Give this a try:
- Delete the download and try to download it again.
- Make sure your device remains connected to your Xfinity home network or the internet while downloading. Changing or losing your connection while downloading may corrupt a download.
- Still having trouble? Contact us.
A channel in my channel lineup isn't showing up in my TV listings
If you don't see a channel that you should have in your lineup, contact us.
Additional information
Visit our Online Support Center to find common solutions.
The easiest way to activate, manage, and troubleshoot your Xfinity experience is with the Xfinity app! Get 24/7 real-time support, pay your bill, view plan details, get outage updates, and more. Download the free Xfinity app, or scan the QR code with your smartphone.
Need additional support? Ask Xfinity Assistant.