Paramount Plus error something went wrong

With the deluge of streaming services, the virtually endless choice of content to get through, and the growing fragmentation of the market, finally choosing a specific streaming service may feel like the battle has already been won. Unless you're the kind of maverick that buys all of them.

Advertisement

If Paramount Plus happens to be your service of choice, you may find yourself struggling with it not working from time to time. Whether you've been a longstanding user, or come from one of the markets where this is a new arrival, the problem remains the same. Happily though, so do the solutions.

Table of contents

How To Fix Paramount Plus Not Working

Can I Download Video To Watch Offline?

How To Fix Paramount Plus Downloads Not Working

How To Fix Paramount Plus Not Working

There are a lot of potential issues that prevent Paramount Plus from working properly. These include things like a black screen, a stuck loading image, a "video unavailable" error message, or the app itself freezing. The solutions will vary slightly depending on which device you are using to try and view your content.

We'll cover as much ground as we can, to get you back up and running.

If you are streaming on a web browser

Here are a few general troubleshooting steps:

• Check your browser is fully up to date. If there are any updates outstanding, install them, and see if this resolves the issue.

Advertisement

• It's also worth checking if the browser you are trying to use is actually supported by Paramount Plus. There's a list of suitable browsers here.
• Clear your browser's cache.
• Try closing your browser and opening a new window.
• If you can, try using an alternative supported browser.

• Disable ad blockers. Ad blockers may be responsible for blocking Paramount Plus. So if you use an ad blocker, disable it, to see if this helps. Paramount offer guidance on how to do this, here.
• Make sure you meet the minimum system requirements for viewing Paramount Plus. This is more likely to apply to a new user. But if your system isn't capable of running the streaming service, that could explain your issue. The requirements will vary depending on your chosen device. You can see a list here.
• Check your internet connection. This may seem obvious, but make sure the issue isn't with your internet connection. You'll need a minimum download speed of 4Mbps to effectively stream Paramount Plus. You can run a speed test to check whether you meet this requirement. If not, contact your service provider to see what options you have to improve speed.
  • Assuming your internet is fast enough, run through the usual troubleshooting steps: test a different app, minimise the number of other devices that are jostling for bandwidth, and if appropriate, switch from WiFi to an Ethernet connection (this tends to be more stable). You can also restart your router to refresh your network connection.
• Turn off tracking protection. This fix is actually specific to users of Firefox. But Paramount advise that having tracking protection enabled can lead to streaming issues. To do this:
  • Go to the menu by clicking the 3 vertical lines in the top right corner.
  • Click on Preferences.
  • Select Privacy.
  • On the next page, deselect Standard, and select Strict.

There are some more potential fixes below if you are streaming on the Paramount+ app.

How To Fix Paramount Plus Not Working On Xbox, PS4 And PS5

Paramount Plus is available to Xbox and PlayStation users. And if you are experiencing issues with the app not working, your best bet is to close the app and relaunch it. But there are differences in how Paramount advises you to go about this.

For Xbox users, they recommend that you restart your Xbox. Go to Settings, select Restart Console, and then press Yes. If this doesn't resolve the issue, restart your router, and then try relaunching the app.

Advertisement

On PlayStation, highlight the Paramount+ app, then press and hold the PS button on your controller. Select Close Application. As with Xbox users, if this doesn't work, restart your router and try again.

• Read More: Paramount Plus Devices: How Many Devices Can Stream Paramount Plus?

How To Fix Paramount Plus Not Working Samsung, LG And Other Smart TVs

click to enlarge

Users of Samsung, LG and Vizio TVs can try the following:

• Samsung users can restart their TV, and then relaunch the app.
• LG users also need to restart their television. If this doesn't work. Turn off the television and unplug it for thirty seconds. Then, turn it back on and relaunch the app.
• On Vizio, hold down the back button on your remote to force close the Paramount+ app. Then try relaunching it. Alternatively, go to System > Reset Admin > Soft Power Cycle > Select Yes to restart the television.

How To Fix Paramount Plus Not Working On Android And iPhone

For anyone trying to stream via their mobile device, the first step is to force close the app. On an iPhone, you may need to uninstall the app and then reinstall it. Once the app has been closed, relaunch it.

Advertisement

It's also important to make sure your network connection is working properly. You can try switching from WiFi to cellular data, or vice versa, to see if this makes a difference.

• Read More: How To Change Netflix Region On Smart TV

How To Fix Paramount Plus Not Working On Roku, Firestick, Apple TV And Xfinity

Last, but by no means least, we'll take a look at connected devices. Of which there are many.

• For Apple TV users, Paramount offers a guide on how to fix a variety of issues. They specifically reference things like crashing, constantly loading, and out-of-sync closed captions. You can find that guide here.
• On Roku, your first step is to restart your Roku player.
  • If this doesn't work, manually check for any pending system updates. Go to System > System Update > Check Now.
• If you use Fire TV or Android TV, force stop the app. Clear the cache on the device, then try again.
• And finally, if you use Portal TV, Cox Contour Box, or Xfinity, do a hard reset of the device. Disconnect it from your power supply, wait for a minute or so, and then plug it back in. Once it has rebooted, restart the app.

If despite your best efforts, you still can't get Paramount Plus to work, then it's probably time to contact their Support Team for further assistance. But hopefully, for the vast majority of people, the solutions we've outlined above will suffice.

Can I Download Video To Watch Offline?

You might be wondering if it would just be easier to download your content of choice, and then you don't have to worry about connecting to the service. And there's good news and bad news.

Advertisement

The good news is that you can download Paramount Plus content to watch offline and when you are on the go.

The bad news is that this only applies if you subscribe to the Paramount Plus Premium package. So if you are on the Essential Plan, this won't be an option. Sorry.

• Read More: Paramount Plus Subtitles: How To Turn Off Subtitles On Paramount Plus

How To Fix Paramount Plus Downloads Not Working

Paramount Plus downloads are not working for you because of one of the following reasons:

• You’re not a Premium subscriber. The option to download is not available for the Essential plan.
• You are running iOS 12 or below, or Android OS 4.4 or below.
• You're using an older version of the Paramount+ app.
• Not all shows and movies are available for download.

If you are not a Premium subscriber, upgrade your plan to fix the issue. If you are a Premium subscriber, then try updating your OS and the Paramount+ app. In case you’re seeing the download icon in some places but not others, it may just mean that show or movie you are trying to download is unavailable for download.

Since you are here, have a look at how to change the Netflix region without a VPN and how to fix Netflix black screen.

Why does Paramount Plus keep saying error?

Why is my Paramount Plus not working?