Waiting for Netflix to play or load on a Mac is usually instant, allowing you to enjoy your show at any time. When Netflix won’t play, load, open or even connect, it can be very frustrating and leave you waiting for a video that may never come. In this article, you will find several different troubleshooting tips to fix these issues so that you can enjoy Netflix on your Mac.
Netflix will not load or play on a Mac if temporary website data, such as cookies or __Indexed DB, need to be cleared. You may also need to change Safari’s preferences to ‘Allow Auto-play’ or reinstall Silverlight. Other issues relate to outdated software, poor internet or certain security software.
I will explain these issues and their fixes in more detail throughout this article so you know exactly how you can play or load Netflix properly. I have also included the Netflix error code unique to Mac computers and how to fix it.
Mac Won’t Play Netflix
Error Code S7053-1807
The above error code is Mac-specific and occurs when stored data in your web browser needs to be refreshed. This includes Netflix website data and indexed DB files. Remove the Netflix website data following the steps below.
Step 1: From the Safari menu bar, select ‘Safari’.
Step 2: Navigate to Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and Website Data > Details or Manage Website Data > Netflix > Remove’.
Step 3: Confirm your choice by selecting ‘Remove Now’.
You need to close Safari to then delete the indexed DB files. To close Safari and remove these files, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Quit Safari by pressing the ‘Command’ and then ‘Q’ key.
Step 2: Navigate to Finder.
Step 3: From the Finder menu bar, select ‘Go’.
Step 4: Navigate to ‘Library > Safari > Databases > __IndexedDB’.
Step 5: Drag all files in this folder into the trash.
Step 6: Empty the trash.
Restart your Mac
You can restart your Mac from the Apple Icon menu. If you would like to hard reset your Mac, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Save all work that has not been saved.
Step 2: Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds.
Step 3: Release the power button and wait another 2-3 seconds.
Step 4: Press and release the power button to restart your Mac.
Change Website Preferences for Netflix
Some Safari settings may be preventing Netflix from playing. These settings can be adjusted following the steps below.
Step 1: Go to the Netflix website in Safari.
Step 2: Select ‘Safari’ from the menu bar.
Step 3: Select ‘Settings for this Website’.
Step 4: Ensure you have unticked ‘Enable Content Blockers’ to disable this feature.
Step 5: Ensure ‘Auto-Play’ is set to ‘Allow All Auto-Play’.
Update your Mac OS
Updating your Mac OS will give you the best chance of running software on your Mac that is compatible with Netflix. This will update the Mac OS as well as Safari. To update your OS, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Select the Apple Logo from the menu bar.
Step 2: Navigate to ‘System Preferences > Software Update > Update Now’.
Step 3: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
Reinstall Silverlight
The Silverlight plugin helps some websites such as Netflix to run multimedia content. Reinstalling Silverlight is relatively straight-forward once you have uninstalled it from your Mac. The steps below will help you uninstall this plugin.
Step 1: Quit all Safari windows by pressing the ‘Command’ and then ‘Q’ keys.
Step 2: Navigate to Finder.
Step 3: Select ‘Go’ from the menu bar.
Step 4: Navigate to ‘Computer > Macintosh HD > Library > Internet Plugins’.
Step 5: Drag ‘Silverlight.plugin’ into the trash.
Step 6: Empty the trash to finalise uninstalling Silverlight.
To reinstall Silverlight, simply return to Netflix on your web browser and attempt to play a movie or TV show. You will be prompted to install Silverlight. Follow the prompts and this will install the latest version of the plugin.
Clear Cookies and other Website Data
Step 1: Select ‘Safari’ from the menu bar.
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data’.
Step 3: Select ‘Remove All’ and then ‘Remove Now’.
Step 4: To close the window, select ‘Done’.
Temporarily Disable Security Software
If you have security software installed on your Mac, this may be blocking Netflix multimedia content. You can test this by temporarily disabling your security software and try Netflix again.
If Netflix is able to play videos again, you may need to update your security software or contact the support team to work around the Netflix website. Make sure you turn the security back on after you have tested Netflix.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on September 3, 2021.
Mac Netflix Not Loading/Opening
Check your Internet Connection
Netflix will not load on your Mac if your internet connection is poor or not working. You should be able to test whether or not it is working by loading a different web page. If that page loads, your internet may be too poor to load the Netflix website specifically.
You may be able to fix this by simply restarting the modem and router. This can be done following the steps below.
Step 1: Unplug the modem and router (if you have one) from their power source.
Step 2: Wait at least one minute.
Step 3: Plug the modem back in and wait for it to startup.
Step 4: Once the router has fully rebooted, plug the router back in.
If this does not fix the issue, there may be something causing a poor connection in your home. Make sure that your Mac is close enough to your modem or router. They should be within 30 feet of one another, but ideally in the same room.
You should also ensure there are no other devices or obstructions that could weaken the signal. Try to minimise other transmitting devices in the home, such as other networks, radios, microwaves (when in use) and Bluetooth devices. Also aim to have no disruptive materials blocking the signal, such as metal, thick timber or concrete or large bodies of water (such as an aquarium).
To truly test if it is the WiFi signal, connect your Mac directly to the network via an Ethernet cable. This will provide the fastest and most reliable connection. If this connection still does not work, it could be the Netflix servers instead of something on your end.
Check Netflix Servers
Sometimes the Netflix servers may be down for maintenance or experiencing technical issues. You can check this through the Netflix website here, or through other websites, such as Down Detector. Unfortunately, if the Netflix servers are down, you will need to wait for them to fix the issue themselves before it will work again.
Netflix Not Connecting On Mac
Netflix will not connect on your Mac for the same reasons mentioned above. This includes the following fixes.
- Restart the modem and router
- Move the modem/router and Mac closer
- Minimise WiFi interference
- Use an Ethernet cable
- Check the Netflix servers
Netflix Not Stream To Mac
When Netflix is not streaming, you will need to look into your network more closely. You can try the troubleshooting methods mentioned above, but this is often a result of slow download speeds or using public networks.
Check your Public Network
Some public networks will not allow streaming services. This can include dorms, hotels, shopping centers, etc. If you have connected to one of these networks, you may not be able to stream Netflix on your Mac unless you contact the network administrator.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on September 3, 2021.
Check your Internet Speed
One of the main reasons Netflix will not stream is slow internet. Your internet will need to be equal to, or faster than, the recommended speeds for each video quality in Netflix. These recommendations are listed below.
- Connecting to Netflix: 1.5MB/s (minimum of 0.5MB/s)
- Streaming Standard Definition: 3MB/s
- Streaming High Definition: 5MB/s
- Streaming 4k or Ultra HD: 25MB/s
You can check your network speed through websites such as Speedtest.net. If your internet is slower than the speeds recommended above, your video will not be able to download in time to keep up with the playback, causing the show to frequently pause, or ‘buffer’. If you are watching higher quality videos, you could either try using an ethernet connection instead or reduce the video quality (see below).
Reduce the Video Quality
You can reduce the video quality on Netflix through your account page in your web browser. Follow the steps below to choose a lower quality stream, allowing your video to stream without disruption.
Step 1: From your web browser, go to your Netflix account page.
Step 2: Find and select your profile under ‘Profile & Parental Controls’.
Step 3: Select ‘Playback Settings’ and then ‘Change’.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on September 3, 2021.