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Sony TV Menu Not Working (Frozen/Keeps Popping Up)

Sony’s televisions provide some of the most pleasing image and sound quality entertainment viewing experiences. Often, with an operating system upgrade, things improve. However, these updates sometimes cause internal problems that make the menu crash.

A frequent reason for the Sony TV menu not working is a glitch in the TV’s software. To resolve this, perform a power reset on your TV. Unplug the TV from the power outlet, wait for about a minute, and then plug it back in. This reset can often clear temporary software issues that are causing the menu to be unresponsive.

In some cases, the issue may stem from the TV’s settings being configured incorrectly. If certain settings are adjusted improperly, it might prevent the menu from appearing. To fix this, reset your Sony TV to its factory settings. Go to the settings menu, select ‘System’ or ‘Device Preferences’, and find the option for ‘Reset’ or ‘Factory Reset’. Be aware that this will erase all your personalized settings and preferences, returning the TV to its original state. This step can help in resolving deeper issues that might be affecting the menu’s functionality.

TV remote pointed at screen

This article will walk you through the steps necessary to return standard menu functionality to your Sony television. Additionally, we’ll demonstrate how to use the TV menu without using the remote control.

Sony TV Top Menu Keeps Popping Up

Female sitting on bed pointing remote at TV

Generally, the top banner on your Sony television will display information on the video you’re streaming. When the Auto Display function is enabled, the home theater device automatically shows details such as names, image modes, and audio signals.

To disable the Auto Display function, follow these steps:

  1. Click the “Display” button on the provided remote.
  2. Push the “Home” button.
  3. Select “System Settings.”
  4. Navigate to Auto Display from the Setup menu.
  5. Choose “Off.”

Alternatively, on specific models, you’ll need to disable the information banner feature.

You can do this by taking the steps below:

  1. Push the “Home” button.
  2. Navigate to the settings menu.
  3. Choose “Preferences.”
  4. Scroll to “Setup” and select it.
  5. Choose the information banner function.
  6. Select “Hidden.”

Sony TV Menu Not Working

Hand holding remote and pointed at TV screen

Is your Sony TV’s menu not working or not reacting to the controls on your remote? If so, your best bet is to perform a forced factory reset.

Only Sony TVs running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or higher are capable of performing a forced factory data reset. You can discover which Android version your television supports in the “About” submenu.

You might need a friend to help you with this one!

If your television model only has a power button, execute a forced reset as follows:

  1. Disconnect the power cable from the television.
  2. On the television, push and hold the power button.
  3. Reconnect the AC power cable while continuing to keep the button down. If the outlet is a considerable distance from the television, have someone plug the power cord in for you.
  4. Maintain pressure on the button until the white LED light illuminates. It should take between 10 and 30 seconds.
  5. After the white light shows, release the button.
  6. Allow three minutes for the forced factory reset to occur. The television will power on and off twice.
  7. When the Welcome setup screen appears, complete the configuration. If the Welcome configuration screen doesn’t appear, unplug and then reconnect the AC power cable.

If your television model features three buttons, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Unplug the television’s power cable from the wall outlet.
  2. Simultaneously push and hold the television’s power and volume down buttons.
  3. Plug the AC power cable in while keeping the keys pressed. Keep force on the buttons until the “Erasing” screen displays.
  4. Allow a few moments for the factory data reset to complete. The television will power on and off.
  5. Carry out the setup as the Welcome setup screen appears.

Sony TV Menu Won’t Go Away

Female pointing remote at TV

When your television’s menu doesn’t respond to your remote control, it’s best to perform a forced factory reset. However, if you don’t want to delete all of your settings, you can disable the menu in your settings function.

This frozen menu may be due to your television’s shop mode, which retailers use to show the TV’s capabilities and functions. When this configuration is activated, different banners will show, including your menu.

To disable shop mode and remove the menu, perform the following steps:

  1. On the remote, press the Home button.
  2. Choose “Settings.”
  3. Select the properties menu for your machine.
  4. Navigate to the retail mode settings.
  5. Switch off demo mode and photo reset mode.

Another choice is to clear the cache on your television. According to Sony, depending on outdated records, the device can trigger several malfunctions.

To clear the cache and possibly remove the menu, perform the following steps:

  1. Press the “Home” button on the provided remote control.
  2. Choose “Settings.”
  3. Navigate to the apps menu.
  4. Select to view all applications.
  5. Tap to access your television’s apps.
  6. Pick “Clear cache” under the system apps.
  7. Confirm that you want to clear the cache by tapping.
  8. Select “Clear results,” followed by OK.

Specific Sony models encourage you to clear the data associated with a single app. Consider deleting all of the applications’ data to see how it makes the menu disappear.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on May 5, 2021.

Sony TV Menu Frozen

Male sitting on green couch and pointing remote at TV

Under most instances, you’d need to reset the television for the menu to resume regular operation. To perform a soft reboot, push the off button on the remote control down until the television screen switches off. Then, press the same button to turn it back on.

If, on the other hand, you’d rather perform a hard reset, follow the steps below.

  1. Utilize the Sony remote control to switch off the television.
  2. Unplug the device completely.
  3. Allow about five minutes to pass.
  4. Reconnect the TV to the socket.
  5. Once again, press the ‘on’ button on the remote to switch on the television.

If none of the above solutions work, you may need to factory reset your TV. It’s worth noting that doing a factory data reset would erase all custom settings on the TV, including applications, channels, and wireless settings.

To restore your television to its factory mode, follow these steps:

  1. Tap the Home button.
  2. Enter the settings menu.
  3. Select “Preferences.”
  4. Hit “Reset.”
  5. Select “Restore factory defaults.”
  6. When the machine asks if you want to delete everything, choose “Yes.”

How To Fix a Menu That Froze After a Software Update

Did your menu begin malfunctioning after a software update? If so, try resetting your TV and installing the program upgrade from a flash drive rather than downloading it from the internet.

The update may contain bugs that cause your television not to work properly. The new software with all glitches removed will be available on the official Sony website.

After your television is fully reset, perform the following measures to install the updates:

  1. Visit the Sony customer service page.
  2. In the search window, enter the model number of your television. If you’re unsure of your model number, look for it on the sticker on the television’s rear cover.
  3. Scroll to “Downloads” and click on the name of the software update.
  4. Follow the website’s guidance for downloading the upgrade to a USB flash drive and installing it on your TV.

If you don’t see an improvement, the update could still contain glitches. When that happens, reach out to Sony directly.

How To Access Sony TV Menu Without Remote

Hand holding TV remote

The simplest way to view the menu on your Sony TV without using the remote is to install an Android remote control program on your phone.

Here’s how you can do that:

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on May 5, 2021.

  1. Connect your television to your home network. You can use an Ethernet cable for this process if the remote is unavailable.
  2. Navigate to the market on your Android smartphone.
  3. Choose Search.
  4. In the search area, type “Media Remote for Android.”
  5. After locating the Media Remote for Android application, tap to install.
  6. Continue with the installation by following the on-screen instructions.
  7. Link your Android smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network as your television.
  8. Open the Media Remote Control. When you first launch Media Remote, it’ll prompt you to add devices.
  9. Tap your TV’s name to reveal the “Registration” button.
  10. On your television, choose “Start Registration.” You can navigate to make this selection using the volume buttons on your television if available.
  11. After registering the units, pick “OK” on the Media Remote app and “Finish” on the television.
  12. On your app, tap the menu button.

Although other remote applications are available for Android and iPhone, Sony recommends “Media Remote” for optimal efficiency.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on May 5, 2021.

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