How To Fix Samsung Smart View ‘Something Went Wrong. Please Try Again’ Message

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We love Samsung Smart View TVs, but not when they’re showing confusing “something went wrong” error messages. And the recommended solution is usually “please try again”, which hardly ever solves the problem. In fact, almost every time you get this error message, the problem is due to your TV and not the laptop or phone that you’re trying to broadcast from.

There are a number of fixes available, depending on the specific problem, but there’s one thing you should try before anything else, and that’s to update the software (actually firmware) on your TV.

Samsung Smart View ‘Something went wrong’ (Firmware Update)

Samsung Smart View ‘Something went wrong. Please try again’ errors can often be resolved by updating the firmware on your Smart TV (firmware is basically system-level software). Even if your TV is an older model, a firmware update can add the latest features and also fix various bugs. There are two main ways to update the firmware: directly or via a USB thumb drive.

Firmware Update: direct method

  • From your remote, navigate to Settings then select Support
  • Select Software Update, then select Update Now
  • The update will be downloaded and installed automatically

Firmware Update: USB method

  • From your laptop or PC, go to the Samsung Support website, find your TV model and download the Upgrade file.
  • Unzip the content of the upgrade file and store it on your USB drive (at root level, not in a folder)
  • Insert the USB drive into the USB slot on your TV
  • The update will begin immediately.

Your TV may restart a few times during the update process but this is normal, so don’t turn off the TV, unplug the power cord, or pull out the USB drive until everything has finished.

Why is software update unavailable on my Samsung Smart TV?

If you’ve tried to update using the direct method but the Software update option is greyed out, it’s a sure sign that your TV is not connected to the internet (or can’t access the internet for some reason). It’s easy to check, so here are the instructions to follow:

How do I connect my Samsung Smart View TV to Wi-Fi?

  • Go to Settings, select General, then select Network.
  • Select Open Network Settings, and read the name of the selected Wi-Fi network.
  • If this is your usual home network, then that’s fine. If not, scroll to your home network name, select it, enter a password if needed, select Done, and then select OK.

Now that the connection’s been made, it should be automatic every time. Here’s what to do if your Samsung TV disconnects from Wi-Fi every time it’s turned off.

 

Samsung Something Went Wrong. Please try again
No-one likes to see this! But there’s usually an easy fix | Image credit: samsung.com

 

Why can’t my Samsung Smart TV Connect to Wi-Fi?

Incompatible network problem

Some older but still popular Samsung TVs, particularly the 2018 models NU6*** and NU7***, only support 2.4GHz networks. They will not even see a 5GHz network, so they can’t connect to one. The fix is to only use 2.4GHz for your home network, but you’ll miss out on the faster data speeds of 5G.

Firewall problem

In some cases, the Windows 10 Firewall can block communication between your PC and TV. To fix this, go to your PC and find Windows Defender Settings.

  • Go to Firewall & Network Protection and then find Allow an app through firewall (at bottom of the window).
  • Select Change Settings, then scroll down to the name of your TV (Wireless Display). Now check both boxes for private and public.

How do I turn on Smart View on my Samsung TV?

If you’re still having connection problems, you can use Wi-Fi Direct screen mirroring, which doesn’t need Wi-Fi. Samsung have a full guide to screen mirroring and how to use it with your Samsung TV, but it’s very simple to set it up. Here are the steps you need to follow:

  • Older TV models: Press the Source button, then select the Screen Mirroring source option.
  • Newer TV models: Select Menu on your remote then navigate to Network, then select  Screen Mirroring

Next, go to your PC (the instructions here are for Windows 10):  

  • Click Start, and then click Settings. Next, click Devices, and then click Bluetooth & other devices.
  • Click Add Bluetooth or other device, and then click Wireless display or dock. Then, click your TV once its name is displayed.
  • If prompted, select Allow on your TV.
  • Click Done on your PC

Your PC or phone screen should now be mirrored to your TV screen. Bear in mind that everything that appears on the screen of your PC or phone will be faithfully mirrored to the TV, so don’t close any playback windows.

Unfortunately, due to Wi-Fi Direct being an old technology, media playback is limited to 1080p resolution. So even if you have a UHD Smart TV and a 4K media file, you’ll only be able to playback at 1080p.

 

amsung Smart View Logo
Smart View is great, but sometimes errors happen | Image credit: samsung.com

 

Why is my Samsung not screen mirroring?

Miracast problem

Screen mirroring with Wi-Fi direct uses a technology called MiraCast. Some older TVs may not have this fitted, in which case the fix is to buy a MiraCast dongle. The Anycast M2 Plus will do the job, and it’s less than £10. All PCs and laptops that run Windows 8 or Windows 10 have MiraCast built-in, so you won’t need to make any changes on the computer side.

Alternatively, you could buy a TV streaming dongle, such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which adds MiraCast but also gives you access to 4K UHD Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Apple TV and others. Here’s how to mirror your phone to a Fire Stick.

Bluetooth problem

Screen mirroring usually works over a Wi-Fi (or direct) connection, so you don’t need Bluetooth enabled on your TV. Bluetooth is a wireless technology, and in some cases it may cause interference with your connection. Turn the Bluetooth feature off on your TV and then try again.

Bear in mind that this may limit the controls on some remotes, as they partially use Bluetooth to beam to your TV. It can also upset the operation of some AI assistant speakers. So you should only consider this solution as a ‘quick fix’.

Why is Samsung Smart View not working on my phone any more?

On October 5, 2020, Samsung removed the Smart View app from the Play Store. This was replaced with SmartThings, which is Samsung’s new app for controlling all aspects of smart homes, including TVs. SmartThings can automatically detect and connect to most Samsung TVs, but here are the steps to follow for a manual connection.

First, you should download the SmartThings app to your phone. All the connection steps are from within the app, so the following works for iPhones and Android phones. (Also, this assumes that your phone and TV are on the same network.)

  • Open the SmartThings app
  • Tap Add Device. All the available devices that SmartThings can link to should now be displayed. If you can’t see your TV on the list, then SmartThings can’t connect to it.
  • Select your TV
  • A PIN number should now be displayed on your TV. Enter the PIN in the app
  • Your TV is now connected to Samsung SmartThings

As well as using this connection for mirroring and streaming, you can use your phone as a second remote for the TV. Additionally, you can set up programmable automations which can perform a chain of actions with one button push. So, for example, one tap on the app can turn down the lights, turn up the heating, switch on the TV and play the next episode of your Netflix binge.

And as of early December 2020, Samsung SmartThings now works with Google Nest, so Google’s Nest security cameras and smart doorbells can now be controlled via the SmartThings app. Potentially, you’ll be able to see who’s at your door with a picture alert on your TV!

 

Samsung SmartThings TV screen
SmartThings is a smart home system with some useful TV features | Image Credit: samsung.com

 

How do I cast Netflix or YouTube from my phone to my Smart View TV?

Some apps, like Netflix and YouTube, have an inbuilt screen-casting function that makes it easy to switch viewing between the big and small screen. Assuming that your phone and TV are on the same network, here are the simple steps to follow:

  • Make sure the Netflix (or YouTube) app is installed on both your TV and your phone
  • Log in to the same account on both your TV and your phone
  • Whilst playing content on your phone, tap the Cast icon within the app
  • The media will now play on your TV

YouTube Kids: Something went wrong. Please try again

Although the YouTube app usually runs without a hitch, the same cannot be said about the YouTube Kids app. If you get the message “Something went wrong” with youtube kids on your Samsung TV, there’s only one fix we know of.

First, open the YouTube Kids app on your TV, then go to Settings and sign out. (Do not sign back in, even if prompted). Close the YouTube Kids app. Next time you open the app, sign in as a guest. The favourite and recommendations lists will be lost, but everything else will now be available.

How do I reboot my Samsung Smart TV?

If all else fails, then it’s time to try a reboot. There’s an undocumented full reboot, which also resets all the internal network settings. Seeing as most Samsung Smart TV problems are to do with networks, this is the reboot we’ll use.

  • Power on your TV, and select Home using the remote.
  • Go to Settings, then Support
  • Select Self Diagnosis, then select Reset
  • When prompted, enter your PIN number. The default number is 0000
  • Select yes, then immediately hold down the power button on your remote, and keep it held down.
  • Keep it held down throughout the entire reboot process, which will include your TV turning on and off several times.

 

Samsung SmartThings connectivity
Samsung SmartThings replaces Smart View on phones and tablets | Image credit: samsung.com

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