Android TV Keeps Disconnecting? How to Fix It Fast
Steve H.
Expert ★★★★★ 27,853 satisfied customers
Specialities: Android TV & Google TV, smart TVs, home Wi-Fi, mesh systems, router firmware, DNS/DHCP, streaming apps and buffering issues
Android TV keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi — router, TV settings, Ethernet and app issues
Technician
• TV brand/model (Sony Bravia, TCL, Hisense, Philips, Xiaomi, Nvidia Shield, Android TV box, etc.)?
• Are you using Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet cable to the router?
• What exactly happens when the TV disconnects: does it show “Wi-Fi disconnected”, “Connected, no internet”, “Network not available”, or apps just buffer forever?
• Did anything change recently — Android TV or Google TV update, new router from ISP, moved the TV, or changed Wi-Fi name/password?
• Roughly how often does the Android TV Wi-Fi keep disconnecting (every few minutes, only after standby, only in some apps)?
With that info we can go step by step and fix an Android TV that keeps losing connection instead of you rebooting it all day.
Technician
• Router firmware enabling aggressive band steering or smart connect that pushes the TV between 2.4 and 5 GHz until it drops.
• Security mode changing to WPA3-only or mixed enterprise modes Android TV doesn’t fully like → you see “connected, no internet”.
• Short DHCP lease time or buggy IPv6/DNS options that make the Android TV internet connection drop every few hours.
We’ll keep this simple:
1) Do a proper power reset on both TV and router (not just standby).
2) Check Network & Internet on the TV and reconnect Wi-Fi cleanly.
3) Adjust a few router options so your Android TV Wi-Fi stops disconnecting and stays stable.
If needed, we can also test with Ethernet and a network reset on the TV before touching anything heavy like a full factory reset.
Technician
Step 1 — Do a real power reset on both TV and router
1) With the TV on, unplug it from the wall for 2–3 minutes (not just standby), then plug it back in and turn it on.
2) Turn the router/mesh main unit off for 30 seconds, then back on. Wait until Wi-Fi is fully up again.
Step 2 — Run Network Status / Network Diagnosis
On most Sony/Android/Google TVs:
• Go to
Settings → Network & Internet → Network status / Check connection.• Note where it fails: TV → router or router → internet.
If it says the TV cannot connect to Wi-Fi, we treat it as a local Wi-Fi issue. If it says “router can’t reach internet”, we tweak DNS/IPv6 and router features like band steering that can make Android TV Wi-Fi keep disconnecting after a firmware change.
Technician
Step 3 — Forget and reconnect Wi-Fi on Android TV
1) On the TV, go to
Settings → Network & Internet.2) Highlight your Wi-Fi network, choose Forget.
3) Re-select it, enter the password carefully, and connect again.
4) Once connected, let a YouTube video play for 10–15 minutes to see if the Android TV still drops Wi-Fi.
Step 4 — Check basic router settings
In the router app/web page:
• Security: set Wi-Fi to WPA2-PSK (AES) if possible (not WPA3-only or WPA/WPA2-Enterprise).
• Try turning off “Smart Connect”/“band steering” for a test so the TV isn’t bounced between 2.4 and 5 GHz.
• If there’s an “auto-optimize” or “Wi-Fi AI” option, disable it temporarily — these features often make Android TV internet keep dropping while trying to be clever.
Technician
Step 5 — Reserve an IP and tweak DNS
• In the router’s client/device list, find your TV (often shows as Android TV, Bravia, etc.).
• Create a DHCP reservation so the TV always gets the same IP address.
• If the router uses custom DNS or IPv6, try turning IPv6 off and using standard DNS (e.g. your ISP or a simple public DNS) — this alone stops random drops on a lot of Android TVs.
Step 6 — Check signal or test Ethernet
• If the TV is far from the router, weak signal can make the Android TV internet connection drop under load. Move the router slightly or use a closer mesh node.
• If you can, temporarily plug the TV into the router with an Ethernet cable. If Ethernet is rock-solid but Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on Android TV, we know it’s purely wireless settings and can tune those more aggressively.
We can walk through your exact router interface live in chat if you’d like step-by-step screenshots.
Technician
Step 7 — Change standby and power saving settings
On many Android/Google TVs:
• Go to
Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi and check for an option like “Keep Wi-Fi on during standby”. Set it to Always if available.• Under
Settings → Power / Eco / Energy saving, turn off ultra-aggressive eco modes that put the network to sleep.• If there’s a “Quick start” or “Instant on” mode, try toggling it the opposite way and test — some firmwares behave better one way or the other.
After this, check if your Android TV keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi after standby. If it’s still flaky, we’ll do a focused network reset on the TV side.
Technician
Preventive setup so Android TV stops disconnecting
• Keep one main Wi-Fi SSID name and password and avoid changing it unless absolutely necessary; Android TV gets confused by frequent changes.
• Reserve an IP address for the TV in your router so renewing the lease doesn’t make the Android TV internet connection drop.
• If your mesh/router supports it, tag the TV as a “priority device” so it gets stable bandwidth for streaming 4K.
• Avoid stacking VPNs, DNS override boxes, or complicated parental-control rules on the TV profile — these are common reasons an Android TV keeps disconnecting from the internet while other devices are fine.
• When a big firmware update is announced, keep an eye on it for a day or two before applying; if others report Wi-Fi bugs for your exact model, it can be worth waiting for the fixed build.
Set up this way, Android/Google TV usually behaves like a normal appliance again, not a random beta test.
Technician
Step 8 — Reset only network settings on Android TV
• Go to
Settings → System → Reset → Network reset (wording varies by brand).• Confirm. The TV will forget all Wi-Fi/Ethernet settings.
• After reboot, reconnect to your Wi-Fi again from scratch and test if the Android TV still disconnects from Wi-Fi.
Step 9 — Full factory reset (last resort)
• Back up any app logins or settings you care about.
• Go to
Settings → System → Reset → Factory data reset and follow the prompts.• Set the TV up as new, connect to Wi-Fi, install updates once, then test streaming before adding tons of extra apps.
In many tough cases this clears out corrupt configs from old updates and stops the Android TV network from dropping every time you use it. If you’d like, an expert can stay with you in chat while you run through these steps so nothing important gets missed.
Technician
Quick answer: the accepted fix
Accepted fix when an Android TV keeps disconnecting from Wi-Fi: do a full power reset of TV and router, then in Settings → Network & Internet forget and reconnect your Wi-Fi network. In the router, reserve an IP for the TV, turn off aggressive band steering/auto-optimize for that device, and test a stable stream. If the Android TV still keeps dropping connection, reset only network settings on the TV, then, if needed, perform a factory reset after backing up app logins.
Why Android TV disconnects after an update or new router
Most times an Android TV keeps disconnecting after an update or new router, nothing is “broken” — the software and network settings just changed in a way the TV doesn’t handle well. Router firmware may enable WPA3-only security, new 5 GHz channels, or aggressive band steering. Android TV can then show “connected, no internet” or silently drop the Wi-Fi connection during streaming. System updates on the TV can also reset power-saving and standby behaviour, causing the Android TV Wi-Fi to turn off in standby and not reconnect correctly until you toggle Wi-Fi or reboot.
How to test if your Android TV connection is really fixed
After each change, test like this: play YouTube or Netflix for at least 20–30 minutes, then put the TV into standby and wake it again later. If the Android TV no longer disconnects from Wi-Fi, apps open quickly and you don’t see “network not available” or “connected, no internet”, your fixes are working. If Ethernet is always solid but Wi-Fi keeps dropping on Android TV, the problem is almost certainly wireless settings, signal strength, or interference — not the TV’s hardware itself.
Android TV keeps disconnecting — quick troubleshooting tips
Most issues are fixed by resetting devices, reconnecting Wi-Fi cleanly, and tuning a few router options.
Quick path: power-reset TV and router, run the built-in network check, then forget and reconnect Wi-Fi in Network & Internet. Reserve an IP address for the TV, disable ultra-“smart” Wi-Fi optimisation and band steering for that device, and turn on “keep Wi-Fi on during standby” if available. If your Android TV Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting even after that, reset only the network settings, then use Ethernet or a mesh node closer to the TV for the most stable streaming.
Disclaimer: This information is AI-generated and intended for general guidance only. For advice specific to your Android TV model, router brand, and firmware version, please consult a verified expert on Whizz-Tech before making decisions.
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FAQ
Why did my Android TV start disconnecting right after an update or new router?
Updates often change Wi-Fi security, channels and band steering, and new ISP routers can enable WPA3-only modes. Android TV may then connect but show “connected, no internet” or drop under load until you reconnect it to a stable, compatible network and reserve an IP address.
Should I use 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi for Android TV?
If the TV is near the router, 5 GHz is usually better for 4K streaming. If it’s far away or through several walls, 2.4 GHz can be more stable. The key is to avoid the TV being bounced between bands by aggressive “smart connect” features that make the Android TV Wi-Fi keep disconnecting.
How do I stop my Android TV from disconnecting every few hours?
Reserve an IP for the TV in your router, disable overly aggressive Wi-Fi optimisation, and make sure power-saving modes aren’t turning off Wi-Fi in standby. If your Android TV keeps losing connection after that, reset only the network settings and reconnect to Wi-Fi cleanly.
When should I reset network settings or factory-reset Android TV?
If the TV says “saved, not connected”, drops immediately after connecting, or only works for a few minutes at a time, a network settings reset is a good next step. A full factory reset is the last resort when all other fixes fail and the Android TV still keeps disconnecting.
Sources
- Sony — The TV Wi-Fi signal drops or intermittently disconnects
- Google TV Help — Fix problems with your Google TV device
- TCL Support — Troubleshooting internet connection issues on a Google TV
Filed under: Smart Home + Smart TV
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