If you want to stream reality TV content in Canada, your only legal option is an NBC-owned platform called Hayu.
The platform is home to reality TV staples like Below Deck, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Real Housewives and more. Though the service has a spotty history when it comes to app reliability across several platforms, Hayu’s Apple TV app has been entirely inaccessible for several days.
According to several Hayu subscribers on Twitter, the app gets stuck on a loading screen and won’t launch. This still happens after restarting the Apple TV, uninstalling the app and reinstalling it. I’ve also experienced the issue myself and have been unable to access Hayu’s Apple TV app for roughly two weeks.
Aside from the current issue, I’m having to uninstall and reinstall the Hayu app on my Apple TV every could of days so the app will work. It’s very frustrating and I really hope you’re working on a fix. I have seen other complaints about the same thing so I know it’s not just me
— Peta (@PetieRee) May 9, 2021
Hey @hayu_CA I haven’t been able to load the app on my Apple TV since yesterday… is this a known issue?
— Sergio Osuna (@osuna_sergio) May 6, 2021
My HayU hasn’t worked on Apple TV all week 🤷🏻♀️
— Dana Parsons (@dlpyyt) May 8, 2021
Is it just my account or is hayu an annoying app for everyone else too!? I’ve been having to delete it off my appletv and reinstall bc it won’t load half the time😑 I remember the website sucked too smh
— morgan (@morgantesla) May 7, 2021
@hayu_au @hayuhelps What is wrong with your Apple TV app. Every time I start the app it does not load and I have to delete and download again. This has been happening for a couple of weeks now.
— sean lee (@Seanlee_24) May 8, 2021
In terms of solutions, Hayu’s Twitter account has been sending the following steps to affected subscribers via a DM:
“Due to the issue reported when streaming Hayu, we recommend to apply the next suggestions to try to resolve this issue:
1. Fully close the Hayu app.
2. Restart your Apple TV 4th Generation. You can restart your Apple TV from Settings, use your remote, or unplug it from power.
Use Settings On Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to Settings > System > Restart.
Use your remote Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote*: Hold down the Apple TV app/Home Home button and Menu buttons. Let go when the light on your device flashes. Apple Remote (aluminum or white): Hold down the Menu and Down buttons. Let go when the light on your device flashes.
3. Restart your network source.
4. Close any other apps running in the background.
5. Load the Hayu app and connect with . Try Hayu again.”
Some Twitter users have reported uninstalling and reinstalling the Hayu app from their Apple TV every couple of days as a solution to the issue.
In my experience, none of these fixes worked. In a follow-up email, Hayu’s customer service account said that it doesn’t have an “estimated resolution time frame” and suggsested I access the streaming service through a different platform.
In a statement to MobileSyrup, Hayu said that it “apologizes for the inconvenience that you and some other subscribers are currently experiencing and, having prioritized addressing this issue, the Hayu product team expects to fix it very soon.”
Though I could relatively easily play Hayu’s content on the Apple TV through AirPlay, the fact that the service has been down for several weeks with no timeline for a fix is perplexing and pretty unacceptable.
Hayu is available on Android, iOS and Apple TV for $5.99 per month.
