A screen is offline or the internet is down

Offline is a connection report

The dashboard marks a paired screen offline when its last report is more than 90 seconds old. That is not proof that the TV has stopped showing content. A player may still be running its prepared playlist locally.

During a temporary internet interruption, already cached content can continue. Pairing, downloads, new publishes, and current dashboard status need connectivity.

Check the player in order

1. Look at the physical TV. Confirm power, the correct HDMI source, and whether old content is still playing.
2. Confirm the Apple TV has a working Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection. Resolve a captive portal or blocked network with your venue’s network administrator.
3. Keep Better Signage open and restore internet access. Wait for fresh dashboard status before sending a new playlist.
4. If a device remains offline, record the error and time. Restart only when interrupting that screen is safe.

Local playback has limits

Playback requires the assigned files to remain in the Apple TV’s local cache. tvOS storage management, deleting the app, or resetting the device can remove files. A restart can recover a saved playlist only if its required cached files are still available.

A new or cleared player cannot download its first playlist without connectivity. Avoid reinstalling the app as the first response to an outage; you may remove the content that is still keeping the screen running.

Related help

• Network and firewall requirements
• Send a playlist and resolve a blocked publish
• A TV is blank or showing the wrong content