How to Get Internet on Apple TV With Wi-Fi or Ethernet
To get internet on Apple TV, open Settings, go to Network, select Wi-Fi and pick your network, or plug an Ethernet cable into a model that has the port. Apple’s Apple TV 4K User Guide gives the Wi-Fi path in three steps, and this article walks each one with Apple’s own wording.
If the Wi-Fi option is missing from the Network screen, an Ethernet cable is the first thing to check. Apple’s support page states that with a cable plugged in “you won’t see the option to connect to Wi-Fi.”
How to connect Apple TV to Wi-Fi
These are the three steps on Apple’s “Change network settings on Apple TV 4K” page, quoted in order.
- “Go to Settings” on the Apple TV.
- “Go to Network, then select Wi-Fi.”
- “Choose a new Wi-Fi network from the list and follow the onscreen instructions to connect.”
Apple’s support article: “Go to Settings and tap Network, then choose a Wi-Fi network to join. If asked, enter your Wi-Fi password.”
The User Guide’s third step also says: “You can also select the current Wi-Fi network for additional configuration options.”
If you cannot find Settings at all, our guide to getting to the main menu on an Apple TV starts one screen earlier.
Why Wi-Fi is missing from the Network screen
Apple’s support page gives the reason in one place: “If your Apple TV has an Ethernet port, make sure your Apple TV isn’t connected to an Ethernet cable. If you’re using an Ethernet cable, you won’t see the option to connect to Wi-Fi.”
The same page explains the priority behind it: “Apple TV connects to internet with either Wi-Fi or Ethernet. When you use an Ethernet cable, Apple TV automatically uses that connection instead of your Wi-Fi network.”
Unplug it only when you want Wi-Fi instead.
How to switch from Ethernet to Wi-Fi
Apple’s two pages describe this switch differently, and the reader who follows the User Guide alone can be left waiting at a Network screen with no Wi-Fi entry.
The User Guide promises the switch costs you no setup: “If you initially set up Apple TV 4K using a wired network, you can change to a wireless network without having to set up Apple TV 4K again.” Its steps are to “Disconnect the Ethernet cable from Apple TV 4K”, then “Go to Settings”, then “Select Network, then choose an available network.”
The support article adds the part the User Guide leaves out: “Unplug the Ethernet cable from your Apple TV. You might have to wait several minutes for the Apple TV to notify you that you can join a Wi-Fi network.”
Pull the cable, open Settings and Network, and give the box those several minutes before you decide the Wi-Fi list is broken.
How to use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi
Apple’s support page: “If your Apple TV has an Ethernet port, try connecting your Apple TV directly to your router, or cable or DSL modem using an Ethernet cable.”
Apple’s placement advice ends with the cable: “If your Apple TV has an Ethernet port, connect your Apple TV directly to the modem with an Ethernet cable for the best experience.”
The User Guide’s note reads: “Ethernet is not available on Apple TV 4K (3rd generation) Wi-Fi.” A box of that model connects over Wi-Fi only.
The User Guide also describes a low power setting for a box on a cable: “When Apple TV 4K is connected to the Internet with an Ethernet cable, you can put Wi-Fi in low-power mode to save energy.” Its three steps are “Connect an Ethernet cable to Apple TV 4K to switch from a wireless to wired network”, then “Go to Settings”, then “Go to AirPlay & Apple Home, then turn off Peer-to-Peer Wireless.”
Apple’s note on that setting travels with it: “When peer-to-peer wireless is turned off, Wi-Fi remains in low-power mode until it is activated again by an AirPlay request from another device.”
How to join hotel Wi-Fi on Apple TV
Networks that open a sign in page are what Apple calls captive networks. The User Guide: “Many hotels and other institutions have captive Wi-Fi networks that require sign in from a web browser.”
Apple’s support page sets one precondition: “Apple TV supports captive networks, which are networks that require an additional or secondary login. To connect to one of these networks, update your Apple TV to the latest software.”
The User Guide’s four steps, in order:
- “Go to Settings” on the Apple TV.
- “Select Network.” Then: “If Apple TV 4K detects a captive network, a screen appears with options.”
- “Select Continue on iPhone or iPad.”
- “On your iPhone or iPad, follow the onscreen instructions to enter the required information, such as username and password.”
Apple attaches a limit to these networks: “Some captive networks have time limits for staying connected. If your connection expires, follow the steps above again to reconnect.”
For education or business networks, Apple writes: “Apple TV might be able to join some education or business networks that use a profile. Ask the network’s system administrator for more information.”
What to do when Apple TV will not connect to Wi-Fi
Apple’s support article “If your Apple TV can’t connect to Wi-Fi” sets out these checks. Each one below quotes the article, which lets you match it to your screen.
A password error or a problem connecting
Apple’s heading for this step is “If there’s a problem connecting to the network, or if you get a password error”. Its full step, sentence by sentence:
- “On the Apple TV menu, go to Settings and tap Network.”
- “Then tap Wi-Fi.”
- “Select your current Wi-Fi network and click Forget Network.”
- “Press Menu or the Back button on your Apple TV Remote.”
- “Then select Network again and select your Wi-Fi network to connect.”
Power, cables and distance
Apple: “Make sure that that your internet router is connected to your modem and that both are powered on. If your router and modem are combined, make sure that the device is powered on.”
On placement: “If possible, keep your Apple TV and Wi-Fi router in the same room, but don’t place your Apple TV directly on or within a foot of your router. Try to avoid physical obstructions in the path of your wireless signal, especially metal surfaces.”
If the router itself is the weak point, our guide on whether you need mesh Wi-Fi or a better router covers that decision.
Restart the box, the router and the modem
Apple’s two steps: “On the Apple TV menu, open Settings and tap System. Select Restart.” and “Unplug your router and your cable or DSL modem from power. Then plug them back in.”
Update the software over a cable
Apple’s last check: “If your Apple TV has an Ethernet port, try connecting your Apple TV directly to your router, or cable or DSL modem using an Ethernet cable.” Then: “Join your network and check for software updates. Go to Settings and tap System, then tap Software Updates.”
Then: “If there’s an update, install it. Then unplug your Ethernet cable and try to join your Wi-Fi network again.”
Connected but nothing plays
That is a different problem with a different Apple page. The support article scopes itself at the top: “If your Apple TV connects to Wi-Fi but you can’t watch and stream movies or TV shows in the Apple TV app, find out what to do”.
Once the box is online, adding channels on Apple TV is the next step, and if the box is feeding an older set our guide to using Apple TV on a non smart TV covers the HDMI side.
Questions readers ask
Can I browse the internet on Apple TV itself
Apple’s two pages on getting the box online describe no web browsing on the Apple TV itself. The User Guide mentions a browser only for captive networks: “Many hotels and other institutions have captive Wi-Fi networks that require sign in from a web browser.” We cover the question on its own in getting Safari on an Apple TV.
Do these steps work on an Apple TV HD
The Wi-Fi, switch and hotel steps above come from the Apple TV 4K User Guide, and the Forget Network steps come from Apple’s support article “If your Apple TV can’t connect to Wi-Fi”. That article names “Apple TV” without a model, and its Ethernet steps open with “If your Apple TV has an Ethernet port”. On a box that is not a 4K, follow the article’s wording.
Does Apple TV need Wi-Fi if it is on Ethernet
No. Apple writes: “When you use an Ethernet cable, Apple TV automatically uses that connection instead of your Wi-Fi network.” The User Guide adds that on a cabled Apple TV 4K you can put Wi-Fi in “low-power mode to save energy.”
How long does the Wi-Fi list take to appear after I unplug Ethernet
Neither Apple page cited here gives a number. The support article’s wording is “You might have to wait several minutes for the Apple TV to notify you that you can join a Wi-Fi network.”
Sources
- Change network settings on Apple TV 4K, Apple TV 4K User Guide, tvOS 27. Read October 11, 2026.
- If your Apple TV can’t connect to Wi-Fi, Apple Support, published April 03, 2026. Read October 11, 2026.