Apps
9 CBS All Access Problems & Fixes
CBS All Access problems can ruin your binge of Star Trek Discovery or stop your Super Bowl stream early. Don’t let them, use this breakdown of common CBS All Access problems and fixes to get the service working correctly. We’ll also dive into the CBS All Access error codes, and how to fix them.
Despite being a video streaming service meant for cable cutters, CBS All Access is not the best way to watch CBS content. Expect CBS All Access problems to occur as you stream its latest originals. The CBS App for iPhone and Android works well, but the versions on video game consoles, smart TV devices and Windows 10 PCs take a long time to begin a stream. They also crash during premieres without warning. This is something we expect could happen as millions of viewers tune in all at once for the Super Bowl in February.
Here are common CBS All Access problems and how to fix them. Use these workarounds and tricks to enjoy new episodes of The Good Fight and other original shows that you can’t watch on any other service.
Read: How to Cut the Cord and Ditch Cable
Is CBS All Access Down?
We typically see a spike in users asking, “Is CBS All Access down?” when there is a major uptick in viewership. This happens frequently when a lot of users all tune in at once. This could happen during the Super Bowl as it starts and after the halftime show when more users tune in.
When this happens, you can often see an update on Twitter with more details. Y0u can also see users tweeting about CBS All Access on Twitter when there are problems.
We apologize for the live streaming issues some users are experiencing on CBS All Access this morning. The issue, as a result of a 3rd party service provider, has been resolved and you can now return to streaming your local CBS station live on CBS All Access.
— CBS (@CBS) January 14, 2018
You can also check with the CBS All Access help team on Twitter where there are people able to help you with problems. You can also call 1-888-274-5343 for help between 8 AM and 2 Am Eastern.
How to Fix CBS All Access App Problems
Expect to run into CBS All Access app problems as you and thousands of other uses rush to watch each week’s new premiere episode. You can fix these issues by closing the app and restarting your device. After you do that, go back to the show’s page and try to play the episode again.
On Windows PCs, shut the app by clicking on the X in the top-right corner.
On iPhone, press the Home button twice to open the multitasking menu. Swipe the app up towards the top of your screen to close it.
Android users should press the menu button to the right of the Home button to open the multitasking menu. Tap on the X in the top-right corner of the CBS All Access app.
Now use your device’s power button to shut it down. Turn it back on again and open the app to begin streaming. It should work this time.
You can also use Amazon Prime as a way to avoid CBS All Access app problems. It lets you watch the service through Prime Video apps instead of CBS’ often broken app. Add the channel to your Prime Video app by signing up for it through Amazon Channels.
Read: How to Watch Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime
How to Fix CBS All Access Streaming Problems
CBS All Access streaming problems are really common. You know you have streaming problems when you open the app, select a TV show and you get a spinning icon for longer than you normally would.
First, confirm your internet is fast enough for video streaming. Install the Speed Test app on your smartphone or tablet or go to the Speed Test website to check your internet speeds. You need a 3 Mbps internet connection to stream through the CBS All Access app.
If your connection meets the speed requirement, it’s possible that users trying to stream a premiere are overloading the app. Remember, CBS All Access doesn’t work like Netflix. You get just a single new episode a week if a show is still airing. You can’t binge an entire season of Star Trek Discovery until all that season’s episodes have premiered. Try streaming the show again in a few hours.
How to Skip CBS All Access Commercials
There’s a way to skip CBS All Access commercials if you’d rather the app stream an episode of your favorite show straight through. Just upgrade your CBS All Access subscription.
Your $5.99 subscription only gets you access to shows that air on CBS’s traditional channel, live streaming TV from your local channel and access to original content. You must upgrade to the Commercial Free plan to stream TV shows without ads. You can upgrade to this plan anytime at CBS.com for $9.99 a month.
The Commercial Free plan only eliminates ads in shows that have already aired. You will stay see ads when you use the app’s Live TV feature to watch your local station.
How to Fix CBS All Access Live TV Problems
CBS All Access lets you watch your local CBS station live, but stiff requirements can stop this feature from working correctly.
You won’t get CBS All Access Live TV streaming if the CBS station in your area doesn’t have a contract with CBS to provide it. Look for your station in the list of CBS All Access Live TV stations. The app uses the GPS in your phone to give you the right station, so you will always get access to the station you are closest to. This also means that you can’t use the Live TV feature to stream a station from home when you are traveling.
CBS All Access Chromecast Problems
You can’t use the CBS All Access app to stream to a Chromecast connected to your TV. However, you can use your PC as a workaround. Install Google’s Chrome browser and use the CBS All Access website to stream premieres and NFL games.
Read: Best Windows 10 Browser: Edge vs Chrome
How to Fix CBS All Access Premiere Problems
The cast of the Good Wife / CBS All Access
Since the service’s launch, new episodes of Star Trek Discovery and The Good Fight have arrived at 8:30 PM EST on Sunday night. That predictability is what causes CBS All Access premiere problems. The CBS app will refuse to load when this happens. Episodes will also freeze after a commercial break.
Avoid CBS All Access premiere problems by streaming new episodes an hour after they arrive. This gives the service time to recover from the premiere rush. And, you still get to see the new episode on the same day as everyone else.
How to Fix CBS All Access Error UVP 1011
If you get the CBS All Access error UVP 1011, you can work to fix this on your own by turning your device off completely and unplugging it, then turn it back on and restart it. This will often fix the issue.
Sometimes users say they are able to get past it by letting commercials play and the show start, which will then let it all work. If you see this error all the time, you need to contact CBS All Access suport to get more help.
How to Fix CBS All Access Error Code 60 Too Many Streams
You can only stream to two devices at a time with CBS All Access. If you try to stream on a third, or if there is an issue you may get the CBS All Access Error Code 60. This means that you are trying a third or fourth stream.
Stop the stream on another device and try again. If you aren’t over your limit, one of your devices may not have let go of the stream. The best thing to do is to turn that other device completely off, or at least close the app on your other device.
This should allow you to stream on a different device. If not, you may need to call CBS All Access Support at 1-888-274-5343 for help between 8 AM and 2 AM Eastern.
Original reporting by Travis Pope.
s. holmwood
10/03/2018 at 5:05 pm
what a pain in the but. I just cut the cord and now can’t see anything on cbs all access!!!!!
John
12/18/2018 at 1:11 pm
Your an a$$. Watch without commercials, upgrade really?
solo
01/13/2019 at 1:50 pm
buffers during live event, e.g. NFL!!!
Christopher D Byers
01/17/2019 at 10:23 pm
What bull S&it. I can’t watch this on my smart t.v. cable or xbox. I did not subscribe to watch this on my phone or laptop one customer lost see ya
Ryan Eyestone
01/27/2019 at 1:19 pm
I came here trying to find a mix, instead i had to scroll through ads and what looked like a history paper. Not bullet point list of solutions at the top, clear and quick…
I refuse to work to give someone my money. I am trying to renew my all access, but the app is broken.
Jill
01/29/2019 at 1:31 pm
I can’t believe I pay for this… time to cancel it.. I can’t even open the app on my smart tv. The only thing on your twitter feed is “we are aware of the issue…..”. “Great news the issue ahas been resolved….” “we are aware of the issue…” it goes on and on like that. Might want to get rid of the guy or girl in charge of this app and find someone else. Everyone is replaceable and so is this app. So long.
SeaDave
02/03/2019 at 7:33 pm
Just got done NOT watching the Super Bowl. I watched a spinning blue circle of death and the Android reboot screen over and over instead.
CBS is dead.
Vivian Anderson
02/15/2019 at 3:30 pm
I have all access with 9.99 no commercials. This week The Late Show with Colbert is showing on screen all washed out . Faces so bright you can’t stand to look at them. I paid in advance for a whole year!
Sammy
02/18/2019 at 1:08 pm
How do you remove a show from “shows you watch”?
P
02/19/2019 at 7:48 am
In my opinion, CBS All Access is a FRAUD. They can’t deliver uninterrupted live streams and they know it. Yet they continue to charge subscribers full price.
thomas hadeed
02/25/2019 at 3:26 pm
your streaming is garbage, non stop loading, I have 100mbs and cbs all access is the only service that is loading constantly, obviously CBS does not want to pay for upload service. I’m done with paying for crappy service
Steve
03/09/2019 at 2:48 pm
The CBS app constantly freezes up with that annoying little spinning circle, making it very hard to enjoy watching anything. However, if you also happen to have Amazon Prime Video, they also offer CBS All Access for the same price. But it runs on Amazon Prime’s platform, and works one-hundred percent better. So if you currently subscribe to both, cancel your CBS All Access subscription and sign up for it with Amazon Prime. Same price, much better performance.
Kay
03/24/2019 at 8:30 pm
I just loaded CBS All Access today since I also cut the cord with DISH after 25 years.. I discovered I need a large outdoor antenna to get CBS locally. The indoor one I bought isn’t strong enough even though I’m only 10 miles from the station. So I put CBS All Access on my Fire Stick (ordered right from Amazon Prime) and I’m also getting the buffering and less than HD display. My wifi is fast and runs multiple devices at the same time with no problem but this feed is not ideal. The service needs to improve or I will drop it when I get the larger antenna.
Kit
03/10/2019 at 7:51 am
In fact, I DO watch All Access with a Chromecast connected to my TV and the app on my iPad using the cast function, so I am not sure why the article says I can’t. The sound is perfect but the picture often freezes for a split second, while the sound continues. So far, it has been annoying but worth it to catch up on current seasons, but I am still searching for the jerky picture solution. I appreciate the suggestion to try Amazon Prime, because I have never had a problem with that platform or any other that uses my Chromecast.
Carl Leeth
03/31/2019 at 10:30 pm
I cancelled just minutes into watching my first show, because my TV had to buffer seven times before getting through the opening credits. More than half the time the show was on, all I saw was “Downloading” staring me in the face. If I had stuck with it, it may have taken four hours to watch a one hour show. How disappointing. I don’t want to watch on my phone, or my computer, I want to use my TV. Netflix runs flawlessly, and my network gives me over 70mbs so I know it isn’t my connection. Just a lousy streaming service.
Bob
04/24/2019 at 1:23 pm
CBS all access is a ripoff I watched both seasons of Discovery FREE on Vumoo!
Larry
05/15/2019 at 9:38 am
worse than worthless. Programs are interrupted by need to buffer. Have enough wifi speed, but streaming isn’t worth a damn.
Cancelled service.
Daniel Stepnik
06/09/2019 at 6:15 pm
This has been going on since the app started and apparently they have no interest in fixing it. Kicking it to the curb-again
Dee
07/04/2019 at 9:15 pm
CBS ALL ACCESS, This is the second time that one of your shows stops playing and throws up an Error message in the middle of show. Please fix this again! It is the las episode of the Big Bang Theory. I have reset my Roku several times and it always show half of the show and then gives me an Error message. It will not let me back out of it either. Please fix this
Danielle Greene
08/07/2019 at 5:35 pm
My CBS all access app on my smart TV works EXCEPT for Big Brother live feeds. What is going on?
Kurt Sanger
08/07/2019 at 7:11 pm
We had been streaming episodes to our tv using chrome and chromecast with about two delays within each episode. Until tonight where it cuts out every minute. Not watchable tonight.
We aren’t paying for the service and may only watch the last four or six weeks without a subscription.
And we’re only doing this because the local affiliate was changing broadcast frequencies and running sporadically with reduced over the air power. They are on their new frequency now and hopefully we’ll be able to resume watching with our antenna and no longer need CBS All Access. I wouldn’t pay for it, especially with its poor service.
Steve
08/08/2019 at 6:02 pm
Some really great original programming, but the buggy app is infuriating. I’ve cancelled my subscription until you Fix your issues!
David
08/14/2019 at 4:53 pm
I have been using the CBS all access service for months now with no problems at all, that is until today. All of a sudden I keep getting error 2004. Nothing has changed on my system nor my internet provider. Everything else works just fine still. I deleted my cookies, cache, restarted my PC, still continued to get the error. I downloaded google chrome and tried using it and BAM it worked. So apparently today Firefox just quit working for CBS and I do not want to use Google chrome I hate google. CBS needs to get this issue resolved. If anyone has any ideas about how to correct this error in firefox, please post to help others. Thank you in advance. :)
Kevin
08/16/2019 at 11:48 pm
I ran into same issue as David.
Tried both Firefox versions 67.0.4 and the latest 68.0.2, same problem.
Rob B
08/24/2019 at 3:27 pm
Getting UVP-1011. Finally got somebody at CBS All Access that admitted there is a problem with their software with all Fire Sticks! They are working to fix it, supposedly. We are going on two weeks!
Karen
09/11/2019 at 4:29 pm
I pay for all access and for a month now I keep getting kicked off. I have written to CBS in messenger about it, I don’t have time to spend on the phone. I am about ready to cancel my all access.
Nina
09/12/2019 at 10:42 pm
We pay enough for our cable why another fee for all access? Just another way to rip people off. For the two programs I watch maybe three times a week for an hour and half I need to pay another 5.99 that I have been watching for free. This is not fair for us elderly people on a fixed income.