Gaming is no longer restricted to owning a gaming console, phone, or a high-end gaming PC. With improvements in technology games can be accessed and played on almost any device at any time and almost anywhere at this point. Services like Xbox Remote Play let you play your Xbox games easily either on your PC or smartphone. This is a great way to enjoy your games when you aren’t at home or near your Xbox gaining console.
Now, with everything out there in the world, it is simply possible that there could be something wrong with Xbox Remote Play. There can be times when it simply refuses to work either for the first time or it has suddenly refused to work all of a sudden. So, if you’re someone experiencing such issues, you can simply read through our troubleshooting guide to see if any of the methods help you fix the issue of Xbox Remote Play not working right away.
How to Fix Xbox Remote Play Not Working
We know it can be troublesome when you aren’t able to play your favorite Xbox games on your PC or your mobile device, hence we have listed the troubleshooting methods one by one below for you to try. We hope that at least one of the methods works best for you so that you can resume your Xbox Remote Play gaming Sessions
Restart All Your Devices
The first and foremost thing that you need to be doing whenever such issues occur is to restart your devices. In this case, you will be restarting your Xbox console, your PC, your mobile phone, or your tablet.
Restart Your Xbox Console
You can easily restart your Xbox gaming console by following these steps
- Grab the Xbox controller and press the Box button on it.
- The Power Center should now open up on your screen.
- Choose the Restart Console option.
- And finally, choose Restart.
Restart Your Android Device
If you are someone playing on an Android phone or tablet, you can restart the device by following these steps.
- Press and hold the power button on your device.
- A power menu should show up on your screen.
- Tap on Restart. The mobile phone or tablet should now restart.
Restart iOS Device
- New iPhones require you to press and hold the volume button and power button until you see the slide to turn off option appears.
- Older iPhones require you to press and hold the power button till the soldier appears.
- Swipe on the slider to turn off your device.
- To power it back on, simply press and hold the power button until you see the Apple logo appear.
Restart Your Windows PC
Restarting your Windows PC is simple and easy. Follow these steps if you don’t know how to restart your Windows PC.
- Click on the Windows icon on the Taskbar.
- When the Start menu opens up, click on the power icon on the right.
- Choose Restart. The Windows PC will restart right away.
Check Your Internet Connection
Since this is a service that relies on an internet connection and good internet speed, make sure that your network has both. You can try to connect any other device to the internet and see if there is any issue. In case there is, you might want to speak to your internet provider’s customer service to see what is wrong and when the said issue will be fixed. If your internet is fine, you can move on to the next step.
Connect to a 5GHz WiFi Network
Now, for game streaming, having a good and fast network is very important. What is also more important is that you are connected to a 5GHz WiFi network. If your router supports a 5GHz network, do connect to it. The issue should be resolved right away. However, if your router does not support 5GHz WiFi, it is time to upgrade your router. You can either get yourself a new router that supports 5GHz or simply ask your internet service provider to hook you up with a 5GHz-supported router.
Restart the Xbox Remote Play Apps
In order to make use of the Xbox Remote Play feature, you will generally be using the Xbox app on your respective device to play your games. If the service isn’t working, it would be ideal to simply close the app and launch it again. In the case of your Android and iOS devices, simply bring up the app switcher and remove the app by swiping it out. On your Windows PC, you can easily close the app and launch the app again from the Start Menu.
Check For App Updates
Just like we stated above, the Xbox App is an essential component in order to access and play games from your Xbox remotely to your PC or mobile device. Hence, ensuring that the app is up to date at all times is very important. Follow these steps to update the Xbox app on your particular choice of device.
Update Xbox App on Windows PC
You can easily update the Xbox app on your Windows PC by following these steps
- Open the Microsoft Store on your Windows PC.
- Click on the library icon at the bottom left of the Store.
- Click on Get Updates to check for updates available.
- If the update for the Xbox app is available, it will download the update for the app right away.
Update Xbox App on Android
Android users can easily follow these steps to update the Xbox app.
- Launch the Google Play Store app. Make sure you are connected to the wifi network.
- Now, tap on your profile icon and choose Manage Apps and Devices.
- Tap on the Updates Available option.
- The Play Store will now show you all the apps that have an update waiting to be downloaded.
- See if the Xbox app is on the list. If the Xbox app is in the list, tap on the Update button.
- The new update for the Xbox app will now be installed on your device right away.
Update Xbox App on iOS Devices
If you own an iPhone or an iPad, you can easily update the Xbox app on your device by following these steps.
- Launch the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
- Now, tap on the Profile at the top.
- Simply scroll down to see what app updates are pending.
- When you see the Xbox app in the list of apps to be updated, tap on the Update button to update the app.
- The new update for the Xbox app will now be installed on your iPhone or iPad.
Update Your Devices
Software updates are essential and important for the device to function properly and at the same time provide security to your device. If the Xbox Remote Play service is not working, you will have to check and see if your device has any updates that need to be installed.
Update Your Xbox Gaming Console
- Connect your Xbox to a stable internet connection.
- Grab the controller and press the Xbox button.
- The Xbox guide will now appear on your screen.
- Now, select Profile and System followed by Settings, system, and finally Updates.
- If an update is available, you will see the Console Update Available option. Select it to download and install the update.
Update Windows PC
Your Windows PC also receives updates on a regular basis. Here are the steps to update your Windows 11 PC.
- Click on the Windows icon on the Taskbar to launch the Start Menu.
- Now, click on the Settings app icon.
- With the Settings app launched, click on the Windows Update option at the top right corner of the app.
- If an update is available, you will see the Install button.
- Click on the button to download the updates for your Windows 11 PC.
Update Your iOS Device
You can also check if there are updates on your iPhone or iPad and download them so that the Remote Play Service works fine for you.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on General and finally Software Updates.
- If any update is available, tap on the Download and Install button.
- The update will begin downloading and then, later on, install on your iPhone or iPad.
Update Your Android Device
Now, different Android devices have different settings menus and options. However, they are still the same. So, follow these steps to update the software on your Android device.
- Open the Settings app on your Android device.
- It should have a search bar inside the app. Tap on the search bar and type in Software Update.
- Once you see the software update option, tap on it
- You can now check and download software updates for your Android if any updates are available.
Reset Your Xbox Network Settings
Since the Xbox is the host device, network issues on the Xbox will cause problems with Remote Play. In this case, it is ideal to reset the network settings on your Xbox so that the remote Play Service functions perfectly.
- Open the Settings menu on your Xbox.
- Under settings, go and select the Network option followed by Advanced Settings.
- Finally, select Reset Settings.
- Your network settings on the Xbox have now been reset.
Disable VPN Services
Using a VPN might be good enough for when you can’t access apps and websites that are either not available in your region or have simply been blocked. If you have remote play enabled on a device that has a VPN service running in the background, you might want to turn it off. Turning off or disabling VPN services when using Remote Play will not cause any issues.
Check For Xbox Server Status
Sometimes there might not be any problem on your side at all. In this case, it is best to check the status of the Xbox server. This can be easily done by visiting the Live Status website made especially for the Xbox. You can click on this link to see if everything is all good or if there are issues with the server. If you see a green icon that means everything is god. A yellow icon indicates that there could be issues with some services that will have limited functionality.
Lastly, if you see the red icon, that simply means that the service is down and there is a major outage going on right now.
Check if Remote Play is Enabled
Sounds like a silly suggestion, but there can be times when you might have simply forgotten to enable remote play on the Xbox console. Here are the steps to check if Remote Play has been enabled on your console or not.
- Press the Xbox button on your controller.
- From the guide, navigate and select the Profile and Systems option.
- Next, navigate to Settings followed by Device and Connection finally followed by Remote Features.
- Make sure that the checkbox for Enable Remote Features has been enabled.
Check if the Microsoft Account is the Same
Since all Xbox services usually require a Microsoft Account in order to work properly, it is advisable to check and ensure that both devices have the same Microsoft account signed in. If not, you will have to sign into the right account on both of your devices. Only then, Remote Play will function.
Connect to the Right Xbox Console
If you have multiple Xbox consoles in your home, you might want to check and ensure that you are using the Remote Play feature from the right console. Here is how you can check
Check On Mobile Device
- Launch the Xbox App and connect to the WiFi network.
- Tap on the My Library icon.
- Choose Consoles.
- Tap on the console that has the Remote Play feature enabled.
- Finally, tap on Remote Play On This Device
Check On Windows PC
- Connect to the internet and launch the Xbox app.
- Click on the Consoles icon that is present next to the search bar.
- Choose the console that has the games and remote play feature enabled.
Make Sure You Have Games Installed on the Xbox
Enabling the Remote Play feature is easy and simple. But if you have zero games downloaded to your Xbox console, you won’t be able to play your games at all. Simply having them in your account will not let you play anything. So make sure that the games you want to play are downloaded and have no incomplete downloads. Once you have the games completely installed, you can enjoy your Xbox Remote Play feature.
Check NAT Type
NAT Type basically means the type of network you would want to use when connecting to a WiFi network and playing your games via the Remote Play feature. Here is how you can check the NAT Type on your Xbox if necessary.
- Press the Xbox button on the controller and select Profile and System.
- Choose Settings, followed by General, and finally Network Settings.
- Under the Current Network Status check the NAT type. Make sure that the NAT Type is set to Open.
- If the NAT Type is anything else other than Open, you will have to turn on and off UPnP on your router.
Conclusion
This concludes the guide on how you can fix the Remote Play feature not working or having issues. Ensure that you have tried all of the steps before ringing up customer service in case the Remote Play feature still doesn’t seem to fix itself or work anymore. If you have any other solutions or fixes that have worked for you, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.
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