Sky Q Download Failed? – Here’s How to Fix

If your Sky Q download failed, we know how to fix it!

Sky Q offers great TV with live and on-demand shows, but sometimes problems happen. The possible culprit is your internet connection.

If it’s slow or unstable, your downloads will take too long and fail. 

To get your Sky Q to download, you want to refresh your internet by power cycling your hardware. Freeing up space on your Sky Q box allows it to download new content without issues.

Alright, let’s talk about all the proven solutions!

Proven Methods to Fix Sky Q Download Failed

If your Sky Q download failed, don’t worry! There are several solutions to fix this.

Here are some of them:

#1: Refresh Your Internet Connection with a Power Cycle

Poor or unstable internet connection is the number one reason Sky Q downloads fail.

Power cycle your router and Sky Q box to fix any issues with your broadband speed and stability. 

Here’s how to do this:

1. Turn off your router and unplug it from the power outlet.
2. Turn off your Sky Q box and unplug it from the power outlet. 
3. Wait for at least 30 seconds.
4. Plug in and turn on your router.
5. Wait for it to reconnect to the internet.
6. Plug in and turn on your Sky Q box.
7. Wait for it to reconnect to the router.
8. Try downloading it again and see if it works. 

Note: Ensure you have saved any important work and know that this process will briefly interrupt your TV and internet services.  

#2: Pause Your Current Download and Resume It

Sometimes, pausing and resuming your current download solves your download failed Sky Q problem. It also gives your internet connection a chance to stabilise. 

To pause and resume your current download, follow these steps:

1. Press the Home button on your Sky Q remote. 
2. Tap on Recordings.
3. Select Manage.
4. Tap Downloading and select the download you want to pause.
5. Press the Pause button on your remote.
6. Follow the same steps, but select the Resume button to resume download. 

Note: You’re only allowed to pause one download at a time. If you pause one, it will not be deleted from your Sky Q box. 

#3: Delete and Re-Download

If pausing and resuming doesn’t work, delete and re-download the show you’re watching. This will clear any corrupted data or incomplete files causing the problem.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Press the Home button on your Sky Q remote.
2. Tap on Recordings.
3. Select Manage.
4. Tap on Downloading and select the download you want to delete.
5. Press the Delete button on your remote. 
6. To re-download the content, follow the same steps but select Download instead. 

Note: Deleting a download will remove it from your device. You’ll need a stable internet connection to re-download it. 

#4: Free Up Space on Your Sky Q Box

Depending on the model of your box, it’s possible to store 500 hours (1 TB) or 1000 hours (2 TB) of SD recordings.

If your box is full or running out of space, your Sky Q download will fail. You must delete some old or unwanted recordings to free up space.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Press the Home button on your Sky Q remote.
2. Select Settings.
3. Tap on Manage.
4. Choose Disk Space.
5. You will see a list of all content stored in your Sky Q box. 
6. To delete a recording:

• Select the recording you want to delete.
• Press the Delete button on your remote. 

7. To delete a download:

• Select the download you want to delete.
• Press the Delete button on your remote.

8. To delete series links and locks:

• Select the series links or locks you want to delete.
• Press the Delete button on the content you want to delete. 

Tip: Once you have deleted the content you no longer need, check the Disk Space tab to see how much space you have freed up. 

#5: Change Your Download Format

If you’re trying to download a show in HD, but your device or app doesn’t support it, you will also encounter a download error. In this case, change your download format to SD.

Here are the steps to do this:

1. Press the Home button on your Sky Q remote.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Select Setup.
4. Tap Preferences.
5. Choose a different On Demand default download format. 
6. Select your preferred download format.

Note: Change the download format to SD first, then change it back to HD or UHD. 

#6: Clear the Download Cache on Your Sky Q Box

Your Sky Q has a download cache that stores temporary files and data related to your downloads.

Sometimes, it gets full or corrupted. To clear this, perform a planner rebuild on your box.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Press the Home button on your Sky Q remote.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Select Setup.
4. Tap Preferences.
5. Choose System.
6. Select Clear download cache.

Note: This will delete all temporary files and data but won’t affect your recordings or settings. 

#7: Update Your Sky Q Software

If your Sky Q software is outdated, you won’t be able to download or play some shows properly.

You need to update it to the latest version to improve the performance and functionality of your box. 

To update your Sky Q software, follow these steps:

1. Press the Home button on your Sky Q remote.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Select System.
4. Choose Software Update.
5. If there’s an update available, select Install.
6. The software update will download and install automatically.
7. Wait for a few minutes to complete. 
8. Once done, your Sky Q box will restart. 

Tip: Before you update your Sky Q software, ensure your box is connected to the internet and has enough battery power. 

#8: Use an Ethernet Connection

If you use a wireless connection to connect your Sky Q box to the internet, your Sky Q download failed technical fault problem is likely due to interference or signal issues.

To avoid this, use an Ethernet cable to connect your box directly to your router. 

Here’s how to do this:

1. Locate the Ethernet port on the back of your Sky Q box. 
2. Peel off the label covering the Ethernet port. 
3. Connect one end of the Ethernet cable to the port.
4. Connect the other end to your router.
5. Press the Home button on the remote.
6. Tap on Settings.
7. Select Setup.
8. Tap Network. 
9. Choose Connect to your router with a wired connection.
10. The Sky Q box will now be connected to your router using a wired connection.

Tip: Plug the Ethernet cable into your router and Sky Q box. 

#9: Download on the Sky Go App

If none of the solutions above work, download your shows on the Sky Go app instead of your Sky Q box. The Sky Go app is included at no extra cost with your Sky TV subscription. 

It allows you to watch live and on-demand shows on your devices, download up to 25 titles at a time, and watch them offline or on another device.

To download your shows on the Sky Go app, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Sky account on your Sky Q box and Sky Go app.
2. Find the content you want to download from your Sky Q box. 
3. Press the Options button on your remote.
4. Select Download to Go, and the content will be added to your Sky Go download queue.
5. Open the Sky Go app on your device.
6. Sign in to your Sky account.
7. Go to the Downloads tab.
8. You will see the content you added to your download queue there.
9. Tap the Download button next to the content you want to download.
10. The content will start downloading.    

#10: Reset Your Sky Q Box

If everything fails, reset your Sky Q box to its factory settings. This will help fix any major issues or errors affecting your downloads.

However, you should do this as a last resort, for you will lose all your data. 

To reset your Sky Q box, follow these steps:

1. Press the Home button on your Sky Q remote.
2. Tap on Settings.
3. Select Reset.
4. Tap Factory Reset.
5. Press the Standby button on your Sky Q box.

Pro Tip: Back up your recordings and downloads before resetting your Sky Q box. After the reset, re-install all of your apps and channels. 

If none of these methods work out and resolve the download issues with your Sky Q box, contact Sky Q Support for technical assistance.

Quick Recap

Sky Q download failed issues are often due to internet problems, so make sure your connection is stable. Refresh your internet connection by performing a power cycle on your router and Sky Q box. If this doesn’t work, update your Sky Q software.  

For additional details about Sky Q, explore our blog!

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