How to Fix if Xbox Can't Connect to Xbox Live?

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Xbox Live lets you play games and content distribution online. It feels good when Xbox Live gets connected easily, however, some users facing the Xbox console won’t connect to Xbox Live and it is pretty annoying, to be honest.

There are a number of reasons why it would happen such as the Xbox live Service is unresponsive or there are internet issues at your end or there’s some hardware malfunction on the Xbox console’s end.

Turns out there are a few things you can do to fix the issue.

Also, Read: 10 Best Xbox One Emulator for Windows PC (2021)

Table of Contents

#1: Check Xbox Live Status

If you find an “Xbox Can’t Connect to Xbox Live” issue, check the status on this website. Here’s everything you need to know about Xbox servers and their status.

In fact, you will be able to narrow down what aspect of the service is down at any given time such as social activity, account & profile, games & gaming among others.

Xbox updates this page if there’s some scheduled or unplanned maintenance causing the issue so that you will have to wait for it to be fixed.

#2: Run Network Connection test

Here’s another method to verify if the Xbox Live server is working properly or not. This particular method tests the network connection and helps you determine what’s causing the issue.

Firstly, press the Xbox button on your controller and go to Guide.
Proceed to System >> Settings.
Navigate yourself to “General >> Network Settings” and finally, tap on “Test Multiplayer Connection”.
The interface will show an error code if something’s wrong and it is causing the Xbox can’t connect to the Xbox Live server. Simply copy the error code and search for methods to fix that particular error itself.

#3: Restart the console

Xbox Live server issue can cause the Xbox won’t connect to Xbox Live problem, however, if the servers are working fine and you just tested the network connection to be working properly, here’s what you can do next i.e. restart the console.

It doesn’t take a rocket science degree to do it. Simply hold the Xbox button for a few seconds and turn it off. Unplug and cords and wait for a few seconds before reconnecting it and that’s pretty much all.

#4: Check if there’s a pending update

Your Xbox console is hardware but the software is needed to run it. Thus, it is also affected by outdated software just like your phone or a computer.

If your Xbox firmware is outdated, it is quite possible that it could throw errors including incompatibility with the Xbox Live server.

This will prohibit you from connecting to Xbox Live as a whole. Here’s how to fix it.

Firstly, press the Xbox button on the controller and proceed to Guide.
Next up, navigate yourself to Profile and go to Settings.
Next up, go to System >> Updates & Downloads >> Update Console.
It is here where you can check if there’s an incoming or pending update or not. If yes, download it by hitting the “Update Console” button. If not, you will either have to wait for an update or refer to other methods listed here to find a fix to this issue.

#5: Change IP and DNS on Xbox Live

It is quite possible that the IP and DNS settings are causing network issues and here’s the fix.

Go to Xbox Live and proceed to its Settings >> Network >> Network Settings >> Advanced Settings.
Under Advanced Settings, tap on “IP Settings” and set it to “Automatic”.
Next up, under “DNS Settings”, set it to “Automatic”.

#6: Restart your router

You are currently using a router or modem to connect your Xbox to Xbox Live, however, if there’s some issue on the router’s end, the WiFi strength is likely to be reduced or the internet will be slow or nil.

Simply unplug the router and keep it idle for a few seconds and replug the cord. Check if this has resolved the issue.

#7: Issue at the ISP

Your ISP is the one that feeds you the ability to access the internet via router/modem. Since you are running into an Xbox that can’t connect to Xbox Live issue, check if there’s some issue at the ISP or what.

To verify, simply access other content on the web and check if it is working properly. If not, the ISP is at the fault and you will have to call the ISP seeking a resolution. This will take a few minutes but it is worth it.

#8: Change the ISP

If the current ISP is not good enough as the internet keeps dropping every now and then, you should change the ISP.

You will be paying a few setup charges but once you are all set up, there will be lower instances when Xbox won’t be able to connect to the Xbox Live due to issues on the ISP’s end.

Also, some ISPs might not have compatible systems to allow gaming so if you never got connected to Xbox Live or even if you got connected, the games never ran properly, the ISP was potentially the reason behind it.

Additionally, some ISPs might block some IP addresses and servers due to abiding by government regulations so that could be causing issues when you tried connecting to Xbox Live. Using a custom DNS can help.

#9: Remove and add Xbox account

If there’s something wrong with your Xbox account causing it to tumble every time you attempt to connect to Xbox Live, you can remove the existing account and add it again and that seems to be solving some if not all issues.

Firstly, tap on the Xbox button and proceed to Profile >> Settings >> Account >> Remove Accounts.
Select the account that you want to remove and hit “Remove”.
Next, go to Guide and proceed to “Profile >> Add or Switch >> Add New”.
Enter the login credentials and log in.

Check if removing and re-adding the Xbox account did make any difference or not.

#10: Reset the console

You checked everything from the internet to ISP and it is working, the Xbox Live Status doesn’t point out any server issue at the time, and the DNS and IP settings changed didn’t help either, it’s time to reset the console.

This will torch all software glitches in case the Xbox can’t connect to Xbox Live was indeed a software-borne issue. Note that you will be deleting all saved settings, games, and associations once you proceed with it.

Firstly, take your controller and press the Xbox button and proceed to “Guide”.
Next up, proceed to Profile >> Settings >> System >> Console Info.
Finally, tap on “Reset Console >> Reset and remove everything” and it is done.