How to fix Netflix error code H403 and H404

If when you try to open or stream content on the Netflix UWP (Universal Windows Platform) application in Windows, and you encounter the H403 or H404 error code message, then this post is intended to help you. In this post, we will identify some potential known causes that can trigger the error and then provide the possible solutions you can try to help remediate this issue.

When the Netflix app fails to launch or stream content, you’ll receive the following error message and code, as the case may be;

Sorry, there was a problem communicating with Netflix. Please try again.

(H403)

Netflix error code H403 typically indicates an issue with the temporary information stored on your computer. If you’re encountering error code H404, it’s most likely due to the fact that your UWP application is outdated.

Fix Netflix error code H403 and H404

If you’re faced with the Netflix error code H403 or H404 , you can try our recommended solutions below in no particular order and see if that helps to resolve the issue.

Sign into Netflix using a different device
Update your Netflix app
Reset the Netflix UWP app
Uninstall & reinstall the Netflix app
Perform System Restore.

Let’s take a look at the description of the process involved in relation to each of the listed solutions.

1] Sign into Netflix using a different device

If you’re constantly switching between mobile and desktop when streaming Netflix content, it’s possible that the Netflix error H403 or H404 appears due to some temporary data that is being stored locally. In this case, you should be able to fix the issue by signing in on another device that’s using the same network as the computer that’s triggering the error.

If you are already signed in with the same account on another device (outside your network), sign out of it first.

Ideally, you should sign in with a mobile device connected to the same network in order to clear the temp data associated with your account.

To sign in using another device, do the following:

On the device that you’re encountering the issue on, open the Netflix app and click on the action button (top-right corner).
Next, click on Sign Out from the context menu.
Once you have successfully signed out of your Netflix UWP app, pick up a mobile device and connect to the same network that your desktop (PC or Mac) is connected to.
After the mobile device is correctly connected to the same network, open the Netflix app and sign in with the same account.
After you have successfully signed in on your mobile device, stream any type of content, then sign out again and re-sign in on your desktop device.

Once the temporary data associated with your account is cleared, you should no longer encounter the error H403 or H404 when using the Windows Netflix UWP app.

2] Update your Netflix app

You can encounter the Netflix error code H403 0r H404 when attempting to stream content via the UWP (Windows app) because the application is outdated. In this case, you can resolve the issue easily by forcing the Netflix application to update.

By default, the Microsoft Store is configured to auto-update UWP applications whenever the user is not using one.

To manually update the Netflix app on Windows 11/10, do the following:

Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog box.
Next, type ms-windows-store://home and press Enter to open up the default dashboard of the Microsoft Store.
Inside the Microsoft Store, click on the action button (ellipsis – the three horizontal dots) at top-right corner and then click on Downloads and Updates from the list of available options.
Inside the Downloads and Updates screen, hit the Get Updates button and wait until the Netflix app is updated to the latest version.

After the latest Netflix UWP version is installed, reboot your Windows machine and see if the issue is resolved at the next system startup by attempting to stream content from the app once again.

3] Reset the Netflix UWP app

To reset the Netflix UWP app, do the following:

Press Windows key + R to invoke the Run dialog box.
In the Run dialog box, type ms-settings:appsfeatures and hit Enter to open up Apps & Features.
On the right side of the screen, look for the Netflix app.
Click the entry and select Advanced Options.
Click the Reset button.

Wait for the process to finish and when done, launch your Netflix app again and see if the error appears.

4] Uninstall & reinstall the Netflix app

To uninstall and reinstall the Netflix app, do the following:

Note: Uninstalling the app will delete the titles that you have downloaded.

Uninstall instructions

Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box.
Next, type ms-settings:appsfeatures and press Enter to open up the Apps & Features tab of the Settings app.
Next, locate the Netflix app on the right side of the Apps & Features window.
Select the Netflix app and click on the Advanced Menu hyperlink.
From the new menu, click on Uninstall (under the Uninstall section) in order to confirm the uninstallation process.

Once the operation is complete, reboot your computer and wait for the next startup to complete.

Install instructions

After the next startup is complete, continue as follows:

Press Windows key + R to open up another Run dialog box.
Now type ms-windows-store://home and press Enter to open up the Microsoft Store.
Next, use the Microsoft Store’s search function (top-right section of the screen) to search for Netflix.
Click on the Get button associated with Netflix in order to download & install the application.

Once the application is installed again, launch Netflix UWP again and see if you’re still encountering the error.

5] Perform System Restore

If you’re encountering Netflix app error H403 or H404 after a recent Windows Update or none of the methods above have allowed you to resolve the issue, it’s very likely that the problem persists due to a badly installed Windows update or some kind of inconsistency by a third-party suite.

In this case, to fix the issue without any data loss, you can use the system restore utility to bring your machine back to a healthy state in which the circumstances currently causing the error code no longer occur.

To perform System Restore, do the following:

Press Windows key + R.
In the Run dialog box, type rstrui and hit Enter to open up the System Restore Wizard.
Once you arrive at the initial screen of System Restore, click Next to advance to the next window.
At the next screen, start by checking the box associated with Show more restore points.
After you’ve done this, select a point which has an older date than the one in which you first started to notice the error.
Click Next to advance to the next menu.
Click Finish and confirm at the final prompt.