How to fix Xbox app not working on Windows PC

The Xbox app is the official gaming platform or service from Microsoft through which PC users can subscribe to Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass. Basically, it makes it pretty easy for subscribers to play and manage PC games. It acts as a companion app for Xbox, compatible with Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11, Android, iOS, and Tizen platforms. But if you are facing the issue where the Xbox app is not working on PC, then you should refer to this guide to resolve it.

With an Xbox profile or subscription, you can easily install and play many of the video games you need. Meanwhile, you can also access online multiplayer for over 50 free video games, group chat, and more without even having an Xbox subscription. However, if somehow the Xbox app is not working on your PC, you are not alone here.

Guide to Fix Xbox App Not Working on Windows 8, Windows 10/11

Several users have started reporting problems with the Xbox app when unexpectedly downloading or launching video games on their Windows PC. It looks like the Xbox app is crashing on launch, which should be fairly easy to fix. You should follow all the troubleshooting methods below to check if the issue is bothering you or not.

It could be that your Windows OS version or Xbox app version is outdated, corrupted or missing app data, incorrect time and date settings, conflicts with Xbox services, Xbox server issues, etc. If you are facing the same issue with Xbox app not launching or crashing, then this guide will be of great help.

1. Check your internet connection

First of all, you should check the internet connection on your end to make sure there are no problems with the network status. If your internet connection is not stable enough, the Xbox app may not work properly. If you have problems connecting to the Internet, be sure to contact your service provider for technical support.

2. Restart your Windows PC

You can also try restarting your Windows PC manually to see if the problem is fixed. The problem of the Xbox app not working or not launching on PC can be frustrating for you. Therefore, it is recommended that you restart your computer once, closing all applications running in the foreground. To reboot the system, you can check the following steps:

Click the Start menu, and then click the Power menu icon.
Select Reload.

3. Set the correct date and time

Another thing you can do is set the correct date and time on your Windows computer by following the steps below to make sure the Xbox app launches normally.

Press the Win + I hotkeys to open the Windows Settings app.
Select Time & Language on the left side.
Now click on Date and Time.

Then turn on the “Set time automatically”option.
Then select the “Set Time Zone”automatic radio button.
Finally, restart your system and check if the Xbox app is working normally.

4. Sign out of the Xbox app and sign back in.

You can also try signing out of the Xbox app and then signing back in to see if the Xbox app can work properly. Sometimes there can be issues with account authentication or syncing with the server, which is quite common. For this:

In the Xbox app, click your username in the top left corner.
Select Sign Out and click Sign In.
Then enter your account information and try using the Xbox app again.

5. Update the Xbox App

It’s also suggested that you manually check for updates to the Xbox app using the following steps to make sure there are no issues with an outdated or corrupted version of the Xbox app.

Click the Windows icon on the taskbar to open the Start menu.
Now click on the Microsoft Store to open it.
Then click “Library”in the bottom left corner.
Click Get Updates to check if any updates are available for your installed apps.
If available, it will automatically start downloading and installing pending updates for the respective apps.
So if your Xbox app is also out of date and there is an update available, it will be updated as well.
To double check the same, you can directly search for the Xbox app in the search bar in the MS Store. If there are no update options available for the Xbox app, you’re done.

This particular method has helped some PC users fix the Xbox app not working issue. However, if this method did not work for you, be sure to move on to the next workaround.

6. Check for Windows Updates

It seems that in some cases an outdated version of Windows OS may be bothering you. There is a possibility that an outdated version of the system software is somehow conflicting with the Xbox app. We suggest that you check for Windows updates manually by following these steps.

First of all, you need to sign in with your Microsoft account on PC.
Then go to the Windows Settings menu by pressing the Win+I hotkeys.
Now click on Windows Update on the left side.

Select “Check for Updates”and select “Install Now”if an update is available.

7. Restore the Xbox App

It’s also recommended that you easily restore the Xbox app on your Windows PC by following these steps. Sometimes conflicts with a newly installed Xbox app or a recently updated Xbox app can cause a few launch issues, which is also a common occurrence. Microsoft Windows 10 or later OS versions offer built-in app restore capability for some apps, and the Xbox app is one of them.

Press the Win + I hotkeys to open the Windows Settings app.
Click Applications on the left side.
Click Installed Apps and then search for Xbox in the search bar.
Now click the three dots icon next to the Xbox app.
Go to “Advanced Options”and then scroll down a bit.
Then click “Restore”and wait a few seconds.

Once repaired, it will show you the right checkmark as a success message.
Finally, close everything and restart your computer.

8. Reset the Xbox App

In case the restore process didn’t work for you, simply restart the Xbox app on your Windows PC by following the steps below to make sure there are no issues with the installation or the updated version of the app.

Press the Win + I hotkeys to open the Windows Settings app.
Click Applications on the left side.
Click Installed Apps and then search for Xbox in the search bar.
Now click the three dots icon next to the Xbox app.
Go to “Advanced Options”and then scroll down a bit.
Then click “Reset”and click “Reset”again.

Please note: Resetting an app will permanently delete all login data, app data, app settings or preferences, etc.

After starting the reset, wait a few seconds to complete it.
Finally, close everything and restart your computer to check if the Xbox app is still running.

9. Reinstall the game services application.

Try uninstalling and reinstalling the Gaming Services app on Windows if you’re still having problems launching the Xbox app. For this:

Press the Win + S hotkeys to open the Windows search menu.
Type Windows PowerShell in the search box and select “Run as administrator”.
Now select Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.
Once you’re inside the PowerShell interface, copy and paste the following command line, then press Enter to uninstall the Gaming Services app:

get-appxpackage Microsoft.GamingServices | delete-AppxPackage-allusers

Then run the following command by copying it into a PowerShell window and pressing Enter to open the Gaming Services app page in the Microsoft Store:

run ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHN

When you enter the MS Store app, click “Install”to download the Xbox app.
Once installed, close everything, restart your computer, and try using the Xbox app again.

10. Run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter.

In some cases, troubleshooting Windows Store apps might be the solution to scan all installed apps through the MS Store to double check if there is a problem or not. Some users have found this trick helpful. To run the Windows Store Apps Troubleshooter, you can check below:

Open the Start menu and click on the Settings app (gear icon).
Click the System tab on the left side.
Click Troubleshoot and click Other Troubleshooters.

Now scroll down the page.
Then click “Run”next to “Windows Store Apps”.

It will start to detect potential issues with Windows Store apps.
- If there is a problem, follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooting process.
If no problem is found, you can select Close the troubleshooter.

11. Leave the Xbox Insider Program

If nothing is stopping you and you are still in a split after doing all the troubleshooting methods, don’t lose hope. As a last resort, you can still use another method to try and fix this problem manually. Just remember to exit or opt out of the Xbox Insider Program, which is a type of beta platform. So, if you’ve recently or previously joined the Xbox Insider Program, leave immediately by following these steps.