Continue watching from latest watched episode does nothing

[MKay 6]

Hey, 

I have a weird issue lately. I cannot pin point it exactly since I used the app not that much the last couple of month.

When I watch an episode and it ends I just go back to the emby home screen via the back button. Then I put the apple TV to sleep and leave. When I come back and want to watch the next episode I just click the episode on my home screen under "Continue watching". But nothing happens. Really nothing, as if I didnt click or pressed any button.

I can however resume the episode in the second entry without a problem.
After resuming the second entry I just back out and resume the show I wanna continue watching without a problem.

Force closing the app and starting it fresh also fixes the problem. 
Also navigating to the show and go for the episode I wanna watch manually works.

Funnily enough what also works is: Going the the AppleTV home screen. selecting the emby app (just hovering over the app icon). Then on top it shows the next episode of my show. When I go up and select the show and press play, it starts emby and immediately plays the episode without problems.

So long story short, the problem only occurs on the latest tv show watched in the continue watching section on the emby home screen.

And only the Emby AppleTV App is affected, iOS and Web are fine.

Version: Latest for AppleTV (even reinstalled)

Server: Latest Docker Version non beta

 

Thanks and any help appreciated.

[Luke 42077]

HI there, please attach the emby server log from when the problem occurred:

How to Report a Problem

Thanks.

[MKay 6]

Yeah sorry. Attached logs now with debug enabled. I tried to "continue watching" right before I played the supernatural episode.

I turned debug logs on, but I cant even find any request for the play request. Seems like the appleTV app is not trying to play.
I just tried to open the show menu by long presesing. It opens on any other enrty except the first one. There nothing happens.

Look to me like a problem with the appleTV app.

Thanks

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42077]

Hi, do you use multi-version episodes?

[MKay 6]

Not sure what this means, but I guess not. I only use multi audio tracks for different languages. But I guess that’s not ehat you mean?

thanka for the help

[Luke 42077]

OK we’ll take a look at it. Thanks.

[Luke 42077]

HI, please try Emby for Apple TV 1.9.5 and let us know how things compare. Thanks !

[MKay 6]

Tested the new version. Unfortunately still exists. I can reproduce with:

- starting an episode

- skipping near the end. About 3-5mins remaining

- press back till I am in emby home

- try to start the next episode of the same show

 

maybe its important: I start the episode by pressing the "play" buttom to start watching the episode directly from the home screen. Not by normal press and going to the show and then play it.

[MKay 6]

Quick update. One of the last update made the behavior change.

When I start a new episode from the from favorites screen ( going over the show and press play to start next episode) I can start the next episode via continue watching on the home screen.

However when I watch the episode started via continue watching it breaks the next episode again via continue watching.

Not sure if it helps.

Is there any way to enable logs in the emby apple TV app? Maybe I get some useful info in the app logs

[Luke 42077]

Hi, what do you mean by "it breaks the next episode again via continue watching." ?

[MKay 6]

Ill try to explain the steps a little more detailed. 

I go into my tv shows overview and pick a tv show and start the next episode by just marking the show cover and pressing play on my remote. 

After watching the episode and I see the credits I press back a few times to go back to the Home Screen. 

ow the next episode of this shows comes up as the first entry in the “continue watching” section, which I have at the very top. 

Now I go over the next episode and hit play on the remote again. The episode starts playing. 
After seeing the credits I hit back again to come back to the Home Screen. 
Now the covers reload once or twice and the continues watching updates and shows the next episode. 

Now the issue begins. When I now go to the next episode and hit play nothing happens. 
Even long press of the center of the remote does nothing. Normally I get the co text menu. 

I can now go to the tv show cover under tv shows and start the next episode to continue watching. 
Also, if I just watch another show, the broken cover will move to the second spot after the recently watch episode and it works again. 
Also force closing emby and opening again makes it work again. 

So it only happens after watching the same show and when I eat to continue watching. 

This also only happens on tvOS. iOS and browser are fine

[Luke 42077]

On 5/2/2025 at 6:54 AM, MKay said:

Ill try to explain the steps a little more detailed. 

I go into my tv shows overview and pick a tv show and start the next episode by just marking the show cover and pressing play on my remote. 

After watching the episode and I see the credits I press back a few times to go back to the Home Screen. 

ow the next episode of this shows comes up as the first entry in the “continue watching” section, which I have at the very top. 

Now I go over the next episode and hit play on the remote again. The episode starts playing. 
After seeing the credits I hit back again to come back to the Home Screen. 
Now the covers reload once or twice and the continues watching updates and shows the next episode. 

Now the issue begins. When I now go to the next episode and hit play nothing happens. 
Even long press of the center of the remote does nothing. Normally I get the co text menu. 

I can now go to the tv show cover under tv shows and start the next episode to continue watching. 
Also, if I just watch another show, the broken cover will move to the second spot after the recently watch episode and it works again. 
Also force closing emby and opening again makes it work again. 

So it only happens after watching the same show and when I eat to continue watching. 

This also only happens on tvOS. iOS and browser are fine

@MKayare you still seeing this with the latest update to Emby for Apple TV?

[MKay 6]

Just tried again and yes. Still happens. Version: 1.9.9

[Luke 42077]

OK we're looking into it. Thanks.

[MKay 6]

Any news on this?

still happens. Last weekend I chatted with a friend of mine also using emby. And he mentioned he sometimes has the same issue. 

[Luke 42077]

@SamESare you able to reproduce ?

[SamES 1056]

On 29/07/2025 at 06:20, MKay said:

Last weekend I chatted with a friend of mine also using emby. And he mentioned he sometimes has the same issue. 

I still can't reproduce this. You mention that your friend sometimes has this issue.  Does it also only occur sometimes for you, or always?

In your Home Screen setup for the app for that user (you will need to check this on another app, not ATV) is it the 'Continue Watching' row, or are you using 'Next Up (Legacy)'?

What app version number do you have now?

[MKay 6]

Hey thanks for the reply,

I was using Next Up (Legacy). But I switched it to 'Continue Watching'. The issue still occurs though.

 

It occurs more often than not. Not 100% of the time, but so annoying I switched to Kodi for Emby for now.

A little more info to my setup, may it helps:

- Server: arm64 on an orangepi in docker
- Network mode: host
- Connection via https (port 8920)
- Tried the stable image and also tried the emby server beta. (no change)
- Licence: The Emby Server has a Emby Premiere Licence added to it
- Added skip intro and skip intro button
- AppleTV is a 4K one. I tried a Apple TV 4 (HD) and got the same problem
- AppleTV AppVersion: 2.0.0

 

Steps to reproduce:
I am playing a show to like 90% progress. Then I stop the playback with the remote BACK button an go back to the home screen.

When I am at the home screen, the continue watching flashes the thumbnails once/twice and updates to the new thumbnail of the next episode.

After this when trying to play the new episode, nothing happens for this episode.

A few hints: I start the episode from the home screen directly via the PLAY button. I do not press the remote and go into the episode details.
Same procedure when I want to play the next episode. Also holding how the ENTER button to open up the context menu is not working on this show.

 

I just tried again and could reproduce first try:

Start the latest episode in continue watching with PLAY.
Jump so the last minute of the episode and watch a little until the "Next Episode" Button appears.
Press back to to back to the home screen.
Wait until the episode updates on the home screen to the next.
Try to start it with PLAY and nothing happens.

[SamES 1056]

Thanks.  That's the same steps I've been using, but haven't been able to reproduce yet.

[SamES 1056]

9 hours ago, MKay said:

It occurs more often than not. Not 100% of the time,

Is it more consistent on a particular series/episodes, or random? For example, if it happens with a particular episode or series, does it always occur with that series or episode, and not others, or is it mixed with the same episode/series sometimes working correctly and sometimes not?

Can you please share a screenshot of your full Home Screen setup, or do you only have the first 3 sections set and everything else is set to None?

 

[MKay 6]

It really happens with all shows. And it rarely works. When I do a full reload of the app (force close) it works when starting up again.

also if I play another episode the old one works again. Even though I had a case where the first 2 items didn’t play. 

what worked as a workaround is to favorite the whole series and go to the favorites tab and just play press on the series. This always works. 
 

the Home Screen really is just these 3 sections. The rest is set to None. 
 

Is the app by any chance open source? Then I could try to run the app on my MacBook in debug mode to get some logs 

Edited August 12, 2025 by MKay

[SamES 1056]

Thanks for confirming.  I think the fact that it happens most of the time for you, and I am unable to reproduce it, and no one else is reporting it then it feels like it is somehow related to your server/setup.

I've seen something similar in the past with a user that had a special character or something in the folder name that was causing a random problem.

If you want, if you have your server setup for remote access, you could create a test user for me and add a series and send me the connection information via a PM. I think that's how I resolved the other users issue. If you do that, please make sure that you confirm that this issue still occurs with the test account.

4 hours ago, MKay said:

Is the app by any chance open source?

No, it is not.

[MKay 6]

Yeah it is available via remote. That was my next idea if I could not run the app in debug mode. Will message you via PM.

Thanks

[MKay 6]

Just here to inform you that the issue seems fixed with tvOS26 and the app version with the new UI updates