No satellite signal

Picture freezing, blocking or breaking up on live viewing (Sky+)

Remember that bad weather such as heavy wind, rain, snow, or storms can interfere with your satellite signal. If the weather’s bad where you are, wait for it to return to normal to see if that fixes the problem.

Check the line of sight

If the weather’s fine, the first thing you should do is check if there’s anything blocking your dish.

To get a signal, there needs to be a clear line of sight between our satellites and your dish. Tall trees in front of your dish (that have grown since your dish was first installed), scaffolding, and maintenance or building work on the outside of your house could all affect your signal.

If there’s something blocking your dish, you’ll need to arrange for the obstruction to be removed.

Can't get rid of the obstruction? One of our engineers might need to relocate your dish. You can book an engineer visit online.

If there's not anything blocking your dish, continue to the next step.

Restart your Sky box and check your cables

A loose cable can cause satellite signal problems. Switch your Sky box off at the mains and then check your cables. Sky+ check cables

The two dish input cables should be securely connected to DISH INPUT 1 and DISH INPUT 2. You can check this by gently turning the cables clockwise – but take care not to unscrew them.

You should also make sure your cables aren’t damaged or broken in any way. If your cables are damaged, you’ll need to book an engineer visit online.

If your cables are securely connected and undamaged, switch your Sky box back on at the mains.

Wait at least 4 minutes, then press Sky on your Sky remote to switch your box back on. A message on channel 998 might appear before you can watch telly again.

Check if Single Feed Mode is enabled

If you live in a flat or only have one dish input cable, make sure Single Feed Mode is switched on:

  1. Press services on your Sky remote, then press 0, 0, 1 and select to access the hidden installer menu and confirm Setup is highlighted.
  2. Check Single Feed Mode is ON. If it's OFF, change it to ON and press green to save the setting.
  3. You'll see a Single Feed Mode confirmation message. Press select to continue. This procedure will take a few minutes to complete. The screen will go blank and the Sky box will switch itself off.
  4. Wait at least 4 minutes and then press Sky to switch on your Sky box.

Single Feed Mode screen Sky+

Check the Lock Indicator

Your Lock Indicator tells you how strong your satellite signal is. To check your Lock Indicator:

  1. Press services on your Sky remote, select Settings and then select Signal.
  2. The Lock Indicator for Input 1 and Input 2 should display OK. If there's only 1 cable connected, there'll only be one Lock Indicator reading. This should be on Input 1.

If your Lock Indicator readings are Not locked or Null, you'll need to book an engineer visit online.

Lock Indicator screen Sky+

Check the signal strength

If your satellite signal has returned, test a few channels to make sure everything's working as expected. If there are any problems, or if you still don't have a satellite signal, you'll need to book an engineer visit online.

If you are using a communal dish:

  • In the UK, contact your property manager.
  • In ROI, contact us using the options below.

You can also continue watching live TV on the Sky Go app until your box is up and running again. However, you might get a no satellite signal error on your Sky Go app as well. To fix this, see our Sky Go help guide.

Got Sky Q? See help for no satellite signal issues on Sky Q instead.