TV
Channel names or numbers can change for various reasons, including adjustments to airwaves or because the channels have requested these changes themselves.
Usually you'll get an on-screen message when changes are taking place, but you can also enter your postcode into our updates and alerts page to see if any changes have been made and which channels are affected.
Retuning your Freeview devices
Some equipment will retune automatically – but if you find you are missing channels on or after this date, you’ll need to retune your TV or set-top box to get them back. Retuning will help you to keep up to date with any changes being made and is relatively simple to do.
It usually just involves pressing retune when prompted, but from time to time you may need to manually start the retune. This is straightforward, and while it may vary slightly depending on which device you have, it usually includes the following steps:
- Press menu on your box or TV remote control.
- Select set up, installation, update, or a similar option. If you’re asked for a password, the default code is 1234 or 0000.
- Select first-time installation (sometimes called factory reset, full retune or default settings).
- Press OK if your equipment asks if it's OK to delete existing channels, then your retune should start automatically.
- If prompted, save the channels that are found.
If you are having problems viewing channels after retuning we can help you to fix the problem.
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Channels on Freeview can change from time to time – some may be removed, others added and channel numbers can change. But if you're missing any, it's relatively simple to find them again.
Go straight to the TV Guide in the app. From here you can scroll through the guide and find the channels you're looking for. It's a good idea to set them as favourites so they're always easy to find.
How to favourite channels
You can favourite TV channels by double-tapping or long pressing a channel icon on the What’s On screen or the TV Guide of your app. It will then show a filled-in heart symbol next to it. You can remove it from your favourites by double-tapping or long pressing the icon again.
To see only your favourite channels in the TV Guide, tap the filter icon in the top right corner and toggle Favourite Channels to ON. Switching this off will allow you to see all channels again.