Errors and bugs are annoying but inevitable. More so if the certain error in question challenges the ownership of a game you bought. Us gamers expect our devices and consoles to work all the time, irrespective of the problems devs run into while maintaining large-scale services like Xbox Live. One such error that has been popping up recently is “You need to be online to open this on this device”. It does not let users get into their games and apps on their Xbox consoles, which makes it even more frustrating. Let us find out more about this error and how to fix it in this article.
When Does Error Code “You need to be online to open this on this device” Occur?
The error code “You need to be online to open this on this device” mostly appears while users try to launch any game or app on their Xbox One or Series X|S consoles. This error stops the particular app or game in question from loading up, and the console displays the error prompt on the screen.
What Does Error Code “You need to be online to open this on this device” Mean?
The error code “You need to be online to open this on this device” can have multiple implications. It can either mean you are not connected to the Xbox Live services and/or the internet. Alternatively, it can also mean that the Xbox Live Services are temporarily down for scheduled maintenance and upkeep work.
Alternatively, if you are not the owner of the particular app or game in question, and you are in offline mode, the console might not let you initialize it. You need to go to online mode so that Microsoft can verify ownership before letting you access the game or app.
How to Fix Error Code “You need to be online to open this on this device”?
There are a few potential fixes to the error code “You need to be online to open this on this device”. We have listed them below.
- Head over to the Xbox Live Status page. This page displays all of the servers Microsoft currently uses to manage their Xbox services. Additionally, it also displays any server outage or limited abilities. If any server is out of service, you do not have any other option but to wait for the service to be back up.
Microsoft allows its users to set a reminder when the service comes back up. To do this, follow these steps:- Locate the service that is currently experiencing an outage. Expand it.
- Sign in to receive a message when the service comes back online. This way, Microsoft will notify you when you can enjoy your apps and games again.
- Attempt a power cycle. Power cycles clean up temporary files, and you can enjoy your apps and games once again. To perform a console restart, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the Xbox button on your controller.
- From the menu that appears, open the Power Centre of the console. It is represented by a small gear icon.
- From the new menu, hit on the Restart console option.
- Hit Restart from the prompt that appears.
- If both of the above solutions fail, reset your internet. Keep your internet turned off for at least 30 seconds before turning it back on.
- In case you do not own the app or game in question, you can ask the owner to sign in to your Xbox console. However, if this is not an option, follow the workaround below. It has worked for a bunch of people but has its set of caveats.
- Set the console as your Home Xbox. This will help you to play the downloaded games without the need for your account to be signed in. But, Xbox only allows three Home Xbox switches a year, so you can not freely use this feature.
To switch your Home Xbox, follow these steps:- Head over to Settings on your Xbox console.
- Under the General tab, head over to Personalization.
- Choose the My Home Box option. This will open up a new window.
- From the new screen, checkmark the “Make this my home Xbox” option. This will set the current account used to log into the console as the Home Xbox.
These are some potential fixes that should solve the issue “You need to be online to open this on this device” on Xbox consoles.
