What does a red light on the Sky Q box mean?

Having problems with Sky Q? Can you see a red light on the Sky Q box? We’ll unravel what this means and what you can do about it.

First, we need to work out which Sky Q device you’ve got a problem with. There is a Sky Q box (the one that does the TV stuff) and a Sky Q Hub (which provides your internet connection). Both of those can show red lights.

Sky Q Hub: red power light

The Sky Q Hub has three lights on the front labelled ‘power’, ‘internet’ and ‘wireless’. If the power light is showing red then this indicates a problem with the Hub’s power supply.

Make sure the power cable is plugged in correctly, both ends. If all seems well, then a faulty power supply may be to blame. As with all things, try turning the power off and on to see if that makes it any better.

Sky Q Box: red recording light

The Sky Q Box has a circular light on the front of the box. If this is red, first check that your Sky Q box isn’t recording or downloading any shows:

1. Press ‘Sky’ to access your recordings and then select ‘scheduled’ to see if your Sky Q box is recording anything
2. Now select ‘manage’, press ‘select’, then ‘downloading’, to see if your Sky Q is downloading any shows

If neither of those are occurring, restart your Sky Q box. To do this:

1. Press ‘standby’ on your Sky Q remote, then switch off the power to your box
2. Check all the lights on the front panel of your Sky Q box go out and that all cables are securely connected
3. Switch your Sky Q box back on
4. Wait for the on-screen instructions to disappear then press ‘Home’ on your Sky Q remote

Some features may take up to five minutes before they return to normal.