Help centre

Retune instructions

When the full-size mast was switched on, the vast majority of people across the region needed to do nothing to have their TV services restored, as the replacement mast is in exactly the same place as the old one and many TVs and set top boxes automatically rescaned/retuned.

Viewers experiencing signal issues should visit www.freeview.co.uk/help.

If yours doesn't do this, you may need to manually start the retune. The process is straightforward. 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 restore 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.

Freeview have made some handy videos showing you how to retune your TV. You can see these below:

You might find that your channel favourites and scheduled recordings are also deleted after retuning, so you'll need to check and reset them. But any recordings you've made should still be there.

If your set-top box or TV still isn’t working correctly, you may need to clear its memory completely or reboot it.

FAQs - retuning

From when the new mast will be live, to how to retune your tv, we've already got lots of answers to the most common questions below.

When is the new mast going to be live?

The new mast will begin transmitting TV services to the region on Monday 22 May 2023.

What if i’ve followed the retune instructions and it’s still not working?

You can try a full manual retune by removing your aerial cable from the back of your TV, performing a retune (which will return ZERO channels), then put the aerial cable back in and retune once again.

Will this affect my radio service?

Our priority has been to restore the core TV services from a permanent, full size mast and work will continue to bring the full range of additional services, including radio, back in the coming weeks and months.

If you still find you’re missing your favourite radio stations here are some options to try:

If you usually listen on FM, try retuning – some services are available from other transmitters nearby. A simple retune up or down the dial may bring these services back, noting that some local FM stations may be a different local service.
If you are unsuccessful on FM and you have access to a DAB radio, try finding your service on that – the DAB network has a different network of transmitters and it could be that you’re able to get your service back here. This may require a retune using the autotune function of the radio to refresh the stations that are available.
If you have access to the internet, try searching for your station – most radio stations have Listen Live options online for those with web access
If you have had TV restored, many channels are available further down your Programme Guide – look for all the main radio stations on channel numbers between 700 and 730