Distinguish a short press from a shortcut hold
Write down which number you pressed and whether it was a tap or a long press. LG’s remote documentation assigns additional functions to held buttons. A number used for ordinary entry can therefore behave differently when held, without the remote having changed the application itself.
LG’s 2024 Quick Access guide says 9 is automatically assigned to Quick Help. If that is the button you expected to open a player, the help screen is evidence of the reserved shortcut behaviour. It does not show that the player has been removed or that its service account expired.
Inspect the shortcut collection
The same guide describes holding 0 to check or edit Quick Access shortcuts. Use that screen to inspect the assignments available on your television. Confirm the app still opens normally from Home before changing a shortcut; that separates the app’s operation from the route used to launch it.
Choose an available assignment supported by the current model’s interface, then test the relevant long press. Keep the original assignment in your notes if another household member uses it. A change to a launch shortcut is not a reason to clear the application’s stored sign-in or viewing preferences.
Use the correct remote generation
LG’s broader Magic Remote guide separates several remote generations and their held-button functions. Inspect the actual remote and television manual if its keys or shortcut screen differ from the pictured 2024 example. A newer AI remote need not have every physical key shown in an older tutorial.
For support, report the TV model, remote model if available, button pressed and whether a tap, hold or normal Home launch works. Those observations identify the navigation layer that failed. They avoid confusing a reserved help key, an unassigned shortcut and a player that genuinely cannot open.