How to Stop Movie Buffering While Streaming

Buffering is one of the most annoying things that could happen to you while watching a movie and it’s enough to ruin the whole experience. Now before you give up entirely and close the movie - let us help you out.

There could be a few things causing this problem which we’ll explain in this article along with the solution. So read on to learn more!

What Is Buffering?

A lot of people think of buffering as a bad thing - but it’s not. You need buffering to have a smooth watching experience. In layman's terms, when you stream a video, the software downloads the data and stores it in the buffer in the device's memory.

The device then processes this data and allows you to watch seamlessly while the rest of the video is buffering in the background.

So, where is the problem? The problem is when your buffering is too slow that you keep seeing the frustrating loading symbol while watching.

This happens for several reasons, primarily because of a slow internet connection that doesn’t allow the video data to get downloaded fast enough. It can also happen when you use unreliable and poor streaming sites, instead of opting for the best free movie platforms.

10 Ways to Stop Buffering While Streaming a Movie

These are the most common solutions for movie buffering. Hopefully one of them will work out for you!

Check Your Internet Connection

A slow internet connection is the primary and most common reason for movie buffering. One of the fastest ways to check your connection speed is by using speed-testing websites or mobile apps like Speedtest.

If your internet connection is slow or unstable, you should check the cables or call up your internet company to figure out the problem and fix it for you. However, if your speed is fine, then you should move on to the next solution.

Move Closer to Your Router

Sometimes the reason your movie is buffering too much is that you are too far away from the WiFi router. A lot of things interfere with your WiFi connection when you are far from the router like walls and other electronic devices.

So, try moving closer to the router or setting it up in a closer position to your TV and streaming device. You can also upgrade to another router with more coverage range.

Disconnect Other Devices from WiFi

Try disconnecting the other devices that are connected to your WiFi. The more devices connected to the same WiFi, the more bandwidth is consumed. Even if you’re not using them, they could be downloading updates and uploading backup data in the background without you knowing.

Close All Other Apps

Whichever device you’re watching on, you should try closing all other background apps. They might be consuming your bandwidth and downloading data which will cause your movie to buffer a lot.

Pause Your Movie

It might be frustrating to wait, but try giving your streaming movie a chance to load. Pause for a few minutes so it can load further ahead and play for a longer period before it buffers again if it ever needed to.

Reduce the Movie Quality

We all want to watch our movies in 4K and enjoy how beautiful they look. However, if your film buffers a lot while you’re playing it in 4K, then your internet connection cannot handle the load and you need more bandwidth.

The fastest and best temporary solution is to reduce the movie quality down to 1080p or even 720p if it is still buffering. The movie will consume much less data and load faster without buffering.

Update the Streaming App

It can be a problem with the streaming app itself. Streaming services regularly release updates for their apps to solve bugs and enhance performance. So, whichever device you are watching on, go to the app store and check for updates.

Try Wired Connection

This does not apply to all devices, but if your device has an Ethernet port, you can try a wired connection. PCs, most laptops, Playstation, Xbox, and some streaming devices have Ethernet ports. This allows you to connect directly to your router without having to deal with signal issues.

Turn Off Your VPN

If you are watching your movie while using VPN, there’s a big chance it could be the reason for buffering. Your VPN might be connected to a bad or busy server, which would slow your connection significantly.

You can either turn it off and watch your movie without it or reset the connection. When you reconnect to your VPN, it will find the current best and fastest server available and connect you to it.

Restart Your Router or Device

This might sound like a fundamental solution, but sometimes it’s all you need to do to fix the problem. Restarting your devices will allow the system to start fresh and solve underlying issues that might’ve been causing your movie to buffer.

So, restart your router, device, and the streaming app as well and see if it works.

Final Thoughts

I understand how frustrating it is when you are trying to chill and watch a movie but it won’t stop buffering.

Although the most common reason for video buffering is a slow internet connection, you should try out the other solutions I’ve mentioned in this article.