Troubleshooting Archives

Buffering is painful while you are watching your favourite TV show or movie and see the loading screen again and again. So, if you are also facing the Firestick Buffering issue then don't forget to read the complete guide as I have brought some useful and working tips that will Fix Stop Buffering On Firestick I have been using this Fire Stick device on my TV for years, and I just love to watch my favourite shows and install third-party apps, and other things on it. But by doing this you will face a significant issue which is buffering, it is painful and hurts a lot at the time when it comes to the interval of a movie or TV show. This is the reason why I have been searching on the internet to fix this major problem, and then finally I collect all the tricks, and now I am ultimately helping my visitors in solving this issue. Make sure you read the complete guide as everything you see here is related to this issue. If one of the guides or methods doesn't work for you, then make sure to check another because every person faces the problem differently. This is why one fix could not help everyone, and that's the reason why I bring all the possible solutions here. Cause Of Buffering On Firestick Before we proceed to the tips & fixes first, it is imperative to understand what the reason behind this is. Why your Firestick suddenly starts buffering and behaving abnormally? Have you asked this question yourself? If not, then let me tell you what the major causes of this are. Slow Internet: One of the significant issues in which people face this problem has a slow internet connection. With slow internet, you can only watch movies in Low Quality like 480p or 720p. To watch 1080p it is highly recommended to have around 20mbps. ISP Throttling: It means slowing down the internet by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). This problem comes when the provider notice you are using too much internet, and then he slows down the connection. The modem is too far: This could also be a major factor of Firestick buffering because if your modem is too far then signal strength will be low and this way you will face this issue. Lack of Power: Firesticks come with two different options to power up one using a TV port and the second using an Adapter. If you are using the TV port, then you will surely face this problem as it doesn't provide enough power to the stick. Apps in Background: It is another major factor that causes buffering issues because these devices come with only 1GB of Ram. So, if you have many apps running in the background, then there are 100% chances of facing this problem. Running Low on Storage: Another common factor that people don't know about is low Storage. When you install too many applications on this device will surely give you a buffering problem. Unwanted Apps Data & Caches: When you install the application, you see it is very light in size, but after using it for a long time, you notice an increase in size. It is because this app stores too much data on the device which slows it down and we face this issue. Overheating: If your device is heating a lot, then there are 50% chances it will buffer at the time of streaming. Unwanted Features: Yet another big issue of buffering because if the device has enabled features like Autoplay, then there are chances you will see this issue. Outdated Operating System: Having an outdated device means you are not getting any updates and still have the same OS when you bought it. This is also a reason for this problem because when you keep the device up to date, you will get some new features, speed improvements, bug fixes, etc. How to Fix & Stop Buffering On Firestick Now, as we understand the causes of this problem now, it becomes easier to solve the problem. So, finally, we are ready to solve this major problem on the Firestick device. #1. Change Internet Plan Before you move to any other fix, make sure you have a fast internet plan because having a slow connection will not help even if you try every solution. It is because when we stream the content in HD or Ultra HD, we require to have at least 10MBps of connection. If you don't know the speed of your internet, then open Silk Browser on Firestick and then go to this website. Ookla Speed Test. In case you don't have a web browser then make sure to download the Ookla Speed Test from Amazon App Store. If this doesn't solve your problem, make sure to contact your Internet Service provider and ask them for a recommendation. They will then guide you if the connection is Ok or if you have to upgrade your plan. #2. Using a Wired Connection Now you will be thinking, how can I connect my device with wired? Doesn't it have any port or any option to plug the ethernet cable in it? I know it sounds strange, but we have the solution for it as Amazon has just launched its own ethernet Adapter that can be used to connect with Firestick easily. Using the WiFi connection may not give you proper speed because of the distance between the TV and the router. In most cases, some obstacles come between TV, and it is also a reason why this device faces a weak connection problem. It is proven that the Wired connection has the fastest internet speed as compared to WiFi because your device directly interacts with the internet. In WiFi, we face weak signals because of some magnetic obstacles that avoid the signals from directly reaching the device. If you are interested in buying this product, then the link is given below to directly buy from Amazon itself. Buy Amazon Ethernet Adapter #3. Restart Firestick If the above two fixes are not working for you, then it is recommended to restart Firestick. Because when we restart this device, it automatically clears some unwanted caches and stops everything running in the Background. Restarting devices is reportedly one of the best and easiest fixes for many people out there. If you don't know how to restart then follow the steps given below: Turn on Fire TV and from the home screen go to Settings. From Settings move to the right side and then select My Fire TV. Now scroll down and find the Restart option there and press the Center button. A prompt message will appear for confirmation just select Restart. When the Restart is finished and the device boots again now try to launch any app or stream anything and see if the problem is still there or not. If it solves your problem, then you are done but if this doesn't work then move to the fourth solution. #4. Check WiFi Strength Another thing that you should take care of is the strength of the WiFi because when we have weak signals, we experience buffering issues. That's why Amazon personally recommends keeping the router near the device, so it gets the signals directly. If you don't know the strength, then here are the steps you can follow to check: 1. From the Home Screen simply click on Settings. 2. After this go to the right side and then select Networks. 3. Here you will see all the networks available near you so simply hover over the network you are connected to. Now on the right side, you will see the details of this network like Strength, Security Connectivity etc. If the device shows connections as Good or Very good, then you don't have to do anything if it shows weakness. Then it is recommended to change the place of the router and place it somewhere near the Fire TV. Experts recommend keeping the router in around 20 to 30 meters away from the TV for the best network strength. Just in case you don't want to do this then simply buy a WiFi extender that will help to extend WiFi signals and in this way, your device will get the best signal even if it is away. Try doing this and then check if the firestick buffering issue is solved or not. If the problem is solved, then you are all done otherwise move to our next fix. #5. Clear RAM to Fix Firestick Buffering This is the most important and is the perfect solution that works for almost every user out there. Now, as we know that this device comes with the 1GBs of RAM only. And the applications that come nowadays require to have at least 2GB or 3GB of RAM to work properly. Having a small amount of Ram can cause buffering, and to solve this issue, we have to avoid the app from running in the Background. It is because when you use any application and then launch another app, this doesn't kill the app completely, but it only minimizes it. This means the application is still in the process and is using the RAM, so when you launch 3 or 4 apps at the same time, you will surely face the buffering problem. To avoid this problem, we have to force close the applications that are running. Force closing every app is quite difficult and a time consuming task so we have two options for this. The first option is to restart our device and the second option is by using an application. There is a free application available on the Amazon Store that let us stop all the activities that are running in the Background. Let's follow the below steps to understand how it works and how to download this awesome application. Step 1: From Home Screen, select the Search box or Magnifying Glass icon. Step 2: Now using the virtual keyboard type Background Apps and Process List. Step 3: Just select the first result you see there and click on the Download button. Step 4: After this, when the app is downloaded now click on the Open button. Step 5: When the app is launched, you will see a prompt message. So, from here we need to uncheck "Open app on boot" to avoid it automatically opening after reboot. Then you just need to select the Got it button to dismiss this prompt message. Step 6: Here, you will see all the applications that are currently active and running in the Background. All we have to do is just over to Close All Apps and press the centre button to close. This is the easiest and simplest way to close all the apps at once, but the problem is this application will then occupy some of your Storage. Since I said above that low Storage is also the cause of buffering, that's why make sure you have enough storage left even after installing this app. Alternatively, you can use a built-in system feature to force close background activity. If you don't know the process, then simply follow the below steps carefully: 1. Open Settings and then go to the Applications Section. 2. Now click On Manage Installed Applications. 3. Here you will find all the apps that are installed. So, select the app that you just minimized and then select Force Close. That's it the app is now closed and won't run in the background, this could be the best option to save some storage. But it will consume too much time as we have to close every application one by one. #6. Tweaking Preferences Tweaking privacy preferences will also help to avoid Firestick buffering because these settings enable some process that runs in the background. In this way, we need to disable them like Collect App Data, Device Usage Data, Video Autoplay, and so on. Now let's have a look at these settings and try if it solves the problem or not. Disable Device & App Usage Data Ok so here are the steps that you can follow: 1. First, go to Settings and then move right and select Preferences from the list. 2. Now move down and select Privacy Settings. 3. Here you have to disable both Device Usage Data and Collect App Usage Data. 4. Now go back to Preferences and at this time open Data Monitoring. 5. From here simply disable the Data Monitoring as well. Disable Autoplay to fix Firestick Buffering Autoplay of the feature content can be a cause of buffering so we can disable it by performing the following steps: Open Settings from Home Screen. Go to the Preferences Scroll Down and open Featured Content. Now turn off Allow Video Auto Play. Disable Notification Receiving Notification from the apps could also be the reason behind Firestick buffering so don't worry here are the steps to follow and disable notifications. Open from Home Screen Settings Then go to Preferences. Now scroll down and select Notification Settings. After this go to App Notification Here find all the apps that you want to disable Notifications. #7. Firestick Overheating This is another major fact why Firestick buffering problem occurred because when the device becomes warm, the processor becomes slow. In this way, you will see some performance issues as well, so it is highly recommended to keep it cool and avoid it from heating as it may damage. There are many things that you can do to avoid this device from heating like using the Extender to keep it away from the TV and let it get enough airflow. You can uninstall some unwanted apps that we don't use much, or these are outdated etc. If you want a proper guide to avoiding Firestick Overheating, then follow this link to read: Firestick Overheating A Complete Guide For Beginners To overcome this problem, you should unplug this device when you are sleeping or not using it. If the device overheats just turn off the TV and unplug the adapter to give it a rest for at least 15 minutes. #8. Uninstall Unwanted Apps This is another major issue of Firestick buffering because most of the third-party apps we download sometimes don't work well. And people usually left them and forgot to uninstall them, so this could also be a major downfall. As these apps are occupying space on your device and some of these activities use the internet even if you don't use them. This is why you should remove them to free up some storage and avoid this problem as well. Here are the steps that you need to follow: 1. Select Settings from the above menu on Home Screen. 2. Now using the right remote button go to the Applications section. 3. After this simply select Manage Installed Applications. 4. Here you can see all the apps that are installed on your device. Now move down and highlight the app you want to remove. 6. Using the Remote centre button select that app and here you can see the Uninstall option. 7. A prompt message will appear for confirmation just select Uninstall, and the app will be removed instantly. Now we have saved some of our Storage, and the problem will be surely fixed. In case you don't want to delete any of the apps then simply clear the cache and the data. Here are the steps on how to clear the cache and Data of apps in Firestick: 1. Go to Settings. 2. Open Applications. 3. Select Manage Installed Applications. 4. Find the app you want to clear data on and highlight it. 5. Select that app and click Clear Data and then select Clear Cache. 6. Choose Yes when the prompt message appears, and you are done with it. Now in this way we can easily clear all the data and factory reset that specific app without uninstalling it. Some people have reported that it works for them, so try this yourself and see if you are lucky enough. #9. Turn off Automatic Updates Since auto-updates require an internet connection to check updates for the app. In this way, this sometimes slows down the internet while searching for updates or automatically updating the applications. In this way we have to disable this Setting as well to fix the Firestick buffering problem: 1. Launch Firestick and from the Home Screen open Settings. 2. Now go to Applications. 4. From Applications choose the App Store. 5. After this simply highlight the Automatic Updates. 6. At this time press the Ok button to turn Auto Updates off. This Setting will disable automatic updates from the App Store so now you have to update anything manually. #10. Use a VPN Service An Internet Throttling is a common issue when you use the internet a lot, and your internet provider then slows down its speed. In this way, you will see the problem of too much buffering so you can also contact them and ask them why it happens. But instead of this, you can also use a VPN network to overcome this problem. So, basically, a VPN or Virtual Private Network hides your identity and makes it untraceable. In this way, your ISP will never find who is using the internet and then can easily watch your favourite show without restriction. There are many VPN service providers available on the internet, but I would recommend going with NordVPN. Because they have the largest servers in almost every country and in this way, you will get the fastest speed to stream the Movies without interruption. NordVPn is not free, but it comes with a monthly plan that you can buy and enjoy streaming unlimited content even from restricted websites or apps. The plans of this VPN start from $11.95 per month to $3.49/per month for the 3-year plan only. Buy NordVPN 70% Off #11. Check for Updates This is a rare problem that only comes when the device got an updated OS, but you haven't updated it yet. Because these updates contain some major bug fixes, improvements and other cool features, etc. So, to check the update or download the new update, you can follow the steps below: 1. Plug your Firestick and turn on the TV now from Home Screen select Settings. 2. From here simply go to the My Fire TV section. 3. Now scroll down and then select About. 4. Simply just select the Check For System Updates and press the Ok button. 5. Wait for some time to let the device check for updates If the update is available you will be asked to download it. Otherwise, you will see "You already have the latest version". It is recommended by Amazon to keep the device up to date to get the bugs fixed and other new features easily. Now when the device got the new update just download it and when it completes you will notice some improvements in speed and the buffering is fixed as well. #12. Using Real-Debrid Real-Debrid is a premium service that can be integrated with many apps and Kodi Addons to get some fast links to stream content. Because when you are using a free App to watch live TV or movies & dramas etc. you will get the links from various servers. Some of the servers are fast while some of them don't work as expected, and this can be a cause of Firestick buffering. In this way, we can easily purchase the premium plan of it and connect the account with that specific app and will then only get the links that support fast streaming. #13. Factory Reset The final method we use is to factory reset, if the above methods are not working for you, then this will surely do. By resetting to the factory, it will delete everything from Firestick and make it look like a newly bought device. To factory reset the firestick just follow the steps mentioned below: 1. Launch Firestick and then go to Settings. 2. From here just select My Fire TV. 3. Now move down and then choose Reset to Factory Defaults. 4. A prompt warning message will appear just ignore it and select Reset. That's it now wait for some time until restore completes and the device will reboot. Here you will be required to set up things again. If you don't know how to set up Firestick then I have a complete guide written that you should check: How To Setup Amazon Fire Stick Conclusion No doubt that Amazon Firestick is the best device to stream online without having an internet connection. It converts the normal TV into a Smart TV and provides all the benefits there as well. So, there are many apps that can be used to watch free Movies, TV Shows, Live Channels, and other entertainment. But this is really the worst feeling when you face the Firestick Buffering problem but as I have mentioned all the possible ways that can help you to fix this issue. All these guides are checked by me and are working perfectly fine, so don't hesitate to check. If you just find this article helpful, make sure to share it with your friends and family. Also, if any of the fixes are working for you, then please don't forget to share your experience here. In this way, others will also get an idea and can easily find the best fit for themselves.