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Home » Fire TV » How to Stop Buffering on FireStick in 2023 (Powerful Hacks)

How to Stop Buffering on FireStick in 2023 (Powerful Hacks)

Last updated January 1, 2023 By James

You come back from a long day of work. All you want is to binge-watch your favorite show in peace. You have the latest Amazon Fire TV stick, and you are looking forward to watching your favorite show. As soon as you turn on your Fire TV, it starts buffering. Yes, I know how infuriating that feels.

how to stop buffering on firestick

So if you are wondering how to stop buffering on FireStick, you are in the right place. In this article, I will show you some useful methods to stop buffering on FireStick so that you can enjoy a proper Fire TV experience.

Attention FireStick Users: Read before you continue

Your government and ISP are probably monitoring your streaming activities. You will likely get into serious legal trouble if caught streaming copyrighted videos on your FireStick. Your IP address 3.17.249.235 is exposed to everyone. Therefore, I strongly recommend getting a trusted VPN for FireStick and hiding your online identity.

I use ExpressVPN on all my devices as it is the most reliable, secure, and fastest VPN. Enjoy effortless installation on any device and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, when you sign up for the annual plan, you'll get 3 months free. Don't miss out on the peace of mind and online security ExpressVPN provides.

Read: How to Install & Set up the best VPN on FireStick.

Why Does My FireStick Keep Buffering?

While streaming a certain content on your FireStick, it downloads a chunk of the content and stores it in the temporary storage space on the device. And this process is continued.

When you Fire TV stick buffers, it means it is downloading new content, but the download is delayed due to some issues.

Buffering only happens when you finish watching the stored data before a new chunk of content is downloaded.
The primary reasons why buffering on FireStick might be happening are:

1. Hardware and software limitations

Limitations of your router, router cable, Ethernet, or even your Amazon Fire TV stick might be responsible for buffering on FireStick.

An outdated operating system might also cause FireStick buffering. In that case, I would suggest that you try and get your Fire OS updated through your wireless connection. The updated Fire OS should ideally stop your FireStick buffering.

2. ISP throttling

Sometimes, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) might reduce your internet speed if they see you streaming too much content. Your internet service provider regularly checks for specific traffic categories and then reduces internet speed if they see you streaming too much content of a certain traffic type. This process is called ISP throttling and is used extensively by internet service providers to throttle users’ internet speed.

3. Slow internet connection

This is the reason in most cases for buffering on FireStick. A slow connection will cause buffering despite you having the best Fire TV devices possible. So sometimes, checking your wi-fi connection before trying to fix Amazon FireStick buffering is wise. If your wi-fi signal is weak, you might want to restart your wi-fi router to fix your wi-fi signal issue.

4. Remote server malfunction

The server operating the video you are streaming might experience malfunctions or work at a slower pace, which will cause incessant buffering on FireStick while streaming video. Unless the server is properly fixed, there is no way you can stop your FireStick buffering.

5. Distance between modem and Fire TV

If your modem is placed at quite some distance from your Fire TV, it might cause buffering on FireStick. To stop buffering on FireStick, I suggest you shift the FireStick closer to your other wireless devices so that it can connect to the wi-fi signal easily. That should help you fix FireStick buffering. If your Amazon Fire Stick still does not stop buffering, the problem might lie elsewhere.

6. FireStick overheating

If FireStick overheating occurs on your Amazon FireStick, it is likely to cause buffering issues. Try closing all the video streams on the device. And let it cool down a bit. That should help you fix FireStick buffering.

7. Improper connection between your Amazon FireStick and your TV

In some cases, the HDMI port of your tv might not be able to fit FireStick properly due to some hardware issues. I would suggest using an HDMI extender to get over this particular issue. An HDMI extender is given free with your Amazon FireStick if you purchase it from Amazon.

How to Stop Buffering on FireStick

There are several easy ways to stop FireStick buffering from happening. There are some not-so-easy ways too. In this article, I will first run you through the simple ways to solve your buffering issues on FireStick. If those do not work, then we will work on your Fire TV device via those not-so-easy ways.

Restart FireStick

Restarting your FireStick is one of the easiest ways to resolve your buffering issues on your FireStick device. The steps to restart your FireStick are as below. Launch your FireStick and select the Settings button from your home screen.

1. Select the My Fire TV option from your Settings menu.

My Fire TV

2. From the options available on-screen, select the Restart option. 

firestick buffering

3. FireStick will prompt you whether you want to restart it. 

4. Then all you need to do is wait till your FireStick restarts.

Clear App Cache on FireStick

The part of the memory on your FireStick that stores the instructions and data of apps is called the cache memory. Sometimes when the cache memory gets full, buffering might happen. I am not going to show you how to clear your cache memory. 

1. Go to the Settings option on your home screen, and select it. 

firestick settings

2. From your Settings menu, select the option which says Applications.

why is my firestick buffering

3. Afterward, select the Manage Installed Applications option on the screen. 

stop buffering on firestick

4. Select the app whose cache you want to clear from the list of your applications. 

how to fix buffering on firestick

5. Now you will have the option to either choose Clear cache or Clear data. If you choose Clear Cache, it would clear the app’s cache data information. But if you choose Clear Data, your app would reset to factory settings, and all your log-in information, app usage data, and personal details would be deleted from the device memory. 

firestick buffering fix

Use a VPN to Bypass ISP Throttling

No matter how good your streaming device is, if your ISP is restricting your connection speed for streaming, you will not be able to solve this problem on your end. Not without using a good VPN service.

Contacting your internet provider and asking them to fix your internet speed might also be a good idea. They might just listen to you if you catch them in a good mood. And that would stop FireStick buffering from happening. Or even better get your hands on a VPN service by following the steps below. 

 Click here to subscribe to ExpressVPN. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If it doesn’t solve your issues (which is unlikely), you can ask for a 100% refund. 

1. Go to the Find option on your home screen. 

find option on firestick

2. Type ExpressVPN in the search bar and select the Search button. 

amazon fire stick buffering issues

3. Select the ExpressVPN app and the Get option to download and install the VPN. Launch the VPN. Follow the in-app instructions and connect to a VPN server to enjoy unbridled internet speed on your Amazon FireStick.

why does my firestick keep freezing and buffering

An efficient VPN offers many advantages. It helps protect from government surveillance, safeguards personal information, and helps unblock geo-restricted content. Check out some amazing discounts on the ExpressVPN yearly plan.

Fix Wireless Connection Speed on Your Amazon Fire TV stick

You might be confident that you have a good and steady internet connection, so your internet will not be a problem. But to be sure, I would still suggest you look at it. This should be your first troubleshooting step.

If your Fire TV’s connection status reads good, you can put this concern out of the way. But if you see that your Fire TV’s connection strength is weak or poor, you might have to fix your wireless devices so that the internet connection strength is restored.

A weak internet connection will most likely cause FireStick buffering on your Fire TV or Fire TV Cube. If your internet connection is consistently slow, I suggest you look for better internet service providers.

Check internet connection speed on FireStick

You can watch live tv on a 10 Mbps connection in 1080p resolution. Any speed above 10 Mbps is good for video stream apps. But if you wish to stream 4K videos, we suggest you increase your wi-fi speed to 20 Mbps at least. If your internet connection is any lower, it will affect the device performance of your Fire TV.

Let us take a quick look at how you can check your internet connection status on your Fire TV.

1. Go to the Settings option on your FireStick home menu.

how to stop buffering on firestick

2. You will see an option labeled Network among the list of options available in the next window; you will see an option labeled Network. Select that option.

why does my firestick keep buffering

3. FireStick displays all the internet connections available for your device. From there, highlight your internet connection.

firestick keeps buffering

4. On the right-hand side of the list, you will find the Properties of your internet connection listed. If the Signal Strength shows Very Good, your connection is fine. If it shows “Poor” or “Weak, ” there is an issue with your wireless connection.

firestick buffering problems

Steps to improve internet speed

There might be several reasons your internet speed is not up to the mark. Let me tell you about a few easy ways to solve this issue.

1. Place the modem within 20-30 feet of your Amazon FireStick. If you see that is impossible, I suggest buying a wi-fi extender. As the name suggests, a wi-fi extender broadens your wi-fi signal’s range and makes it easier for your Fire TV to connect.

2. Ensure that there aren’t too many electrical devices near your modem as that might cause your signal to get jumbled. This will result in weak signal strength on your streaming device.

3. Try placing your modem at a height of 6 ft. or higher for better connectivity.

Turn Off Data Monitoring

You are given the option to monitor your data on your FireStick. But sometimes, it causes buffering on FireStick due to overusing the device’s RAM.

1. Select the Settings option on your home screen.

firestick settings

2. Open the option labeled Preferences.

why does my firestick keep buffering

3. Select the Data Monitoring option from the list. 

data monitoring

4. Turn the Data Monitoring option off. 

firestick buffering

Uninstall Unnecessary Apps

Unnecessary apps are the biggest reason for any device slowing down. If you have unnecessary installed apps on your FireStick, let me show you how to uninstall them. 

1. Select the Settings option on the home screen. 

firestick settings

2. Choose the option that says Applications.

why is my firestick buffering

3. Select Manage Installed Applications option on the screen.

amazon fire stick buffering issues

4. Select an app from the list. 

firestick keeps pausing

5. You will see an option on the list that says Uninstall. Select that option.  

firestick keeps buffering

6. Select the Uninstall option again. 

stop buffering on firestick

7. Continue this same process for all the installed apps that you want to uninstall from your FireStick.

Disable the Collect App Usage Data on your FireStick

1. Go to the Settings option on your home screen and select it. 

firestick settings

2. Select the Preferences option from the list of options available. 

how to stop my firestick from buffering

3. You will see an option called Privacy Settings on the list. Select the option. 

fire stick buffering

4. Finally, select the Collect Data Usage option and turn it off. 

my firestick keeps buffering

fire stick slow internet connection

This will stop buffering on FireStick as app data will not be collected. But with no app data present, some apps might malfunction. While turning off the app usage data, check if any of your installed applications require app usage data to be collected.

Turn Off All Notifications on Your FireStick

Notifications, if they come in all at once, cause your FireStick to slow down greatly. You need to follow the next simple steps to stop this problem. 

1. Go to the Settings option on your home screen. 

firestick settings

2. Then select the Preferences option available from the list. 

firestick streaming issues

3. On the next screen, there would be a list of options; you must select the Notification Settings option. 

notification settings

4. Select the App Notifications on the next screen. 

fire stick slow buffering

Turn off the notifications that are surplus to your requirements. 

Switch to a wired connection

As we all know, wired connections are way better than wireless connections. Wired connections do not need to depend on the proximity of other devices. In case of a wired connection, the Ethernet cable will be directly plugged into your Amazon FireStick.

You need to have an Ethernet adapter to use a wired connection on your Fire TV. Once you have bought an Ethernet adapter, you can plug the ethernet cable into your Amazon FireStick. Having a wired connection will reduce your buffering issues to a great extent.

If you are still experiencing FireStick buffering, ensure the ethernet adapter and cable are properly plugged in. If it is the issue with the ethernet adapter, you will have to get a new one. So I suggest you get the best possible ethernet adapter from Amazon, so you do not have to face the issue of having a faulty ethernet adapter.

FireStick is still buffering? Try out these steps

Sometimes the buffering might not stop even after you have completed all the steps mentioned above. For those situations, I have a few other solutions available. These steps are more permanent and should only be used as a last resort.

Free Up the RAM of Your FireStick

A FireStick usually comes equipped with 1-1.5 GB of RAM. This makes it extremely slow when multiple apps and processes run in the background. 

To remedy this situation, you can download a free app called Background Apps and Process List from your Amazon app Store. This free app will force-stop processes and apps that keep running in the background. This will free up the internal storage of your Amazon FireStick and make it considerably faster. Let me quickly show you the steps to do so. 

1. Go to the Find option on your home screen. 

firestick find

2. Type in the name Background Apps and Process List in the search bar and select the Search option. 

stop buffering on firestick

3. Select the app. And then, on the next screen, select the Get icon to download and install the app. 

how to fix buffering on firestick

4. Launch the app. 

5. Select the Got It option on the next screen. 

firestick buffering

6. On the top left-hand corner, you will see an option that says Close All Apps. This option will help you close all the apps running on your device.

firestick buffering problems

Once all background apps running are stopped, your Fire TV system resources would free up. That would stop buffering on FireStick.

Factory reset- The Last Resort

This is your “break glass in case of emergency” answer to stop buffering on FireStick. If all else has failed, and your buffering still hasn’t stopped, then I will suggest that you might try to perform a factory rest on your device. Fire Stick will save all your purchases, but you will lose everything on your FireStick. So you will have to redownload everything that you need on your FireStick. The steps to do so are given below. 

1. Select the Settings option from the home screen. 

firestick settings

2. Select the My Fire TV option.

my fire tv

3. The Restore to Factory Defaults option will be found on the next screen. Select that option. 

firestick keeps pausing

4. Confirm the action on the next screen. 

Please note that doing this will reset your device to factory defaults. This might solve your buffering issues, but you must set up your Fire TV all over again. So, perform a Factory reset only when you have no other means left at your disposal. Before performing a Factory reset, note down all relevant log-in information somewhere accessible.

There is an alternate way to reset your FireStick through your remote.

  • Press the Right Direction key from your navigation keys and the Back key together for 10 seconds. The factory reset message will pop up on the screen. 
  • Choose the Reset option. Please note that your device will reset automatically if you do not select any option within 20 seconds.

Bonus: How to speed up your Fire TV stick

The Amazon FireStick is built with the goal of streamlining your viewing experience. It has a lot of pretty intuitive features. But the main drawback with these extra features is that they exert considerable pressure on the device’s CPU, which might cause FireStick buffering. I am going to list some easy ways to boost the speed of your Fire TV Stick.

Disable video and sound autoplay

1. Go to the Settings option on your home screen.

firestick settings

2. From the list of options available, choose the Preferences option.

firestick streaming issues

3. A list of options will then pop up. From that list, choose the option that says Featured Content.

featured content

4. Now disable the Allow Video Autoplay and Allow Audio Autoplay options.

stop firestick from buffering

Turn off automatic updates

1. Select the Settings option from your home screen.

firestick settings

2. On the next screen, there will be a list of options. Select the Applications option.

firestick applications

3. Inside Applications, you will find an option that says Appstore. Select that option.

fire stick slow buffering

4. Turn off the Automatic updates option from the next screen.

why does my firestick keep buffering

I should remind you that once you turn off “Automatic updates,” you should regularly check for updates on your own. Else outdated software might cause FireStick buffering issues.

Get rid of unused services

Your Amazon FireStick comes with many in-built services. You might be using some of them. But I can guarantee that there must be some services that are useless to you. You can consider turning those off to lighten the load on your device’s CPU.

Change the USB socket

Sometimes the problem might be a hardware-oriented one. In that case, you might want to take out your Fire TV from the current USB slot and plug it into a different USB slot on your TV.

If you still see that buffering is happening on your FireStick, I think you should get a diagnostic done on your Network connection. You might also get your FireStick looked at by experts from Amazon customer care. But if any common issue is causing your FireStick to buffer, it can be solved easily by following any of the methods mentioned above.

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  • How to Install Cinema HD APK on FireStick
  • Best FireStick Apps
  • How to Jailbreak a FireStick

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About James

James is an expert in streaming and digital privacy. He started this blog to educate users on how to use streaming services and protect their personal information. He is a well-known voice in these fields and writes about the latest trends and best practices.

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Contents

  • 1 Why Does My FireStick Keep Buffering?
    • 1.1 1. Hardware and software limitations
    • 1.2 2. ISP throttling
    • 1.3 3. Slow internet connection
    • 1.4 4. Remote server malfunction
    • 1.5 5. Distance between modem and Fire TV
    • 1.6 6. FireStick overheating
    • 1.7 7. Improper connection between your Amazon FireStick and your TV
  • 2 How to Stop Buffering on FireStick
    • 2.1 Restart FireStick
    • 2.2 Clear App Cache on FireStick
    • 2.3 Use a VPN to Bypass ISP Throttling
    • 2.4 Fix Wireless Connection Speed on Your Amazon Fire TV stick
      • 2.4.1 Check internet connection speed on FireStick
      • 2.4.2 Steps to improve internet speed
    • 2.5 Turn Off Data Monitoring
    • 2.6 Uninstall Unnecessary Apps
    • 2.7 Disable the Collect App Usage Data on your FireStick
    • 2.8 Turn Off All Notifications on Your FireStick
    • 2.9 Switch to a wired connection
  • 3 FireStick is still buffering? Try out these steps
    • 3.1 Free Up the RAM of Your FireStick
    • 3.2 Factory reset- The Last Resort
  • 4 Bonus: How to speed up your Fire TV stick
    • 4.1 Disable video and sound autoplay
    • 4.2 Turn off automatic updates
    • 4.3 Get rid of unused services
    • 4.4 Change the USB socket

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