Why Does My FireStick Keep Buffering? (How to Fix Common Issues)

This post covers the possible reasons why your FireStick keeps buffering and solutions to fix the issue.

If you own a Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K, FireStick 4K Max, Fire TV Cube, or any other Fire streaming device, this guide is for you.

Imagine you are watching movies with your family. But suddenly, your FireStick starts buffering.

The issue is common, and I have faced it a few times.

This article will help you identify the underlying problems with solutions to fix the buffering issues.

Read: How to Install and Use Best VPN for FireStick

Why Does My FireStick Keep Buffering?

Here are 9 most common reasons why your FireStick keeps buffering:

1. Slow internet connection: Insufficient internet speed is the most obvious reason behind a buffering FireStick – your connection speed must be at least 3 Mbps for SD streaming.
2. Poor Wi-Fi signals: Weak connection signals caused by distance or interference between your FireStick and router limit the internet speed, causing buffering.
3. ISP throttling: Some internet providers deliberately slow down connection speeds in peak hours to accommodate other customers.
4. Too many devices using your internet: If multiple people use your internet simultaneously to download and stream content, your FireStick will get slower.
5. Outdated streaming apps: You’re more likely to experience buffering on old versions of streaming apps.
6. Running low on RAM: Multiple apps running in the background can eat up your FireStick RAM, causing the device to load videos improperly.
7. Low storage: Fire TV devices come with only 8GB and 16GB in respective models, and if your device runs low on storage, it starts slowing down all processes.
8. FireStick overheating: Heat thermal throttles your FireStick, affecting its performance.
9. Outdated FireStick OS: An old FireStick OS version may also limit the true performance of your device.

How to Stop Buffering on FireStick – 9 Fixes

Here are the solutions:

1. Restart FireStick

Rebooting your FireStick can solve multiple issues, including your FireStick buffering. Restarting your device clears app caches, deletes unnecessary temporary files, and fixes bugs.

Here are the steps to restart your FireStick:

1. Click the Settings Gear icon on the extreme middle right side of your FireStick home.

2. Open My Fire TV.

3. Select Restart.

4. Click the Restart button again and wait for your FireStick to restart.

Your FireStick will restart now.

2. Use a VPN to Prevent Buffering

Recommended for better speed as well as privacy

Many ISPs use internet throttling, intentionally slowing down a connection when a specific threshold of streaming activities is exceeded. This can cause your FireStick to buffer.

But you can quickly get past ISP throttling using a trusted VPN service for your FireStick. With a reliable VPN service backing, you also get added benefits like:

• Hiding your streaming activities from surveilling eyes like your ISP, government, etc.
• Accessing geo-blocked content on platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, etc.
• Getting rid of ads, malware, trackers, and more

I use ExpressVPN because it’s the number-one trusted leader in VPN. It provides military-grade data encryption, lightning-fast speeds, and no activity logs, and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN now offers a 61% discount and 4 free months on the 2-year plan.

Follow these steps to prevent buffering on FireStick:

1. Click here to Get ExpressVPN ↗️

2. Turn on your FireStick, select the Magnifying Glass, and click Search.

3. Search for ExpressVPN and select the Express Vpn suggestion from the list. On the next screen, select the ExpressVPN tile and click the Get/Download button on its dashboard.

You may also follow our step-by-step guide for installing ExpressVPN on FireStick.

4. Open ExpressVPN on your FireStick and enter your login details.

5. Connect to your desired VPN location and stream your favorite content without buffering.

3. Check for Internet Speed

If you have a high-speed internet connection above 10 Mbps, you can stream up to 1080p content smoothly. You can check your internet speed on your FireStick with the built-in tool.

However, if you aren’t getting your desired speed, we must troubleshoot your FireStick connection.

Check and Improve Wi-Fi Signal Strength

Signal strength plays a vital role in a smooth streaming experience. The signal strength is stronger when the modem is near your FireStick and weaker when it is far away.

Here is how you can check the signal strength on Amazon FireStick and act accordingly:

1. Go to the Settings from the FireStick home screen.

2. Click Network on the next window.

3. Highlight your Wi-Fi address/name. On the right, you will find the status under Signal Strength.

If it says Very Good, you are getting proper Wi-Fi signals. If it says poor or weak, there is a problem.

The modem should be within 20-30 feet of the device for the best signal strength. If your modem exceeds this, you may consider buying a Wi-Fi Extender. As the name suggests, a Wi-Fi Extender expands the coverage area of your modem, allowing it to be effective in a larger area.

You also need to ensure that there aren’t too many electrical devices near your modem that may cause interference with the signal.

Place the modem slightly higher (6ft or higher) for better signal coverage.

Use Ethernet Cable for Wired Connection

A wired connection is usually much faster than a wireless connection. Firstly, it doesn’t have to rely on the proximity of the router to the device. The Ethernet wire is plugged directly into your Amazon FireStick.

Secondly, there are no obstacles between the router and the device. Many electrical and certain mechanical obstacles can weaken the Wi-Fi signal.

A wired connection allows you to control or even stop buffering on FireStick. To use a wired connection, you can buy the Amazon Ethernet Adapter for Amazon Fire TV Devices from Amazon.com.

The internet/LAN wire and the power cable from your FireStick power adapter will go into the Ethernet adapter, and then a single cable from the Ethernet adapter will be plugged into your FireStick.

Note that you DO NOT need to buy the Ethernet Adapter if you already get substantial network speed through your Wi-Fi connection.

4. Clear Up FireStick RAM

Amazon FireStick devices have RAM ranging from 1 GB to 2 GB. It is enough for a streaming device, but not quite a lot. Such small memory tends to get used rather too quickly.

Low RAM space is one of the culprits for the buffering you experience on FireStick. You will be surprised to know that some apps keep hogging the RAM even when you close them.

You can clear up RAM space by simply closing the background applications. But how would you find which apps are running in the background? Terminating all the installed apps one by one is tedious and time-consuming.

Thankfully, a free app called Background Apps and Process List allows you to find and close background applications. It is available from the Amazon Store.

Here are the steps to download the Background Apps & Process List app and to use it to close the background apps (alternatively, you can use the Task Killer app):

1. Go to the FIND option from the FireStick home screen and click Search

2. Look up the Background Apps and Process List app and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

3. Select the app tile.

4. Select Get to download the app.

5. Select Open.

6. When you open the app, a screen will appear. Select Got it. 

7. You will see a list of all the apps running in the background. In the top-left corner, click Close All Apps.

8. The first app on the list will display the following window. Go ahead and click Force Stop. When you are done, press the back button on the remote.

You will see the same options for the next app on the list. Click Force Stop again. Keep repeating this until you have killed all the background apps.

Note: Do not force close ExpressVPN (or any other VPN) running in the background. A VPN runs in the background while providing security. Force closing the VPN may cause you to lose connectivity to the safe VPN server. VPN apps do not take up a lot of space anyway.

5. Clear Cache/Data of Streaming Apps

Clearing the cache of streaming apps may help with buffering on FireStick. Many users have reported that third-party apps like Cinema APK, Cyberflix TV, Ola TV, BeeTV, etc., performed better after they cleared their cache.

You may also clear the app data to reset it to factory settings. Here are the steps:

1. Go to the FireStick Settings from the home screen.

2. Click Applications.

3. Open Manage Installed Applications.

4. You must now see this list of the installed apps. Go ahead and click the streaming app with buffering issues.

5. You will find the app data and cache data information in the right section of this window. You can do one of the following:

• Clear data: This will delete all app-related data (including sign-in information), reset the app to factory defaults, and clear the cache.
• Clear cache: Choose this option instead if you want to clear the cache only and keep the remaining data intact.

6. Tweak Your Privacy Settings

Amazon monitors and collects your data for marketing and improvement purposes, likely compromising your privacy. But that’s not it.

To constantly monitor and collect data, your FireStick OS must keep certain processes running in the background. This could slow down your FireStick and eventually cause buffering problems. Here is how you can turn off data monitoring and data collection:

1. Open FireStick Settings from the home screen.

2. Click Preferences on the next screen.

3. Click Privacy Settings.

4. Turn OFF the following options: Device Usage Data and Collect App Usage Data.

5. Now, press the back button one time and click Data Monitoring.

6. Turn OFF Data Monitoring.

7. Check and Update the FireStick OS

It is rare but not unheard of. An outdated FireStick OS may cause buffering. Usually, your FireStick will update itself automatically whenever a new OS version is available. However, sometimes, it may not.

So, here are the steps to check for and install OS updates:

1. Go to FireStick Settings.

2. Open My Fire TV.

3. Click About.

4. Click Check for Updates.

5. Wait for a few seconds. Your FireStick will tell you whether any updates are needed or your device is already up to date.

8. Avoid FireStick Overheating

Overheating can cause device malfunction and buffering or streaming issues on FireStick. Therefore, you must keep it from overheating. Here is our detailed guide on How to Fix the FireStick Heating Problem.

While your FireStick can run for several hours without problems, I recommend that you give it some rest from time to time. Don’t leave it switched on overnight, and unplug it from the power source.

If you think FireStick has overworked, unplug it from the power source and let it cool down for at least 30 minutes.

9. Use Real-Debrid for 3rd Party Apps

Real Debrid is a premium hoster that supports a wide range of third-party FireStick apps and Kodi addons.

Usually, the apps and addons connect to the public servers. Such servers will allow access to just about anyone. As a result, they have a high influx of traffic. This, in turn, causes server slowdown, downtime, and buffering issues on FireStick.

Real-Debrid, on the other hand, is a paid service that restricts server access to premium users. Therefore, the streams from Real Debrid are much faster and more reliable.

You can integrate Real-Debrid with almost all popular apps, such as Cinema HD APK, CyberFlix TV, BeeTV, and more.

Read: How to set up and use Real Debrid

Wrapping Up

I hope this guide helped you fix FireStick buffering issues. I have tried to include all possible scenarios and solutions. If I have missed something important, please use the comments section below.

Related:

• How to Clean TV Screen Without Streaks
• How to Fix Cinema APK Buffering Issues
• How to Fix Kodi Buffering Issues
• Fix Buffering on Titanium TV, CyberFlix, CatMouse APK

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