Disney Plus is one of the popular streaming services for films and TV series on mobile devices, smart TV, and other streaming players.
Since its launch, it has been a success except for a few technical problems encountered by users on an occasional basis.
Like any other streaming service, various issues are to be expected when using the Disney Plus app, including buffering, lagging, and freezing.
Although it can be frustrating, you do not need to worry since there are several solutions to fix the issues.
After researching this issue, this is what I found out:
Disney Plus will lag if your internet connection speed is low. The app can also freeze completely or after irregular intervals if a new version is out and you haven’t updated it.
Another reason could be an accumulation of cookies and cached data that makes it hard to fetch and stream content.
Check your internet connection and speed
Inconsistent internet connectivity or low download speed can often result in Disney Plus streaming issues. Disney recommends the following internet speeds for users who wish to experience quality streaming on the app:
- 5.0 MBPS for high-definition video streaming
- 25.0 MBPS for 4K UHD video streaming
In most cases, if your internet is slow, video quality reduces to minimize buffering. Setting Disney Plus to stream in HD or UHD will only result in regular buffering and freezing.
Shifting to an RJ45 cat8 Ethernet cable can help boost data transmission speeds from your router to the TV or streaming device.
You can also opt for a powerful router for 4K streaming if you are using a wireless connection.
Continued buffering or lagging can also mean that your internet connection is quite unstable. Run a speed test on your device to ensure that the internet speed meets the above recommendations.
Update the app
Disney Plus is relatively new, and there may be several updates released to facilitate optimum performance.
In some cases, lagging, freezing, and buffering issues may occur if you do not have the latest version of the app.
You can check, download, and install the updates from your device app store as follows:
- If using an Apple device, go to the App Store and click on your profile icon. Under the Available Updates section, check if there is any pending update for Disney Plus. Click on the Update button to initiate the process.
- If you are using an Android device, go to the Google Play Store menu and select My Apps and Games. Click on the update icon next to the Disney app.
- For a Mac computer, launch the App Store from the Dock, or use the App Finder tool to locate it. Click on the Updates button from the menu, find the Disney+ app, then select the relevant option to get started.
Restart the app
Another way to fix constant buffering, lagging, and freezing issues on Disney Plus is by force-closing the app. To do this, exit the app and any other background programs.
If your device does not have a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to display all the apps running in the background. Swipe on the Disney Plus app to force close it.
Try restarting the app to see if the issue is resolved.
Reinstall Disney Plus
You can also resolve freezing, buffering, or any other issues with Disney+ by reinstalling it. Completely uninstall the app from your device, restart the device, and then reinstall the app.
When done, log in using your email address and see if the problem is solved.
Reinstalling Disney Plus also helps reduce the amount of storage taken up by the app since it eliminates its cached data.
Get the right hardware
If you are using Disney Plus on a device such as a smart TV, you will need to get the right cables and hardware to minimize app freezing and buffering.
Disney recommends that you use high-speed HDMI cables (such as the iBirdie 4K HDR HDMI cable) and HDCP 2.2 cables on Roku, Fire Stick TV, and other similar devices to achieve high-speed streaming without any buffering issues.
Clear cookies and cached data
When using your browser, some data gets stored as cache and cookies. These can overload the app, resulting in buffering and lagging of most apps that depend on the internet to function.
If you are using Google Chrome, click More on the top right corner of the browser, and select More Tools. Scroll to find Clear Browsing Data and click on it.
Check the box for cookies and site data to remove any data stored for the Disney Plus app.
If using Firefox, click on History and select Clear Recent History. Also, ensure that you check the box for the cache. Restart Firefox for the changes to take effect.
If you are using an Android device, go to Settings ->Apps -> Disney Plus. Select Storage then hit the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons to remove all the saved data about the app.
While these fixes may work most of the time, buffering and freezing issues may persist, especially with specific devices commonly used with the app.
You may also notice that Disney Plus keeps buffering on ps4 even after troubleshooting. When this happens, you may need to wait and try using the app later.
If any issue persists than usual, feel free to contact Disney support for assistance with the troubleshooting process.
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