Unfortunately, many users have been complaining recently of a situation where Hulu keeps freezing. The worst part is that it isn’t a one-time issue. The app would freeze constantly, making watching movies and TV shows quite frustrating.
So, why does the Hulu app keep freezing? The most common problem we found from our research and personal experiences is an issue with the internet service provider.
In this case, Hulu tries to provide content in high-quality format, yet your internet connection speed is slow, leading to throttling and eventually freezing of pictures.
But this isn’t the only issue. There are many more potential causes of the freezing issue that we’ve highlighted below. We’ve explained how you can fix them so that you are back to steaming your favorite content in no time.
Why does Hulu keep freezing?
Depending on your device, where you are using Hulu, and many other factors, the reasons may vary. But the most common reasons are:
- Your internet connection is unstable or slow
- Problems with your streaming device
- An issue with your Wi-Fi network
- Your Hulu app is out of date or malfunctioning
- Your router is malfunctioning
- An issue with your browser cache
Freezing often happens when you are in the middle of streaming content or when you first launch a new stream. You might also notice that Hulu is freezing after ads have played on a few rare occasions.
How do I fix Hulu when it keeps freezing?
Whether you are using Samsung TV, Android, iOS, Roku, web browser, Apple TV, or any other streaming service, follow these solutions to fix buffering issues on Hulu.
1. Check your internet connection speed
Slow internet is the most common reason why Hulu keeps buffering or not even loading at all. It can also cause a problem where Hulu freezes, but the audio continues playing, or vice versa.
Unless you switch to a reliable internet connection with good speeds, buffering issues are something you might have to deal with a lot when using Hulu.
You can check your internet speeds by running a speed test and comparing the results with Hulu’s internet speed recommendations. Use speetest.com or Fast.net for this purpose.
Hulu recommends at least 3.0 Mbps for the streaming library, 8.0 Mbps for Hulu Live streams, and 16.0 Mbps for 4K content.
Alternatively, you can reduce the video quality so that you stream with as little as 1.5 Mbps.
2. Sign out and sign back in
Another way that fixes the issue in some instances is to log out of your profile and then back into the Hulu app. The good thing about signing out is that it clears the app cache.
This includes data stored from TV shows or frequently watched channels that you’ve probably saved under My Stuff.
A restart will reset the app’s cache on your device, hopefully resolving the problem.
3. Restart the Hulu app
Open the recently used apps menu on your streaming device and close the Hulu app.
It is also important that you close all other apps and programs running in the background because one of them could also be causing the freezing problem on Hulu.
Give it a few seconds before you open the app again. This applies to all streaming devices.
4. Update your Hulu app
Updates make apps better. They fix glitches and other errors that may have otherwise made the streaming experience terrible. An outdated app could be the reason Hulu keeps freezing.
In this case, you need to update Hulu on your device. To update the mobile app on Android or iOS, open the Google Play Store and App Store, respectively, and click on the ‘Update’ button that appears alongside the app’s name.
To update the app on Samsung Smart TV, First, you press the home button on the Samsung TV remote. Afterward, go to the app and select the setting icon from the top right of the screen.
On most other devices, launch the app stores and search for Hulu. You should find an update button next to the app icon.
5. Uninstall and reinstall the app
Before uninstalling the app, ensure you’ve tried the solution above –updating the app. If you are running the latest update but still experiencing buffering, uninstall and reinstall Hulu.
Sometimes, it is possible that a glitch occurred when you were installing or updating the app, which has now caused it to malfunction.
For the mobile app, click and hold on the app from the home screen, and when the drop-down menu appears, click on Uninstall.
Alternatively, search for the app on the Play Store or App Store, then click the Uninstall button. Then, give it a few minutes before you install it again.
6. Troubleshoot why Hulu isn’t working on your device
Sometimes if you are using a Fire TV Stick, Roku, and other streaming boxes, it can help if you troubleshoot because this might tell you exactly where the issue is and how to go about it.
Most of these devices come with their own troubleshooting guides. However, the most common are usually:
- Restarting the device
- Disconnect it from the internet, then reconnect
- Switch an internet connection from Wi-Fi to Ethernet and vice versa
- Switch off the streaming device, and wait for about 30 seconds to a minute before you restart.
Sometimes, it helps to remove the Hulu channel from your library and add it again.
7. Clear your device cache
Cache is the name for the files and data stored by the app on your device in the background. This includes your preferences and data about all the videos you’ve watched.
When the Hulu app has used up too much cache memory on your streaming device, it can crash and freeze.
If you are using Hulu on your browser, you can clear the cache by following these simple steps:
- Click on the three vertical dots at the top right corner of the screen.
- Click on Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Advanced. A drop-down menu will appear.
- Choose Clear browsing data from the list.
- Check the box alongside the Cached image and files.
- Click on All time in the time range options to make sure you are clearing everything
- Click the Clear cache button at the bottom right side of the screen
If you want to clear the app’s cache on your other devices:
- Open Settings and click on Apps.
- Select the app whose cache you want to clear; in this case, select Hulu.
- Click on Storage.
- Click on Clear cache to remove all the stored data. It might also help to erase any data associated with the app by clicking on Clear data.
The process might differ slightly based on the device you are using.
8. Perform a power cycle
A power cycle means turning off the streaming device, internet, and anything else associated with it. You should also unplug it from the power source.
Give it a few minutes, and then plug it back and power it on. You should then launch Hulu and check whether the app is working as it should.
9. Check the number of users
If too many people try to stream from the same Hulu account at once, it might freeze or crash.
Hulu can only accommodate two people streaming from the same account on different devices simultaneously. It has a home location feature to prevent users from sharing accounts.
Even after an upgrade, only a limited number can be allowed to stream from different locations.
If you are not sure who is using the account, you, as the person who created the account, can choose to kick out all users. You should change your password to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
Wrapping up
These fixes should help you get back to streaming on Hulu without any glitches.
Be sure to check out this list of Hulu error codes for additional fixes if the buffering is accompanied by a code or message.
Let us know how this worked for you and whether you’ve used a different method than the ones we’ve covered here.