7 Ways to Fix YouTube Video Buffering on Android TV

There is nothing more annoying than buffering while streaming YouTube videos or TV shows on your Android TV. Although this is primarily an internet-related issue, many complain about buffering and slow loading despite having a high-speed internet connection. Therefore, here is how to fix YouTube videos buffering on Android TV.

 

How to Fix YouTube Slow Buffering on Android TV

Buffering occurs when the app preloads streaming data or media files to play them without interruption or jitter on your phone, desktop, or TV. It loads the video in advance. You may have just started the video and the next few minutes will be automatically preloaded.

Buffered data is stored as a temporary cache on your device and is necessary for smooth playback. In case of software or internet-related issues, buffer data may not be downloaded in time, resulting in loading screens or long wait times every few seconds.

If your Android TV is not playing YouTube videos continuously or you are facing lags, shaking and loading screens, don't worry. Here's how to do it.

 

Check your internet

Start by checking your Internet connection. This is as basic as it gets, but it's also the common cause of loading and buffering issues on YouTube and other OTT apps like Netflix and Prime Video. If your TV is connected to a WiFi network, check that the connection is active and working.

Try using other apps and test the WiFi network speed on your phone. If it says Connected but no Internet or web pages aren't loading, your WiFi network is the problem. It could also be a temporary internet outage on your ISP's side.

Check Wi-Fi strength

Poor Wi-Fi strength can be a major reason for video buffering and slow internet issues on your Android TV. Many old and low-end Android TVs may have lower quality WiFi modems, resulting in poor network reception.

 

Check the WiFi strength on the TV using the WiFi Analyzer app. If the power itself is low, either the router is too far away or there is a lot of interference. Consider moving your router closer to the TV or adding a WiFi repeater.

 

If the signal strength is good but the internet is slow on your TV, we recommend getting an Android TV box or an Amazon Fire TV Stick. These plug-and-play devices have built-in WiFi modules, and the internet is supposed to work better if you're coming from an outdated TV.

Switch your Android TV to wired Ethernet

Ethernet and WiFi (wireless) are two of the most common ways to connect your Android TV to the Internet. Although most prefer WiFi, given its flexibility, it is generally slower and prone to interference from distance and objects on the periphery.

 

If your Android TV is near the WiFi router, we recommend switching to a wired connection. Take an Ethernet cable (usually included with the router) and plug one end into the Ethernet port on your TV and the other into your router.

Your TV will automatically switch to a faster and more stable Ethernet connection. You'll also experience lower latency when playing games or streaming videos on your Android TV.

Close unwanted apps in the background

We generally find more comfort in minimizing apps by jumping to the home screen instead of closing them. If you have limited internet bandwidth, this may cause streaming and buffering issues on YouTube, given the data used by apps and services running in the background.

 

Restart your Android TV or close all apps using the built-in tools. For example, Xiaomi and Redmi TVs have a TV Manager app where you can improve performance by clearing background apps and cache. Streaming videos with fewer background apps is always smoother and faster.

Pause streaming for a while

 

If your Internet connection is slow and you can't do anything about it, try this: play a video and pause it for a few seconds. This will give it time to preload the video. Once that's done, press the Play button to enjoy the rest of the video without any buffering or loading.

Use SmartTubeNext for Android TV

SmartTubeNext is a powerful YouTube client for Android TVs and TV boxes that lets you watch YouTube videos without ads and with customizable interface and video speed. It also automatically ignores sponsored ads, intros, outro, and non-music segments of videos.

 

Now you might be wondering how this helps to manage YouTube buffering on Android TV. Well, there are three options:

• You can choose yours video codec and compression bitrate.
• Switch to the Cronet network stack, which reduces latency and helps fix buffering.
• Put it on Buffer value low, medium or high.

 

You have full control over video playback and can change settings for a better viewing experience than the official YouTube app. Go ahead, transfer and install the app on your Android TV and try to see if that fixes the buffering issue.

Reduce video quality to fix buffering

Your Android TV's ability to play a 4K YouTube video without buffering depends on the speed of the Internet connection. If the WiFi is too slow or the connection is unstable, consider changing the video resolution to 720p.

 

 

You can also upgrade your internet connection to a plan with faster speeds. HD and Full HD videos should work fine on a 10 Mbps connection. We recommend a minimum connection of 25 Mbps for smooth, uninterrupted 4K video streaming. The higher you go, the better the experience will be.

Conclusion

This is how you can fix video buffering and loading issues on your Android TV caused by WiFi or TV hardware issues. I hope the above guide helps you watch YouTube without lag or stutter on your smart TV. Stay tuned for more tips, tricks and how-tos.