When we are playing a video on YouTube we see that there is a red line at the bottom of the video. This line is the one that tells us in what minute/second of the playback the video is. Right next to the red line, if we look closely we’ll see that there’s also a grayish-white line. This white line is the one that refers to the buffer, and it indicates the amount of video that has already been downloaded from the YouTube servers on our device. If at any given moment the bandwidth drops or the connection is cut, YouTube will be able to continue playing the video without stopping, taking advantage of that “extra” content that is already downloaded in the buffer.
Therefore, when a video stutters, jumps, or stops, it is because YouTube has already consumed all that extra content it had downloaded in advance, and the buffer is not able to refill fast enough for it to keep up with the content. The reproduction. This is what is commonly known as “buffering”.
8 tips to fix buffering problems on YouTube
The absence of content in the buffer is what causes the videos to hang. But why does it happen? There can be 3 causes:
- A slow or low-quality Internet connection.
- Problems on the user’s local device.
- YouTube servers are down or not working properly.
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In 99% of cases, the problem is usually on the user’s side, either because their internet connection is slow or due to a local problem that prevents the buffer from working correctly.
1- Try to play another video outside of YouTube
The first step is to narrow down the problem. Open some other video app like Netflix, Twitch, DailyMotion, Vimeo, or any other website that allows you to watch online videos.
If you’re watching YouTube from your PC’s browser, try playing the video from another browser.
2- Restart the YouTube app or the browser
If the rest of the videos play correctly, it is clear that the problem is only with YouTube. If you are using the YouTube app for mobile devices, tablets, or Smart TVs, follow these steps:
- Close the YouTube app completely and reopen it.
- If the problem persists, go to the YouTube app settings and clear both the cache and the data. Please note that if you do this you will need to sign in to YouTube again.
If you are watching YouTube from your PC or laptop browser then the best thing you can do is clear cookies and temporary files from the browser cache. In most browsers, you can achieve this by pressing the CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE key combination (on some keyboards CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE).
3- Reboot your device
The next step is to consider that we may be facing a temporary failure of the operating system or one of its components. The best way to check is by completely resetting the device.
If you have a PC or smartphone, try turning it off and on again. In the event that you use a Smart TV, remember that it is not enough to press the off button on the remote control. You have to open the TV settings menu and locate the reset option. Note: In most Android televisions, this option is found within the Android settings, in the “Information” section.
4- Check the Internet connection
Once any problem with the YouTube app, the web browser, or the device itself has been ruled out, it’s time to check the internet connection. YouTube recommends a bandwidth with a minimum speed of 0.7Mbps. You can do a speed test from the Google search engine to find out what your Internet speed is. The download speed must be higher than the minimum requirements set by YouTube.
5- Restart the router and modem
If the speed is less than those 0.7Mbps (or directly less than the rate you have contracted) it is necessary to restart both the router and the modem. You can see a detailed tutorial on how to carry out this process in the post “ How to restart your router and your modem correctly ”.
6- Is there any manual bandwidth limitation?
Most routers allow you to establish traffic controls to prevent certain applications from consuming too much bandwidth. A bad router configuration may be causing a bottleneck that prevents YouTube from playing videos normally. To fix this, access the router as an administrator and check the Quality of Service (QoS) settings. Traffic control may also be found in the section dedicated to router security.
If you are connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, this other tutorial can also help you: “ 12 tricks to increase the power of your WiFi router ”.
7- Reduce the video quality
As indicated by YouTube in its help center, depending on the quality chosen to play the video, our Internet connection will have to meet minimum speed requirements.
- 4K: Constant recommended speed of 20Mbps.
- FullHD (1080p): Constant recommended speed of 5Mbps.
- HD (720p): Constant recommended speed of 2.5Mbps.
- SD (480p): Recommended constant speed of 1.1Mbps.
- SD (360p): Recommended constant speed of 0.7Mbps.
Depending on the results obtained from the speed test, we may have to reduce the quality of the video. Click on the gear icon that you will see in the options menu of the video you are playing and click on “ Quality ”.
Select a lower quality than the default one and test until you find the quality that best suits your Internet connection speed. Still need help visit https://youreofflinecheckyourconnection.com.