Hulu Crashing or Keeps Freezing FIXED (2023)

Hulu is a premier streaming service that offers the latest movies, TV shows, movie series, and live TV. It’s available on various streaming devices—such as Amazon Firestick, Roku, etc.—and smart TVs. They also offer a 30-day free trial for interested subscribers.

Hulu Crashing or Keeps Freezing FIXED (2022)

However, some users have experienced that their Hulu app keeps crashing. This issue both affects smart TVs and over-the-top devices. In this guide, we’ll go over the reasons why the Hulu app keeps freezing and how to fix it.

Read on to know more.

Table of Contents

Why Does Hulu Keep Crashing?

Similar to any other streaming service, Hulu subscribers are required to download the Hulu app to access streaming features. In some cases though, you might come across some issues with the Hulu app. Here are the most common reasons why Hulu keeps crashing on your device:

  • Corrupted App Data – Some app data are critical to running the app’s important processes. Corrupted app data and temporary data (cache and cookies) can lead to the Hulu app crashing or freezing, making it unusable.
  • Slow Wi-Fi Speed – To run the Hulu app seamlessly, you’ll need a stable wireless connection on your device. This mostly applies when streaming content, since a minimum of 3 Mbps is required by Hulu. Once your device can’t achieve this, app crashes can happen anytime.
  • Outdated App Version – Most of the time, you’ll have a pre-installed version of Hulu on your streaming device. Downloading the latest version of the Hulu app can solve this issue and prevent crashes. Did you know that the app allows you to stream Hulu on Discord?
  • Too Many Connected Devices – Although you can stream Hulu on another device, you’ll have a limit on the number of connected devices. According to Hulu, a basic account is only limited to two devices; you’ll need to pay an additional amount for unlimited logins.
  • Hulu is Down – The Hulu app can sometimes malfunction due to app or server maintenance. Because of this, some features are temporarily unavailable; bugs can also appear, which leads to crashes.

There is also another common problem – Why Are Hulu Commercials So Loud? (and how to fix) which we have a whole article devoted to.

How to Fix Hulu App Crashing or Freezing Issue

As mentioned earlier, the Hulu app can freeze or crash once its servers are down. When this happens, all you can do is wait until it’s back and operational. To know if Hulu is down, just visit a third-party website like this one. Once it shows a red warning, it means that it’s temporarily down.

Also, ensure that your provider provides enough internet speed to run Hulu and stream its movies. Depending on the stream resolution, Hulu’s required internet speed can vary:

  • 3 Mbps for a standard streaming quality
  • 8 Mbps for live streaming
  • 16 Mbps for 4K content

If you’re still facing issues when the servers are operational and you have more than the required internet speed to run Hulu, here are more fixes that you can try. Make sure to go over them individually and see which one works for you the most.

If you need help with your Firestick, please see our article which explains what to do if Hulu is Not Working on a Firestick.

 

Fix #1: Power Cycle your Smart TV and Router

Power cycling is an effective solution when a certain app is freezing and crashing. Minor glitches can also be solved when doing a simple power cycle. To power cycle your smart TV and router, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off your smart TV and unplug its power cord from the socket.
  2. Next, also turn off the router and unplug its power adapter from the socket.
  3. Wait for one minute to re-initialize all internal components of both devices.
  4. Then, plug the smart TV’s power cord back in and turn it on.
  5. Plug the router’s power adapter back in. After turning it on, ensure that only your smart TV is connected to the router.
  6.  Open the Hulu app and see if it still crashes.

If you have a Samsung TV, we have a separate guide on How to Fix Hulu Not Working on your Samsung TV.

 

Fix #2: Clear Cache and User Data

Cache data on an app usually helps by storing temporary copies of files to help improve app performance. But sometimes, it can be a problem once it’s corrupted. Also, cache data can easily pile up over time once it’s not cleared.

Important: When clearing user data, you’ll be required to log into your Hulu account again. Make sure to take note of your account’s login credentials before doing this method.

To clear cache and user data of the Hulu app, proceed to these steps:

  1. Open your smart TV and go to Settings > Apps.
  2. From the list, find the Hulu app and select it.
  3. Choose Clear cache. Once it’s finished, select Clear data afterward.
  4. Restart your smart TV and launch the Hulu app. Check if it now works properly.

This should also fix the problem where Hulu Won’t Fast Forward.

Fix #3: Reinstall the Hulu App

If you’re still using a pre-installed version of the Hulu app on your smart TV, chances are you’re still running an old version of the app. This will cause the app to crash or freeze since new app updates are required for specific devices. A complete reinstall of the Hulu app will force your device to install its latest version available.

To reinstall the Hulu app on your smart TV, follow the steps below:

  1. Open your smart TV and go to Settings > Apps > Hulu.
  2. From the options, select Uninstall.
  3. After it’s uninstalled, open the Google Play Store or your smart TV’s dedicated app store.
  4. Download and install the Hulu app.
  5. Next, launch the app and sign in to your Hulu account and see if the app still freezes.

 

Fix #4: Log Out Connected Devices to Hulu Account

As mentioned earlier, a normal Hulu account is only limited to two connected devices, unless you’ve paid for unlimited logins. If your account has more than two connected devices, it can cause the Hulu app to crash.

To log out all connected devices to your Hulu account, follow these steps:

  1. Open the browser on your smart TV and go to Hulu’s official website.
  2. Login to your account and click your User icon. Select Account.
  3. Under the “Your Account” page, choose Manage Devices and select Remove on each device.
  4. Then, go to Protect your Account and choose Logout on All Computers.
  5. Launch the Hulu app and log in to your account. See if the app still crashes.

 

Fix #5: Update Device Firmware

If your smart TV is still running an old OS version, there’s a high chance that some apps may not be compatible. For instance, the Hulu app can freeze or crash if it’s operating on an old smart TV OS. Therefore, it helps to update your smart TV’s firmware to its latest version.

To update your smart TV’s firmware, follow the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Support.
  2. Select Software Update and choose Update Now.
  3. Your smart TV will now download and install the latest updates available.
  4. After it’s done, restart your smart TV and launch the Hulu app later on.
  5. Check if the app still crashes.

Hulu is owned by Disney, so there is a good chance you are subscribed to Disney + as well. Please check out our other guide if your Disney Plus downloads are not working.

 

Final Thoughts

Hulu is a great option when streaming various content on your streaming device. As long as you’ll use the Hulu app, you can stream media content to two devices or more, at an additional cost. Sometimes, however, you might run into crashes when using the Hulu app.

Hopefully, this article can guide you to fix the Hulu app crashing or freezing issue on your smart TV or another streaming device.