YouTube TV is among the most popular streaming services today. It gives you access to 100+ channels across various genres like news, sports, and other entertainment. Despite its vast selection of content, some subscribers have experienced issues with their YouTube TV buffering.
YouTube TV freezing or buffering can be caused by various factors, including your smart TV’s memory or your network connection. This guide will explain possible reasons why YouTube TV is buffering on your device and how to resolve them.
Read on to learn more.
Table of Contents
“Why Does YouTube TV Keep Buffering?” — Most Common Reasons
Here are the most common reasons why the YouTube TV app on your smart TV or phone is buffering:
- Slow Internet Connection – The most common reason for YouTube TV buffering is a slow Wi-Fi connection, so make sure your streaming device is getting a strong enough signal. Also, ensure that your Internet speed is fast enough for streaming platforms like YouTube TV.
- Too Many Installed Apps – If your smart TV has too many apps installed, it can affect their performance. Try uninstalling unused apps or clearing the app cache to create more free space.
- Outdated App Version or TV Firmware – You might experience YouTube not working on TV if you’re still running an old version of the app. Your TV’s OS must also be compatible with YouTube TV to run smoothly.
How to Stop YouTube TV Buffering
If one or more of the reasons above apply to you, below are some troubleshooting methods to prevent your YouTube TV app from buffering or freezing. Review each fix and see which one is the most effective for your streaming device.
Fix #1: Connect to a Stable WiFi Network
Ensure you are connected to stable Internet with a speed of 3 Mbps or more and that there’s no service outage in your area. If your Wi-Fi is too slow, try power cycling your router.
To power cycle your Wi-Fi router, follow these steps:
- Turn off your router and unplug its power adapter from the socket.
- Wait for one minute to drain the power.
- Plug the power adapter back in and turn on your router.
- Once your device is connected, check the YouTube TV app and see if videos are still buffering.
If power cycling doesn’t work, the YouTube TV service itself could be down. To check if your issue is YouTube TV down, check sites like the DownDetector and YouTube TV’s social media pages for outage announcements.
Fix #2: Power Cycle Your Smart TV
Another possible fix for the YouTube TV buffering issue is power cycling your smart TV. This re-initializes your TV’s internal components, which might be experiencing bugs.
To power cycle your smart TV, follow these steps:
- Turn off your smart TV and unplug its power cable from the socket.
- Wait for 10 minutes to drain the power. You can also press the Power button a few times to help drain more power.
- Plug the power cable back in and turn on your smart TV. Open the YouTube TV app and check if videos are still buffering.
Fix #3: Update the YouTube TV App and the TV’s Firmware
Your device needs the latest software updates to be compatible with its installed apps. Likewise, you’ll need to install the newest version of the YouTube app to apply fixes to specific bugs causing app freezes and buffering on videos.
To update a Samsung TV’s firmware to the latest version, follow the steps below:
- Turn on your smart TV and ensure it’s connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.
- Go to the TV’s Settings and choose Support > Software Update.
- Select Update Now. The latest update will now be downloaded and installed on your TV.
To update the YouTube TV app on a Samsung smart TV, proceed to these steps:
- Press the Smart Hub button on the remote to launch the Smart Hub.
- Go to Featured and find YouTube TV. Select it and choose Update.
Fix #4: Clear YouTube TV’s Cache
If you’re still experiencing issues with the YouTube TV app, try clearing its cache. Cached data needs to be cleared when it gets too large or outdated. This can be effective when dealing with bugs or freezing issues on the app.
To clear app data from YouTube TV on your Samsung smart TV, follow the steps below:
- Turn on your Samsung TV and press the Home button on the remote.
- Navigate to Settings > Device Care and choose Manage Storage.
- Select the YouTube TV app from the list and select View Details.
- Choose Clear Cache.
If you cannot clear the app cache on your streaming device, you can try uninstalling the app and then reinstalling it. To do this, follow these steps:
- Navigate to your device’s dedicated app store and search for the YouTube TV app.
- Press the Uninstall button on the page. Once it’s finished, select Install and wait for the app to be installed.
Fix #5: Allow Location Permissions on YouTube TV
The YouTube TV app may require you to share your current location. This is necessary to let the app populate the right networks for your current area.
To update your current location on the YouTube TV app via your smart TV, computer, or smartphone, proceed to the steps below:
Smart TV
- Launch the YouTube TV app and select your Profile avatar.
- Go to Location > Update. Using your smartphone, go to tv.youtube.com/verify and allow the website to access your current location. Your home area will now be updated.
YouTube TV App on Your Smartphone
- Open the YouTube TV app and choose your Profile photo.
- Select Home Area and choose Update.
Computer
- Using your computer’s browser, go to YouTube TV’s official website.
- Select your Profile avatar and choose Location.
- Press Update.
If you are having trouble locating the video, have you considered that the creator may have made the video private? If so please follow our guide that explains how to watch private videos on youtube.
Final Thoughts
One of the most popular streaming options for cord-cutting is YouTube TV. However, you might experience buffering on the app while viewing its content. The app can also freeze and close unexpectedly due to outdated software, bugs, and other factors.
Hopefully, this guide helps you fix YouTube TV buffering or freezing issues on your streaming device. If these solutions don’t work, contact Google Support for further help.