Roku Keeps Buffering or Won’t Play? Try These Fixes

Common causes

• A weak Wi-Fi signal between your Roku device and your router
• A slow or unstable internet connection
• Other devices using the same internet connection
• Distance, walls, cabinets or the TV itself blocking the signal
• An outage or problem with one streaming app
• An app that needs updating
• A faulty HDMI cable causing freezes or other video problems

Step-by-Step Solutions

Start by working out whether the problem is one show, one app or everything, then go through the steps in order and test playback after each one.

1. 1

   Step 1: Find out if it’s one show, one app or everything

   A quick test tells you whether to look at the streaming service or at your Roku device and network.

   If a specific movie or show won’t play, try other titles in the same app. If other titles won’t play either, visit the streaming service’s website to see if there’s a service interruption or outage.

   Then try playing a video from another app, such as The Roku Channel. If only one app has the problem, the app is most likely the cause. If every app has the problem, it’s most likely your Roku device, your internet or a setting on your Roku device.

   If the app needs a subscription, make sure you are signed in or have linked the app to your account. Follow the on-screen instructions, or contact that app’s customer support if you need help signing in.

2. 2

   Step 2: Update, restart or reinstall the app

   If only one app buffers, won’t open or won’t play, work on that app first.

   On the Home screen, highlight the app, press the Star button on your remote and select Check for updates. To restart the app, highlight it, press Star, then select Restart.

   If the app still won’t load, remove it and add it again. Highlight the app, press Star to open the Options menu, choose to remove the app and confirm. Restart your Roku device, then add the app again from the Roku Streaming Store.

   Good to know

   You can’t remove an app while you have an active subscription billed through Roku.

3. 3

   Step 3: Run Check connection

   Buffering, choppy video and shows that won’t start often mean your internet is slow or the signal is weak.

   Press Home on your Roku remote, open Settings, select Network, then Check connection. Your Roku tests whether it sees your network and whether it can reach the internet, and shows a green check mark next to each item that passes.

   To see Signal strength and the latest test result, open Settings, select Network, then About. If your Roku isn’t connected, select Set up connection and follow the on-screen instructions.

   If the test shows a red X, your Roku can’t reach your router or network. Go back to the Network menu, select Set up connection and connect again. If your Roku reaches the router but not the internet, open a public website on a phone or computer. If it doesn’t load, you likely have an internet provider outage.

   • Excellent: a strong, stable signal. Streaming should be smooth with no buffering.
   • Good: reliable for most streaming, though 4K or high-quality videos might buffer once in a while.
   • Fair: a weak signal. You may notice pauses or drops in video quality.
   • Poor: a very weak signal. Frequent buffering or disconnects are likely.

   Good to know

   Roku lists typical download speeds of 3 Mbps for Standard Definition, 5 Mbps for High Definition and 25 Mbps or more for 4K Ultra HD. Some apps have their own speed minimums, so check their requirements too.

4. 4

   Step 4: Restart your Roku device and router

   A system restart is the least invasive reset and won’t affect your settings.

   To restart your Roku device, press Home, open Settings and select System. Select Power if you see it, then select System restart. You can also remove the power cord for at least 10 seconds before plugging it back in.

   For a full restart of your network, unplug your Roku device, your router and your modem, and wait about 15 seconds. Plug the modem in first, then the router, then your Roku device. If you have a single device called a gateway instead of a separate modem and router, unplug that.

   Good to know

   On a Roku TV, a system restart isn’t the same as pressing the power button on the remote or the TV. If your router or modem doesn’t restart, ask your internet provider or the maker of the device how to restart it.

5. 5

   Step 5: Improve the Wi-Fi signal to your Roku

   How your Roku device and router are placed can make a big difference to signal strength.

   If the signal is Fair or Poor, try these changes, then open Settings, select Network, then Check connection again to see if your signal and download speed improved.

   • Move your Roku device and router closer to each other.
   • Make sure there aren’t any walls, cabinets or large furniture between them, and don’t place either one inside an enclosed space.
   • Put both the router and the Roku device higher up, such as on a shelf.
   • If your router has antennas, point them in different directions.
   • Keep your router away from cordless phones, microwaves and baby monitors.
   • If you use a Roku streaming stick plugged into the back of the TV, use the free HDMI extender to move it out from behind the TV, because TVs can block Wi-Fi signals.

   Good to know

   An HDMI extender won’t improve the wireless signal on a Roku Streaming Stick+, which uses an advanced wireless receiver.

6. 6

   Step 6: Free up bandwidth or switch networks

   Other devices on your network, and the kind of connection your Roku uses, affect how smoothly video plays.

   If your speed looks good but video still stutters, other devices may be using too much bandwidth. Pause large downloads or streaming on phones, computers, game consoles and other streaming players while you watch.

   If your router has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, try switching your Roku to the other one. 5 GHz is faster and less crowded than 2.4 GHz, if your router and Roku both support it.

   If your Roku player or TV has an Ethernet port, try a wired connection, which is more stable than Wi-Fi. If everything streams smoothly that way, your Wi-Fi setup is the problem.

   Good to know

   Some Roku player models can’t use certain 5 GHz channels. If your Roku doesn’t see your 5 GHz network, Roku suggests changing your router’s channel to 36–48 or 149–165.

7. 7

   Step 7: Try a different HDMI cable

   If the picture freezes now and then or looks wrong, the HDMI cable may be the cause rather than your internet.

   If the image is jerky and pixelated from time to time, stream a video on another device on your network, such as a phone or laptop. If the same thing happens there, work through the Wi-Fi steps above.

   If the picture freezes sporadically or you see other video irregularities, test with a different HDMI cable, at least temporarily. Quality HDMI cables matter most with 4K Ultra HD and HDR TVs.

8. 8

   Step 8: Update your Roku software

   Your Roku updates itself automatically, but you can check for an update by hand.

   Press Home on your Roku remote, open Settings, select System, then Software update, and select Check Now. If new software or app updates are available, your Roku device downloads and installs them automatically and then reboots.

   Good to know

   Your Roku device also checks for new software during setup, whenever it’s powered on, and every 24 to 36 hours.

9. 9

   Step 9: Reset the network connection

   A network reset can help when you have problems with several streaming channels or your Roku keeps failing to connect.

   Press Home, open Settings, select System, then Advanced system settings, then Network connection reset, and select Reset connection.

   Your Roku device restarts afterward. You’ll then need to go back to the Settings menu and set up your wireless network again.

10. 10

    Step 10: Factory reset as a last resort

    Roku advises a factory reset only in extreme cases, after you’ve tried everything else.

    A factory reset erases most of the data on your Roku device, unlinks it from your Roku account and removes all your apps. Your Roku can’t stream again until you finish Guided Setup.

    Before you start, have your Roku account email and password, your Wi-Fi network name and password, the sign-in details for your streaming apps and your parental control PIN, if you set one. If you don’t have this information, wait to factory reset until you do.

    Press Home, open Settings, select System, then Advanced system settings, then Factory reset. On a Roku TV, select Factory reset everything. Then follow the on-screen instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions