Twitch Keeps Buffering? 13 Fixes To Stream Smoothly

Some easy ones as well as more difficult

Twitch offers an incredible streaming experience on the PC, but it isn’t perfect. Even if you have the best internet connection around, you’ll continue to run into occasional hitches that prevent live broadcasts and pre-recorded videos from playing smoothly.

So if you keep encountering spotty video feeds with loads of constant buffering, working your way through the list of fixes below should help you fix that.

Check Server Status

If Twitch worked fine just a moment ago, you might be dealing with issues on the server side. You can rule that out by heading over to theTwitch Statuspage. Should you notice any problems listed next toVideo (Watching), there’s nothing you can do but wait until Twitch sorts things out.

Lower the Quality

If you’re attempting to stream video at a higher resolution, that may end up causing issues due to network congestion and speed limitations.

Try lowering the quality of the feed to a sub-HD resolution such as 480p or lower. Use the cog-shapedSettingsicon to the lower-right of the video pane and selectQualityto change video quality.

Restart Browser/App/PC

If Twitch continues to buffer, it’s a good idea to restart your browser, the Twitch app, or your PC. In most cases, that should help fix any minor bugs and glitches preventing Twitch from loading video content normally.

Check Internet Connection

Try running a speed test on your computer using an online service such asSpeedtest.net,TestMy.net, orFast.com.

If you notice slow internet in general, start bysoft-resetting your Wi-Fi router. If the issue persists, connect via Ethernet (if possible) or switch to a different Wi-Fi network.

Flush DNS (Domain Name System) Cache

Flushing the DNS cachemight help your PC re-establish contact with the Twitch servers. Here’s how to do that:

  1. PressWindows+Xand selectWindows PowerShell (Admin).

  2. Type the following command:

Clear-DnsClientCache

  1. PressEnter.

Stop Bandwidth-Guzzlers

If you have any other apps with active downloads, that may adversely impact Twitch’s ability to stream video without running into buffering issues. Try pausing them.

Should you have trouble identifying apps with excessive network usage, you canuse the Resource Monitor on your PCto help you with that.

  1. Right-click the taskbar and selectTask Manager.

  2. SelectMore details, switch to thePerformancetab, and selectOpen Resource Monitor.

  3. Switch to theNetworktab to view network activity by app.

Change DNS (Domain Name Service)

If the issue persists, it’s a good idea to change the DNS (Domain Name Service) servers for your internet connection. Using a popular DNS service—Google DNS is a great choice—might make the difference in helping your computer figure out the best servers for Twitch streaming.

  1. Open theStartmenu and selectSettings>Network & Internet>Wi-FiorEthernet.

  2. SelectPropertiesunder your internet connection.

  3. SelectEditunderIP settings.

  4. SetEdit IP SettingstoManualand turn on theIPv4switch.

  5. Enter the following into thePreferred DNSandAlternate DNSfields and selectSave:

8.8.8.8

8.8.4.4

Disable VPN

VPN (Virtual Private Network) services are excellent for privacy, but they aren’t the best at network performance. If you use one, disabling it might help Twitch stream without buffering again.

Delete Browser Cache

If you’re streaming Twitch over a web browser, an obsolete web cache can prevent it from working correctly. Here’s how todelete the browser cacheon three popular browsers—Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

  1. Open theChromemenu and selectSettings.

  2. SelectPrivacy and security.

  3. SelectClear browsing data.

  4. SetTime rangetoAll time.

  5. Select the box next toCached images and files.

  6. SelectClear data.

  7. Open theFirefoxmenu and selectSettings.

  8. SelectPrivacy and security.

  9. SelectClear DataunderCookies and Site Data.

  10. Check the box next toCached Web Content.

  11. SelectClear.

  12. Open theEdgemenu and selectSettings.

  13. SelectPrivacy, search, and serviceson the sidebar.

  14. SelectChoose what to clearunderClear browsing data.

  15. SetTime rangetoAll time.

  16. Check the box next toCached images and filesand selectClear now.

Disable Browser Extensions

Browser extensions can create conflicts with the Twitch web app and stop it from streaming correctly. Disable all add-ons and check if that resolves the issue.

Select theExtensionsicon to the top-right of the Chrome window and selectManage extensions. Then, turn off all the switches on the screen that follows.

Open theFirefoxmenu and choose theAdd-ons and Themesoption. Then, turn off all switches on the screen that follows.

Open theEdgemenu, selectExtensions, and turn off the switches next to all active extensions.

Update Browser

Your browser itself may have issues that prevent Twitch from streaming as usual. Try applying any pending updates and see if that helps. Here’s how to do that on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge:

Open theChromemenu, point toHelp, and selectAbout Google Chrome.

Open theFirefoxmenu, point toHelp, and selectAbout Firefox.

Open theEdgemenu, point toHelp and feedback, and selectAbout Microsoft Edge.

Switch to the Twitch App

If you keep experiencing issues with buffering while streaming Twitch on your web browser, switch to using theTwitch app for PCand check if that makes a difference. It’s strikingly similar to Twitch’s web app version, and you can start watching as soon as you sign in with your existing Twitch user credentials.

If you already use the Twitch app, try updating it. To do that, open theTwitchmenu (select the three-stacked lines to the top-left of the window), point toHelp, and selectCheck for Updates.

Disable/Enable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration helps speed up performance while streaming videos over Twitch. But sometimes, it can also hurt performance. Disabling the functionality can help. Conversely, you may want to re-enable hardware acceleration if you’ve disabled it previously.

  1. Open theChromemenu and selectSettings.

  2. SelectAdvanced>Systemon the sidebar.

  3. Turn onHardware acceleration when availableand selectRelaunch.

  4. Open theFirefoxmenu and selectSettings.

  5. Scroll down theGeneraltab until you get to thePerformancesection.

  6. Uncheck the box next toUse recommended performance settings. Follow that by uncheckingUse hardware accelerationwhen available.

  7. Open theEdgemenu and selectSettings.

  8. SelectSystemon the sidebar.

  9. Turn off the switch next toUse hardware acceleration when availableand selectRestart.

  10. Select your profile portrait and chooseSettings.

  11. Select theGeneraltab.

  12. Turn on the switch next toSoftware Rendering Mode.

Twitch Has Stopped Buffering

The fixes above should’ve helped you fix Twitch’s constant buffering on your PC. If the same problem occurs again, don’t forget to work your way quickly through some of the more straightforward solutions above. Clearing the DNS cache, getting rid of the cached browsing data, or stopping network-intensive programs should almost always help you get Twitch working properly again.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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