How to Deal With Continuous Buffering on Netflix

We all know how irritating it can be to try to have a Netflix and chill kind of day with your smart TV, computer or even mobile device constantly buffering and showing you poor quality content. Thankfully, there are a few ways to tackle this common problem. These are as follows:

Restart/switch off your Device or App
If you are experiencing connection problems, it may be a good idea to restart or unplug your device. This may involve removing it from the main electrical socket then inserting it back into that socket and switching it on again or switching the device off then on again. This is entirely dependent on which device is being used as different devices will have different methods (e.g. Laptop, Computer and Smart TV must be unplugged, while Android mobile device and iOS devices like the iPhone or iPad or Netflix app can be restarted).

• ■ If you are using an Apple mobile device, depending on which model it is, press the ‘Home’ button with the ‘Sleep/Wake’ button together for at least ten to twelve seconds or until the ‘Apple’ logo appears.

Alternatively, if this does not work, press the ‘home’ button as well as the ‘Volume Up’ and ‘Volume Down’ buttons which are on the right hand side of the device and press these together all at the same time for at least ten seconds or until the Apple logo appears.

• ■ If you are using an Android device, you can restart it by long pressing on the power and volume up button which are on the right hand side of the Android device until the phone switches off. Then switch the device on again. Alternatively, depending on your device, long press the power button then when a screen prompt pops up offering you the option to put the phone in ‘flight mode’, ‘restart’ it or switch the ‘power off’, Select the ‘Restart’ option.

The device will restart and you will be able to check if the connection is still giving you a problem.
This may help in the short term, however, if you find yourself resorting to this method regularly, you may need to troubleshoot your device and contact your device manufacturer.
Check Monitor your bandwidth/Wi-Fi network

• ■The first thing to do in an instance where your Netflix is taking long to load the titles you intend to watch is to look at what could be causing your internet connection to be slow.
  ■ Netflix recommends an internet speed of about 25 megabits per second for optimal 4k or ultra HD viewing. If you are unsure as to how quick your internet connection is, visit https/fast.com/.
  ■ If you have queued downloads, be sure to pause these. Also, be sure to close any tabs you are not using. This will help free up bandwidth and increase the internet connection speed, which will help reduce buffering.
  ■ Also, if you are using a Wi-Fi router, be sure that it is in an area where the signal/reception is good and is not close to appliances, as these can interfere with the internet connection.
  ■If you are using a public Wi-Fi connection, there is unfortunately not much you can do to free up bandwidth as several other people could most likely be using the network for streaming. One option would be to check that the network has not put a restriction on the use of streaming platforms like Netflix. This can be checked with the Network Administrator, who will be able to provide this information.
  ■ If possible, connect your device (laptop, smart TV or computer) to a Ethernet (home network) as this too will help speed up the internet connection as opposed to with a wireless device, which tends to take longer to connect.

Make sure your Netflix ‘Playback’ Settings are customized.
These are the settings that are linked with your internet connection speed as well as device resolution. If your connection is a bit slower, using these settings, you can manually adjust how much data is used for streaming as well as adjust the screen resolution by lowering it a bit, which will help reduce buffering. This can be done in the following ways:

• ■ Sign into Netflix (enter username and password) at www.netflix.com then go to the far right hand corner and click on the drop down menu and then go to ‘Account’.

• ■ Once in ‘Account’, go to ‘My Profile’ tab which is the last tab under ‘Account’ then click on ‘Playback Settings’. These settings will allow you to change your settings in such a way that allows you to reduce your Netflix plan to one that requires less bandwidth (this applies in cases where internet connection is slow) and also allows you to reduce the video quality to a level your internet connection can handle.

• ■ A screen with four options with regards to ‘Data Usage’ will appear on screen. The ‘Low’ or ‘Medium’ options use low to average data and are options more suitable for Netflix users with slow to moderate internet connection and do not have high resolution devices. On the other hand, the highest data usage option will use up to 3GB per hour and will need a full HD screen of about 1080p. The ‘Auto’ option simply uses your internet connection speed to determine how much data you should be using and at which screen resolution (this is both device and internet service provider dependent) and then streams at the suitable rate. Choose the option you would like to go with to reduce your buffering (preferably ‘Low’ or ‘Medium’) then click on ‘Save’.

These three steps can help you end your buffering woes and lead you to easy and hassle-free Netflix viewing.