If you watch content and Crunchyroll keeps buffering, you’ll know it can be annoying and ruin your viewing experience.
We have made a guide that can assist you by providing simple tips to improve your streaming quality and get you back to enjoying anime content.
Why does Crunchyroll buffer so much?
The cause of Crunchyroll buffering is likely caused by inefficient internet bandwidth optimization.
When your internet bandwidth is not optimized, buffering or lagging will occur on Crunchyroll when streaming content.
Sometimes these internet issues can cause the Crunchyroll app to stop working altogether.
You can increase your ability to reduce buffering when viewing the Crunchyroll app in several ways.
Here are some tips on how to make stop Crunchyroll Buffering:
How to stop the Crunchyroll buffering
Method 1: Reset your Router
I will often reset my router first when resolving Crunchyroll buffering issues.
When I encounter buffering issues on any streaming platform, I find that a simple power cycle of my home internet router gives me a performance boost that can stop buffering.
How do I reset my router?
The easiest way to reset your router is to unplug it from the wall socket for 30 seconds before plugging it back in.
This action will “power-cycle” your router and provide more bandwidth to increase your ability to stream content faster on the Crunchyroll app.
Why does resetting your router reduce the Crunchyroll app Buffering?
Your router is like a mini-PC and will slow down as more tasks are added.
Having all those devices connected will reduce the bandwidth available to the Crunchyroll app and subsequently throttle your download speed, allowing buffering to occur.
Method 2: Restart your streaming device
To access the Crunchyroll app, you will be using a streaming device to access the app.
The most common streaming devices for the Crunchyroll app are:
- Smart TVs
- Streaming Stick such as Apple TV, Firestick, or Roku
- Games Consoles such as PlayStation and XBOX
- A PC or MacBook Laptop
Our recommendation for these devices to eliminate the Crunchyroll buffering issues is to perform a power cycle of these systems.
To perform a power cycle of the devices, unplug them for 60 seconds before plugging them back in.
This restart allows any updates that have been downloaded in the background to install and start successfully, and it also clears the system cache.
Clearing the system cache and any lingering RAM apps can help reduce the buffering on the Crunchyroll app.
Reducing the number of apps running in the background gives the Crunchyroll app the best performance.
Method 3: Web Browser Users – Optimize
There are many quick tweaks that you can make if you are watching Crunchyroll content through your web browser.
Method 3A: Reduce Extensions
I have seen examples of web browser extensions increasing the likelihood of experiencing Crunchyroll buffering issues.
If your browser has many extensions installed, this will slow the browser performance and impact your streaming ability.
Try limiting your active extensions or using a different browser that is more lightweight, and this will reduce your chances of experiencing buffering when viewing Crunchyroll.
Method 3B: Use a lightweight browser
I’ve noticed issues with Chrome when streaming content. I almost always perform better when using a lightweight browser like Brave.
Method 3C: Update your browser
You should constantly update your web browser if given the option.
When browsers are updated, performance is always a consideration for the dev teams.
Method 4: Restart the Crunchyroll app
Restart your app as the next step when Crunchyroll is constantly buffering.
Restarting the app ensures that updates are installed correctly, and a new internet connection is provided to the Crunchyroll servers that may improve the performance.
Method 5: Disconnect other devices in your home from the internet
If you cannot reset your router for any reason, a good solution would be to disconnect non-essential devices from the internet.
Is someone in your home watching Netflix? What about your phone? Is someone downloading games or apps on XBOX?
Every device you can disconnect from your internet will help limit the potential for Crunchyroll buffering issues.
Method 6: Close any apps that are running
Having many apps open simultaneously increases the chances of experiencing buffering.
How does having open apps cause the Crunchyroll app to buffer?
The more apps you run at any given time, the higher tax on your system resources and internet connection.
Ultimately, more apps mean reduced system and internet performance.
If you have many apps running, it may cause Crunchyroll to start lagging.
Method 7: Decrease Video Quality
Check the Crunchyroll app options when watching content if there is a toggle for video quality.
The higher the quality of content you stream, the more likely buffering will occur.
Try to decrease the video quality, especially if the quality is set to 4K.
To change the video quality settings, look for the cog icon on the bottom left of the video player.
Next, choose the Quality option from the menu.
Now you can see the selection of the different video resolutions that are available to stream.
Try lowering the video quality output to see if those will reduce the buffering on Crunchyroll.
Method 8. Update your streaming device software/firmware before downloading
Whether you are using a TV, Streaming Stick, or Games console, updating your firmware or software to the latest version can help prevent issues from arising over time.
Sometimes updates can be missed, or an installation can be interrupted and cause issues with your streaming device.
Old firmware or a partial installation could cause the Crunchyroll app to buffer.
Ensuring you have the latest software on your devices gives you access to the newest apps and an improved viewing experience.
Methods 9. Use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi
It is almost always true that you will get a better download speed when you use an Ethernet (Wired Connection) rather than Wi-Fi.
Wired connections transmit data quicker and with less interference. Fewer variables can hinder the quality of the connection.
Wi-Fi connections are slower and generally have a slower response time.
The distance from your streaming device, along with the walls, floor, and ceilings, can all deteriorate the quality of your internet connection, causing the Crunchyroll app buffering issues.
I always use a wired connection when available, and you should too!
Method 10. Upgrade your Internet Connection
Not everyone has access to high download speed through their ISP (Internet Service Provider), but for those that do, consider upgrading your internet connection.
It is pretty straightforward that a 100mbps connection will have a slower download rate than a 1gbps connection.
Method 11. Disable any Ad blockers or VPNs
VPNs and Ad blockers can negatively affect the streaming performance of the Crunchyroll app.
Your connection to a VPN will always limit the speed at which you can stream content.
Method 12. Upgrade your Router
Could your home internet router be the bottleneck causing Crunchyroll to keep buffering?
If you have consistently upgraded your internet speed through your ISP but still use an older router, you may wish to check your maximum download speed.
Method 13. Check the Crunchyroll servers
Another thing that can contribute to the buffering on Crunchyroll is poor-performing servers or outages by the streaming provider.
There are third-party services, such as DownDetector, which will let you know the current status of the servers at Crunchyroll.
Method 14. Contact the Crunchyroll app Support
If, after following the tips above, you still experience buffering, contact Crunchyroll support for further assistance.
They may be able to help you troubleshoot this issue further.
Conclusion
Crunchyroll buffer is annoying, but there are usually steps that you can take to resolve these issues.
A slow internet connection is a common culprit.
Following the steps in this article should resolve the buffering issues and improve your overall streaming performance.
