When you notice Discovery Plus lagging it can be super frustrating.
We have made a guide that can assist you, and we provide some simple tips that will improve your playback quality and the performance of the app itself.
Why does Discovery Plus keep lagging?
The cause of Discovery Plus lagging is likely caused by inefficient internet bandwidth optimization or a software issue.
When your internet bandwidth is not optimized, lagging will often occur when playing content.
There are several ways that you can increase your ability to reduce lagging when viewing the Discovery Plus app.
Here are some tips on how to make stop Discovery Plus from lagging:
- Check the Server Status of Discovery Plus
- Restart the Discovery Plus app
- Sign out of the Discovery Plus app
- Soft Reset your Source Device
- Reset your Router
- Update Discovery Plus and your source device
- Disconnect other devices in your home from the internet
- Decrease Video Playback Quality
- Close any other apps that are running
- Use an Ethernet cable rather than a Wi-Fi
- Upgrade your Internet Connection
- Disable VPNs or Ad blockers
- Upgrade your Router
- Contact the Discovery Plus app Support
Scroll down to follow a more detailed guide on how to work through these steps and stop the Discovery Plus app from lagging.
How to stop the Discovery Plus app from lagging
Method 1: Check to make sure Discovery Plus servers are operational
When Discovery Plus keeps buffering, the vast majority of the issues will usually be with your network or playback device.
Before you go into the other fixes that are listed below, it is worthwhile checking that there are no issues or outages with the Discovery Plus platform.
Method 2: Restart the Discovery Plus app
It is a good idea to restart the Discovery Plus app if you are experiencing lag issues.
By restarting the Discovery Plus app, you give the opportunity for any updates to be correctly installed and establish a new connection with the Discovery Plus servers.
Method 3: Sign out of the Discovery Plus app
Another potential quick fix to the Discovery Plus lagging problem is to sign out of your account.
By signing out of your Discovery Plus account before you return and log in, you may resolve any account-related issues with are causing the lagging problems to occur.
Method 4: Restart your Playback Source Device
To access the Discovery Plus app, you will be using a playback device to access the app.
The most common playback devices for the Discovery Plus app are:
- Smart TVs
- Content Devices such as Discovery Plus, Firestick, or Roku
- Games Consoles such as PlayStation and XBOX
- A PC or MacBook Laptop
The universal recommendation for these devices and the first step in trying to eliminate the Discovery Plus app freezing issues is to perform a power cycle of these systems.
To perform a power cycle of the devices, simply unplug them for 60 seconds before plugging them back in.
This restart allows any updates that have been downloaded in the background to successfully install and start, and it also clears the system cache.
Clearing the system cache and any lingering apps running in RAM can help in reducing the lagging of the Discovery Plus app.
By reducing the number of apps running in the background, you give the Discovery Plus app the best performance.
Method 5: Reset your Router
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it is definitely effective in reducing the lagging on the Discovery Plus app.
How do I reset my router?
The easiest way to reset your router is to simply 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 play content faster on the Discovery Plus app.
Why does resetting your router reduce the Discovery Plus app lagging?
Think of all the devices that are and have been connected to the router. I’m sure that in today’s digital world that quite a few devices are connected to the router.
Your router is like a mini-PC and will slow down as more tasks are added.
Having all of those devices connected will reduce the bandwidth available to the Discovery Plus app and subsequently throttle your download speed, which in turn creates lagging.
Method 6: Update your Discovery Plus app
If you are playing Discovery Plus using a device such as a Firestick, Roku or smart TV then I would recommend that you update the app if possible.
Method 7: Disconnect other devices in your home from the internet
If you cannot reset your router for any reason, I would try and disconnect none 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 that you can disconnect from your internet connection will help in stopping the Discovery Plus app lagging issues.
Method 8: Close any apps that are running
If you have followed our first step of restarting your playback device, then this step would have been completed for you, otherwise please continue to close any running apps.
How does having open apps cause the Discovery Plus app to lag?
Imagine your internet connection to your Discovery Plus application like an artery in your body. The more games and apps that are running are like blockages in your arteries, sorry for the weird analogy!
Those blockages impede your ability to play content faster, and then that results in lagging occurring when watching the Discovery Plus app.
Method 9: Decrease Video Quality
Check in the Discovery Plus app options when watching content if there is a toggle for video quality.
The higher quality content that you play, the more likely it is that lagging will occur.
Try and decrease the video quality, especially if you have the quality set to 4K.
Method 10: Update your device software/firmware before downloading
Whether you are using a TV, Content Device, or Games console, updating your firmware or software to the latest version can help in preventing issues from arising over time.
Sometimes updates can be missed, or an installation can be interrupted and cause issues with your playback device.
Old firmware or a partial firmware installation could cause the Discovery Plus app to lag.
Ensuring that you have the latest software on your devices also gives you access to new apps and an improved viewing experience.
Method 11: Use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi
It is almost always true that when you use an Ethernet (Wired Connection) rather than Wi-Fi, you will get a better download speed.
Wired connections transmit data quicker and with less interference. There are also fewer variables that can hinder the quality of connection.
Wi-Fi connections are slower and generally have a slower response time.
The distance from your playback device along with the walls, floor, and ceilings can all deteriorate the quality of your internet connection, causing the Discovery Plus app lagging issues.
I always use a wired connection when it is available, and you should too!
Method 12: Disable any Ad blockers or VPNs
VPNs and Ad blockers can negatively affect the playback performance of the Discovery Plus app.
Your connection to a VPN will always limit the speed at which you can play content.
We understand that using a VPN can be a sensible choice, especially due to privacy concerns.
Unfortunately, by using a VPN, you are creating another dependency that can cause Discovery Plus to lag if there are any problems or limited speed.
Method 13: 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 14: Upgrade your Router
This option will not apply to everyone, but for some gamers, the router could be the bottleneck in their home network, causing the Discovery Plus app lagging problems.
If you have consistently upgraded your internet speed through your ISP but are still using an older router, you may wish to check what the maximum download speed of your router is.
It’s all good having a 1gbps connection, but if your router can only download at 100mbps, then you’ve got yourself a massive bottleneck and a solid explanation as to why the Discovery Plus app is lagging.
Method 15: Contact Discovery Plus Support
If you have tried all the tips above and nothing has worked, then you can contact Discovery Plus app support for further assistance.
Conclusion
If you have followed the guide, then you would have been successful in reducing the lagging of the Prime Video app on your content device.
We hope that you enjoy lag-free playback.
