When your Now TV is lagging it can quickly ruin your content streaming.
In this article, we will look at why Now TV is lagging and the steps you can take to fix this issue.
Why does Now TV keep lagging?
The reason Now TV is lagging is due to an inefficient internet connection 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 Now TV app.
Here are some tips on how to make stop Now TV from lagging:
- Check the Server Status of Now TV
- Restart the Now TV app
- Sign out of the Now TV app
- Soft Reset your Source Device
- Reset your Router
- Update Now TV 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 Now TV app Support
How to stop the Now TV app from lagging
Method 1: Check to make sure Now TV servers are operational
When Now TV 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 Now TV platform.
Method 2: Restart the Now TV app
It is a good idea to restart the Now TV app if you are experiencing lag issues.
By restarting the Now TV app, you give the opportunity for any updates to be correctly installed and establish a new connection with the Now TV servers.
Method 3: Sign out of the Now TV app
Another potential quick fix to the Now TV lagging problem is to sign out of your account.
By signing out of your Now TV 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
The most common playback devices for the Now TV app are:
- Smart TVs
- Content Devices such as Now TV, 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 Now TV app lagging 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 Now TV app.
By reducing the number of apps running in the background, you give the Now TV 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 Now TV 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 Now TV app.
Why does resetting your router reduce the Now TV 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 Now TV app and subsequently throttle your download speed, which in turn creates lagging.
Method 6: Update your Now TV app
If you are playing Now TV 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 Now TV app’s 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 Now TV app to lag?
Imagine your internet connection to your Now TV application like an artery in your body. The more games and apps 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 Now TV app.
Method 9: Decrease Video Quality
Check in the Now TV app options when watching content if there is a toggle for video quality.
The higher the quality of content 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 Now TV 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 Now TV 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 Now TV 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 Now TV to lag if there are any problems or limited speed.
Method 13: Upgrade your Internet Connection
We recommended that you review your internet connection speed if Now TV is lagging after following the steps above.
A 100mbps connection will have a slower download rate than a 1gbps connection and will be more susceptible to lagging on Now TV if several devices are connected to the same network
Method 14: Upgrade your Router
If you have an older router that has stayed with you through many internet speed upgrades, 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, you’ve got a massive bottleneck and a solid explanation as to why the Now TV app is lagging.
Method 15: Contact Now TV Support
If you have not resolved the Now TV lagging issues, it may be time to contact Now TV app support for further assistance.
Conclusion
We hope that the steps in this article helped you in resolving the Now TV lagging issues.
If you took another step that isn’t listed here, please let us know in the comments below.
Happy streaming!
