Does your Vizio TV keep freezing? As someone interested in consumer electronics, I usually get a lot of complaints from Vizio TV users about freezing.
This problem is isolated to Vizio TV and happens on other Smart TVs.
Fortunately, I have the exact solutions to help you resolve the freezing issue on Vizio TV.
Why Does Vizio TV keep freezing?
One of the most common reasons why you experience frequent freezing on your Vizio TV is because your internet connection is poor.
This is especially so when trying to stream movies or carry out any other brandwidth-demanding activity that can cause Vizio TV buffering issues.
You can also experience Vizio TV freezing because of the number of apps running on your TV simultaneously.
Like a PC, some Apps take up a lot of RAM space, causing the TV to freeze.
Vizio TV comes with 8GB RAM at most, which may not be enough to have so many apps running simultaneously.
Another reason why your Vizio TV keeps freezing could be because you have corrupted cache data or you haven’t updated the software in a while.
Let me show you the steps I take to fix my Vizio TV when it keeps freezing.
How to Fix Vizio TV Keeps Freezing
Method 1: Update your Vizio TV Firmware:
The first thing you’d want to do when you experience freezing on your Vizio TV is update the TV Firmware.
Running your TV on outdated software can lead to software glitches and bugs that could cause the freezing.
Besides including new features and improved functionalities, Vizio TV updates have bug fixes for problems like this.
Follow the steps below to update your Vizio TV firmware.
- First, you must connect your TV to the internet via Wifi or Ethernet cable. I recommend you use an ethernet cable because it’s faster.
- Get your TV remote and press the Menu button.
- Go to Settings > Systems > Check for Updates.
- You’ll be notified and asked to update if any updates are available.
Method 2: Close Bandwidth-Hogging Apps
After updating your Firmware, the next thing you’d want to do is close background Apps or another app you are not using to free up RAM.
As mentioned, your Vizio Smart TV needs enough RAM space to run smoothly.
Method 3: Check your Internet Speed
If your Vizio TV keeps freezing while you are performing a bandwidth-demanding activity like streaming movies or video games, it is probably due to your connection speed.
You can run a speed test here to confirm if your internet connection is the problem. If you are streaming on HD, I recommend having at least 25Mbps.
And if you are streaming 4k on a Vizio 4k UHD TV, I recommend you have between 50-100Mbps.
Method 4: Fix your Internet Connection.
If you notice a poor internet connection, there are several ways you can troubleshoot it to improve internet speed.
- Use an Ethernet Cable: Ethernet cable transmits signals faster than a Wi-Fi connection because it doesn’t have to deal with barriers caused by physical objects around. This allows it to transmit signals directly from your router to the TV without interference.
- Power Cycle: Another thing you can do to improve your network connection is to power cycle your router. This will help reset your network connection and increase your internet speed. Unplug the router from the socket, then wait for at least 60 seconds. Plug the router back and turn it on, then check if the internet speed is better.
- Disconnect other brandwidth-hogging devices: If you have other devices like game consoles, streaming sticks, or other bandwidth-consuming devices connected to your Wi-Fi, try disconnecting them to free up bandwidth for your Vizio TV.
Method 5: Power Cycle your Vizio TV
Power cycling your Vizio TV helps clear the TV cache and remove any corrupted files that could be causing the freezing issue.
To perform a power-cycle, unplug the TV from the power source and wait around 60 seconds until all the power has drained.
Plug the TV back and turn it on. Then check if your Vizio still keeps freezing.
Method 6: Turn off the CEC protocol
Just like most smart TVs, Vizio TV uses a Consumer Electronics Command (CEC) protocol to allow you to control other devices connected to your TV with just one remote control.
Although this feature can be helpful, turning it off can sometimes fix freezing on your Vizio TV.
- Press Menu on your Vizio TV remote
- Go to System > CECB
- Turn CEC off.
Method 7: Free up space on your TV
Sometimes just clearing your TV cache by power cycling might not be enough. You may also need to clear the cache on individual apps on the TV.
To clear the cache in your Vizio Smart TV, complete the following steps.
- Go to Settings > Apps > System Apps
- Select the app you want to clear the cache on
- Click on Clear Cache and select Ok
You can also uninstall some apps you don’t use on your TV to free up more space and fix the freezing issue.
Method 8: Factory Reset your TV
Factory reset helps if configuration issues are causing your TV to freeze.
The factory reset will return your TV to its original settings, and if there is any issue with your setting, it will be resolved.
- Click the Menu button on your remote and go to Setting > System
- Select Reset and Admin
- Enter your Passcode. If you hadn’t previously set one, it will be 0000.
- Select Ok and wait for your TV to reset
- Restart your TV.
Method 9: Contact Vizio TV Support
As a final option, you can contact the Vizio TV support team if the solutions above fail to work.
Issues when Vizio TV keeps freezing, are usually software and internet-related problems.
But in some rare cases, it could be a technical issue that will need further assistance from the TV manufacturer.
Final Thoughts
If your Vizio TV keeps freezing, don’t get too worked up over it.
It’s either an issue with your internet connection or too many apps and processes running simultaneously.
If you follow the solutions I’ve provided in this guide, you will be up and running quickly.