Occasionally, your streaming may get interrupted when you are trying to enjoy a show, and you may ask why Hulu keeps freezing?
I have made a troubleshooting guide to fix Hulu freezing issues and will look at the causes and potential solutions to these problems.
Why Does Hulu Keep Freezing?
Hulu usually keeps freezing if you have a slow internet connection due to an overworked router limiting bandwidth to your streaming device.
Over an extended period, your router will slow down and can cause Hulu buffering issues when trying to stream content.
Freezing can also occur due to outdated or unoptimized software on your streaming device, and this can cause Hulu to act slow performance-wise.
How to stop Hulu when it keeps freezing
Method 1: Restart your Router
Restarting your router is the most effective way to stop Hulu from freezing.
How do I reboot my router?
You can reboot your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds and then plugging it back in!
Why does restarting your router reduce Hulu freezing?
Routers are like computers. When you reset them, they usually have a performance boost and can allot more bandwidth to streaming Hulu content.
Your router performance will slow as more tasks and devices are added to its workload.
An overworked router can cause issues with Hulu subtitles being out of sync and freezing.
Method 2: Restart the Hulu app
Restarting the Hulu app helps when you encounter freezing by allowing updates to install and establishing new internet connections with the Hulu servers.
Method 3: Sign out of Hulu
When freezing occurs on Hulu, you should sign out of the Hulu account.
When you log back in, please check if Hulu keeps freezing when streaming shows.
Method 4: Restart your streaming device
It would help if you did a complete restart of the streaming device on which you are encountering freezing issues with the Hulu service.
Like your router, as we mentioned earlier, your streaming device will also slow down performance-wise over an extended period, which can cause freezing.
Please do a complete restart of your streaming device by unplugging it for 60 seconds before plugging it back in.
When you reboot the streaming device, you should resolve some of the streaming issues on Hulu.
Method 5: Update your Hulu app or web browser
Whether using the Hulu app or a web browser, you should ensure that these are updated to the latest software versions to help prevent Hulu freezing problems.
If Hulu starts lagging when using the app, this could be a telltale sign that it needs an update.
For those using a web browser to access Hulu, experiment with different browsers to see which ones perform best when streaming
Method 6: Manually clear the Hulu Cache
When Hulu keeps freezing, you should consider clearing the Hulu Cache as a part of your troubleshooting.
The cache files or data Hulu stores on your device are necessary for an enhanced and seamless streaming experience.
However, they can become problematic if you don’t clear them frequently.
Method 6a: Web browser users – reduce extensions
Whichever web browser you use to stream Hulu, be aware that having multiple extensions activated simultaneously can cause Hulu to freeze.
The more extensions you have installed, the more likely you will experience slow performance that impacts your streaming abilities.
Please limit the number of extensions that you have enabled on your browser or you could use a lightweight browser exclusively to stream content.
Method 7: Update your streaming device
When watching Hulu on a games console, computer, TV, or streaming stick, please ensure your streaming device runs the latest firmware, software, or OS when streaming.
New system software will often offer better performance and more features than outdated software, and it is also less likely to cause freezing on Hulu.
Method 8: Disconnect devices from the internet
Limiting the number of devices connected to your internet router will stop it from becoming slower and overloaded.
Every device connected to the router in your home limits the internet bandwidth and you are more likely to experience Hulu freezing.
Method 9: Close any apps that are running
More applications mean more system and internet resources not being allocated to your Hulu stream.
Close any apps you are not using to improve your ability to stream Hulu without freezing.
Method 10: Use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi
Ethernet (wired) will give you a more reliable internet connection than Wi-Fi.
It can also reduce freezing issues on Hulu as it generally transmits data faster and more consistently than Wi-Fi.
Method 11: Improve your Wi-Fi connection (If you have to use it)
If you cannot use a wired internet connection, then there are things you can do to improve your Wi-Fi connection.
Things you can do to improve your Wi-Fi connection
- Move your router closer to your streaming device
- Try and eliminate any objects between your device and router
- Add Wi-Fi signal extenders to your home
- Limit the number of devices connected to your Wi-Fi
Method 12: Disable any ad blockers or VPNs
Don’t neglect to review your use of a VPN or adblocker when Hulu keeps freezing.
Generally, VPNs and adblockers do not play well when you are streaming content online.
Streaming providers are against using VPNs and adblockers, and their use creates another dependency that can cause issues.
Method 13: Upgrade your Internet Connection
If you have access to fast internet connections in the area in which you reside, it may be worth considering upgrading your internet connection.
A 10mbps connection will stream content slower than a 1gbps connection. Could the Hulu freezing issues be linked to your purchased internet speed?
Method 14: Check to make sure Hulu servers are operational
Most issues will be with your network or playback device when Hulu keeps freezing.
It is worth checking that there are no issues or outages with the Hulu platform.
Method 15: Contact Hulu Support
If Hulu continues to freeze after following this guide, we recommend contacting Hulu support.
Conclusion
When you encounter freezing on Hulu, it is likely caused by your router, home internet, or a software configuration issue.
The methods outlined in this article will improve your streaming performance when using Hulu, hopefully to the extent of resolving your freezing issues.
Happy streaming!
