Hulu is a great app, however, when it keeps pausing and interrupting you when watching a showing, your patience can wear thin!
This guide will show you how to reduce the chances that Hulu keeps pausing whilst simultaneously improving the quality of your streaming.
Why does Hulu keep pausing?
The reason why Hulu keeps pausing is likely inefficient internet bandwidth or a software conflict.
Your internet connection needs the occasional maintenance to ensure that it runs smoothly.
Hulu can keep pausing if your internet connection is unable to communicate quickly with the servers and your streaming device.
Want to stop Hulu from pausing? Try these steps:
- Check the Hulu Servers for outages
- Reboot the Hulu app
- Log out / log into Hulu app
- Soft reset your device
- Reset your Router
- Update Hulu 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 Hulu app Support
How to stop the Hulu app from pausing
Method 1: Are the Hulu servers even working?
If you notice that Hulu is buffering or pausing then it, the first thing you should do is check that there are no server outages with the Hulu platform.
Method 2: Reboot the Hulu app
It is a great idea to reboot the Hulu app if you are experiencing playback pausing.
By rebooting the Hulu app, you allow updates to be correctly installed and establish a new connection with the Hulu servers.
Method 3: Log out of the Hulu app
Another potential quick fix to the Hulu pausing problem is to log out of your account.
By signing out of your Hulu account before your return and log in, you may resolve any account-related issues that are causing the pausing problems to occur.
Method 4: Restart your device
The most common playback devices for the Hulu app are:
- Smart TVs
- Content Devices such as Hulu, Firestick, or Roku
- Games Consoles such as PlayStation and XBOX
- A PC or MacBook Laptop
Our recommendation for these devices and the first step in trying to eliminate the Hulu app pausing issues is to perform a power cycle of the device.
To restart, simply unplug the streaming device for 60 seconds before plugging them back in.
The restart allows any updates that have been downloaded 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 pausing of the Hulu app.
By reducing the number of apps running in the background, you give the Hulu 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 pausing on the Hulu 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 Hulu app.
Why does resetting your router reduce the Hulu app pausing?
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 Hulu app and subsequently throttle your download speed, which in turn causes the Hulu pausing issues.
Method 6: Update your Hulu app
If you are playing Hulu 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 Hulu? 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 Hulu app pausing 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 Hulu app to keep pausing?
Having apps running, even in the background, consumes processing power and internet bandwidth.
The more apps that you have running, the more likely you are to impede Hulu’s ability to stream content without pausing.
Method 9: Decrease steaming video quality
Check in the Hulu app options when watching content if there is a toggle for video quality.
The higher the quality of content that you play, the more likely it is that pausing 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 Hulu app to pause.
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 Hulu app pausing 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 Hulu 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 Hulu to pause 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 Hulu app pausing 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 a massive bottleneck and a solid explanation as to why the Hulu app is pausing.
Method 15: Contact Hulu Support
If you have tried all the tips above and nothing has worked, then you can contact Hulu app support for further assistance.
Conclusion
If you have followed the guide, then you would have been successful in reducing the pausing of the Hulu app on your content device.
We hope that you enjoy pause-free playback.
