Introduction

Also known as Fire Cube, this product from Amazon brought a revolution in the way we watch the telly. But, in this generation of fast streaming content, the one who reaches quicker wins more customers. Everything is online, and so are the channels on the television. But buffering is the biggest enemy of enjoying any such content, media, or even just music.

A gadget that looks like a USB stick and yet is a full-featured media streaming player simply by connecting to the home’s Wi-Fi, is surely a revolutionary device. Amazon’s Firestick does just that. Because of this, it is growing in popularity. With lots of apps like Netflix, Kodi, channels from BBC, HBO, Disney, and more, Firestick is a daily driver.

But buffering kills all that pleasure. Because of these freezing frames, those who aren’t tech-savvy, find it difficult to rely on it.

Why Does the Buffering Occur?

To learn the solutions to fix this issue, one must understand what is causing this buffering in the first place. Because the solution lies therein, for some, it may be just a Wi-Fi reset, and for others resetting the Firestick itself. SO, let us see some of the most common reasons that cause Amazon’s Firestick to buffer.

But, if it is something that happened after you tried to experiment with it, it can be more difficult to fix. For example, if you need help to jailbreak Firestick that leads to buffering issues, you must consult some professionals or the help center.

1. A Slow Internet Connection Is Always the First Problem

For example, if you are used to watching movies and media in 1080p, then you must have an internet connection with at least 10Mbps speed in the US. For 4K streaming, you should use even higher speeds. Like 20 Mbps, to be specific. However, you should also check the number of devices connected to the Wi-Fi at the same time, because that can also cause issues.

• So, take care of it when choosing the internet connection, and that should fix it.
• Ask your internet service provider for the right plan for the necessary speed.

2. Throttling by Your Internet Provider

Often, if not always, this is a general practice by the ISP or Internet Service Provider, to throttle the speed during peak hours. If they notice too much streaming activity, they do so because of bandwidth savings issues.

• It is best to use a VPN, in this case, to reduce buffering.
• Change the Wi-Fi to verify the issue.
• Check for buffering during a different time of the day, to verify the issue.

3. If the Wi-Fi Router Is Far from the TV and Firestick

Going with the same issue in the first point, a slow internet connection can also be because of distance. For example, if the Wi-Fi router or modem is too far away to catch the signals properly. Because of interference from mobile phones and other electronics too, distance can cause loss of internet speed. This can cause Firestick to buffer from time to time, not always.

• In that case, you can try shifting things in the room.
• Try shifting the Firestick closer to the modem.

4. Low RAM on Firestick

Usually, the reason why your smartphone slows down at times is the RAM. Because the RAM is not adequate for the number of background apps you are running, apps freeze. Or even crash. The Amazon Firestick is also a similar device because of which it suffers from the same issues. If too many unnecessary apps are running in the background, the Firestick may buffer this is because the memory has clogged up.

• Use an app manager to close all apps and processes.
• Download the “Background Apps & Process List” from the Amazon app store to fix this issue.

5. Storage on the Firestick

Another issue that many users face who often do experiments unlocking their Firestick is the problem with low storage. Because they want to sideload apps from third parties, and Firestick only has got 8 GB, there is less space for the OS. This causes buffering because of clogging the memory.

• One way is to clear the data by uninstalling some apps you don’t need.
• Remove the APK files as well.

Common Solutions for Common Problems

Now, if there is no time for verifying the problem or to test the above ways, go for standard solutions. For example, resetting the Firestick device will reset it to factory settings with enough space like new. This can also solve the problem if the cause was low storage for OS and apps. But one cannot guarantee that the following solutions will work. So, it is advisable to verify and then try these tricks.

• Reboot Firestick, and see if buffering goes away. Many find it useful because of the same reasons above.
• Improve Wi-Fi signal, as mentioned above. Use Ethernet cable, for example, instead of wireless.
• Turn off background apps manually if you’re aware of them. Clear cache files, data, etc, using an app, as mentioned above.
• Finally, update your Firestick OS from time to time because that solves a lot of software glitches.

Conclusion

Because of Amazon Firestick’s simple setup and ease of use, people prefer it more than others. Just go to Google Play, and download the app. By plugging this device into a compatible TV, you’re good to go. But, just because of this minor glitch, the Firestick buffering, things can go sour. However, now you know what to do.