YouTube Keeps Buffering? How to Stop It on Any Device

Buffering is the spinning circle that appears when your device can't download the video quickly enough to keep playing. It's one of the few YouTube problems where the cause is almost always the connection or the quality setting, which makes it more fixable than most.

I'll give you the speed numbers YouTube's help centre publishes, then the fixes in the order its pages give them. If you watch webinars, courses or client calls on YouTube, knowing the numbers saves a lot of guessing.

How fast a connection YouTube needs to stop buffering

YouTube's help lists the speeds it recommends you sustain for each resolution. Compare them with a speed test taken on the same device that's buffering:

Video quality	Recommended sustained speed
4K	20 Mbps
HD 1080p	5 Mbps
HD 720p	2.5 Mbps
SD 480p	1.1 Mbps
SD 360p	0.7 Mbps

On a TV, YouTube's help recommends about 7 Mbps for HD. YouTube also points out that having several devices on the same network can lower the speed any one of them gets, so a speed test taken while someone else streams or downloads may tell you what's really happening.

Step one: change your internet connection to fix YouTube buffering

YouTube's buffering steps start here. Switch from Wi-Fi to your mobile network, or from your mobile network to Wi-Fi, then replay the video. If one is much better than the other, you've found the cause. Restarting your internet connection is also on YouTube's list, so switch off the router, wait, and switch it on again if both connections are poor.

On a TV or computer, move closer to the router where you can, because YouTube's help names distance and interference as common culprits.

Step two: lower the YouTube video quality

If the speed is lower than the table above for the quality you're watching, set the quality lower by hand. On a TV, YouTube's help says to open Settings in the player, choose Quality and set it manually if the option is shown. On a phone, YouTube says to adjust the quality manually through the player's settings. Dropping one step often stops the buffering at once. If you want to speed up or slow down what you watch at the same time, my guide to changing playback speed on YouTube sits in the same settings menu.

Step three: clear the YouTube app cache to stop buffering

YouTube lists clearing the app's cache as the second fix for buffering and loading problems. On Android: Settings, Apps or Applications, YouTube, Storage, Clear cache, then replay the video. On an iPhone or iPad, YouTube's help says to go to Settings, General, iPhone Storage, tap YouTube, choose Offload App, confirm, then tap Reinstall App.

Fixing YouTube buffering in a browser on your computer

YouTube's computer steps for playback trouble are short. Work through them in order:

1. Make sure your computer is up to date.
2. Close and reopen your web browser.
3. Close most open tabs except the one you're using for YouTube, since lots of tabs compete for the connection.
4. Update your browser, and use Google Chrome if you can.
5. Check whether an ad blocker or other extension is affecting playback, or try an incognito window with extensions off.
6. Restart your computer.

Fixing YouTube buffering on a smart TV

YouTube's TV list reads: check your connection (about 7 Mbps for HD), check the streaming quality, quit and reopen the app, sign out and back in, restart the device by unplugging it, then update the system software. Keeping the streaming device close to the router helps, as YouTube's help notes. My page on what to check when YouTube isn't working has a wider list for when buffering turns into a blank screen.

Why live TV streams on YouTube can buffer more

There's a setting that catches people out when they watch live channels. YouTube's help explains that for Primetime Channels on a TV, a lower broadcast delay reduces the buffer, which can increase interruptions. To change it, open Settings in the app on your TV, choose Broadcast delay, then pick Decrease or Default. Default keeps interruptions to a minimum, while Decrease reduces live spoilers. If a live stream keeps pausing, Default is the one to pick.

Why YouTube buffering matters if you publish videos

If you share videos with customers, remember they hit the same limits you do. A viewer on a slow mobile connection may choose a lower quality or give up, so a clear message in the first few seconds helps whoever can only watch at a low setting. You can't control anyone's speed, but you can make sure your video still makes sense when it's watched at a lower quality.

When YouTube keeps buffering after every fix

If you've tried each step and the buffering carries on, test the same video on a different supported device, as YouTube's help suggests. If it plays smoothly there, the first device is the problem. If it buffers everywhere, the issue is probably your connection, so contact your internet provider with your speed test results in hand. You can also tell YouTube about it from inside the app: tap your profile icon, then Help and feedback, then Send feedback, straight after the buffering starts.

Frequently asked questions

Why does YouTube keep buffering when my internet is fine?

YouTube's help says several devices on one network can lower the speed your device gets, and a too-high quality setting can outrun the connection. Try a lower quality, then clear the app cache.

How much speed does YouTube need for HD?

YouTube's help recommends 5 Mbps for HD 1080p and 2.5 Mbps for HD 720p, sustained. For HD on a TV it recommends about 7 Mbps.

Does clearing the cache stop YouTube buffering?

YouTube's help lists it as the second fix after trying a different connection. On iPhone you offload and reinstall the app instead.

Why does YouTube buffer on live channels on my TV?

A lower broadcast delay can increase interruptions. YouTube's help says Default minimises them and Decrease reduces live spoilers.

Should I change from Wi-Fi to mobile data?

Yes, as a test. YouTube's help says to try a different connection, switching between the two, then replay the video.