How to Fix Kodi Buffering Issues

>

Smooth, continuous entertainment experience is what we all enjoy. Interruptions, in1 any form, are annoying, to say the least. Kodi is an entertainment tool used by millions around the world to stream on-demand, high-quality content mostly for free. While this platform bridges the gap between millions of online streamers and thousands of streaming sources, Kodi buffering issues aren’t exactly uncommon. As more and more streams get added unchecked, Kodi buffering problems become more prevalent. Fortunately, there are some solutions that can fix Kodi buffering issues on Kodi 18.5 and Kodi 17.6, or at least reduce the instances. And, these fixes are easy to apply too. Keep reading!

Kodi is an extensively popular media-player among the cord-cutters worldwide. Developed by XBMC, this app instantly converts your device into a media center. Not only does it let you play and cast the locally stored media, through various add-ons and builds, it also allows you to stream free and abundantly available content over the web. What’s even more incredible is that this service is supported by a wide range of platforms including Fire TV Stick, Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Windows PC, Mac OS, and Linux.

Kodi is undeniably great but has its own set of problems. Some find it harder to set up as compared to other services like Plex. What I have figured is that once you wrap your head around the Kodi, there is a fair chance you will not like any other media player.

Though, that’s not the only aspect I had in mind while talking about this platform’s problems. What plagues Kodi the most is the buffering issues. Nothing could be more frustrating than the frequent interruptions while watching your favorite movie or TV show.

Fortunately, there are several ways to rectify the Kodi buffering issues or minimize them. In this guide, we will learn how to fix buffering on Kodi Leia 18 and Kodi Krypton 17.6. Keep reading!

How to Fix Kodi Buffering Issues

Enable Unknown Sources on Kodi

Before we proceed, there is one little thing to be taken care of.

Kodi is designed to provide safe entertainment experience. It uses many security features and protocols to this end.

To prevent unsafe builds and add-ons to from sneaking in, by default Kodi does not permit installation from unknown, third-party sources. But, not all the third-party add-ons are unsafe, especially not the ones we are going to learn about in this guide ahead.

In order to be able to install these add-ons, we will need to enable Unknown Sources temporarily. Here is how you can do it:

Step 1: Click the Settings (cog icon) on the top right on Kodi home screen.

Step 2: Next, click ‘System Settings’ icon (or simply ‘System’ if you use Kodi Leia 18)

Step 3: Click ‘Add-ons’ on the left and then move the ‘Unknown Sources’ toggle/switch to right to enable it.

That will be it! Make sure you disable Unknown Sources once you have installed all the desired add-ons.

Which Platforms Do These Methods Work On?

Kodi uses the same interface across all platforms and devices (except for a few platform-specific additions). Whether you are looking to fix Windows, Android, iOS or Amazon Fire Stick Kodi buffering issues, the methods below will work the same way.

Kodi Buffering Fix: Optimize Cache Size

Cache is an auxiliary memory that aids the high-speed retrieval. While cache is used extensively in the world of computers, in video streaming or playback it is the video cache that is most important.

When you stream a video over the internet, the entire video is not downloaded in your browser or app at once. Instead, a small portion of the video is cached and stored in a temporary location (usually device RAM). You must have noticed that while streaming a video if you lose the internet connection, the video continues to play for a while before stopping. The video that plays even after losing internet is what has been cached on the local system.

In order to mitigate Kodi buffering issues, two things need to be taken care of. Firstly, you need to allocate substantial cache memory to Kodi in RAM. Secondly, you must keep clearing cache on Kodi from the previously played videos as it unnecessarily eats up the allocated space.

In the following text, we will learn to change Kodi buffer settings to accommodate optimal Cache space and also understand how to clear cache in Kodi. There are five methods to fix Kodi buffering issues. Methods 1 to 4 will work on all the devices including Amazon Fire TV / Stick, while method 5 doesn’t work for FireStick.

Attention KODI Users: Read before you continue

Kodi Addons / builds offer unlimited streaming content, but could also get you into legal trouble if caught streaming free Movies / TV shows / Sports. Kodi users are strongly advised to always connect a VPN while streaming online. A good Kodi VPN hides your identity, bypasses government surveillance, geo-blocked content, and ISP throttling (which also helps in buffer-free streaming).

I use ExpressVPN which is the fastest and most secure VPN. It is very easy to install on any device including Amazon FireStick. You get 3-months free and save 49% on its annual plans. Also, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied, you can always ask for a refund.

Click HERE to get 3-months free and save 49% on ExpressVPN

Read: How to install and use a Kodi VPN

Method 1: How to Stop Kodi Buffering Using Ares Wizard

Ares Wizard is one of the most widely used Kodi maintenance and diagnostic tools. Let’s learn how to use this tool to tweak cache settings and resolve Kodi buffering problem. But before we go ahead, please install Ares Wizard on Kodi.

Now that you have installed Ares Wizard, let’s see how we can fix Kodi buffering problem by optimizing the cache.

Step 1: Launch Ares Wizard and click ‘Tweaks’ button on the top

Step 2: Now click ‘Advanced Settings Wizard’ button

There is the ‘Next’ button on the bottom right you to need to click. But, before you do, do not forget to read the word of ‘Caution’ from the developers of this add-on.

In a nutshell, what you need to know is that:

– There is no single Cache size allocation that is perfect for everyone. It largely depends on the device on which you are using Kodi and the system specs (especially RAM size)

– You can place the cache in the device storage (such as a hard drive) or RAM (which is highly recommended)

– Kodi uses 60MB of RAM for caching purposes. But, if you have a lot of spare RAM, you can bump up the size

Step 3: Now that you understand above points, click ‘Next’

Now Kodi will display the available RAM at this point and suggest the ideal allocation size for video cache memory (which is 1/3 of the available RAM). But, it is also recommended to keep the 10% margin in case other programs take up the memory further.

For instance, if you have 900 MB memory, 1/3 of it would be 300 MB. The 10% margin would be 30 MB. So, the ideal allocation for video cache memory is 270 MB.

NOTE: Too much memory allocation to Kodi cache may affect device’s overall performance.

Step 4: Click ‘Generate Settings’ button on the bottom left

Step 5: On the next screen, Video Cache Size is what you need to change by dragging the slider left or right (check the image below)

As you can see, I had spare 900 MB RAM. Hence, Ares Wizard recommended 270 MB to me.

Ares Wizard also offers 4 Buffer Modes as you can see on the bottom just above the ‘Apply these settings’ button. Here is what these modes do:

Mode 1: In this mode, Kodi will buffer every streaming that is there on the internet including the one from cloud source and FTP

Mode 2 (recommended): This is the default mode. In this mode, Kodi will try to buffer just about everything. It will even buffer the files playing from the local storage

Mode 3: In this mode, the buffering is restricted to website streams only

Mode 4: Buffering is completely disabled

If you are experiencing Kodi buffering issues in spite of having substantial RAM size then make sure that Mode 2 is selected. This is the mode that offers the smoothest playback as it caches a large portion of the video beforehand.

Delete Kodi Temporary Files using Ares Wizard Maintenance

If Kodi keeps freezing or crashing regularly, there is a fair chance you have run out of the storage space. This usually happens with devices with low storage. For instance, if you have a handheld Android device with, say, 16 GB storage and you use Kodi regularly with various add-ons, you may soon find yourself short of storage memory. Besides finding the Kodi buffering fix, it will be worth your while to resolve this issue as well to have a smoother, more desirable entertainment experience.

Step 1: In order to clear the temp files, first, click the Maintenance button on the top. You should see a screen like this:

Step 2: Now, click the following buttons one by one:

– Delete Thumbnails

– Delete Packages

As I had recently deleted Thumbnails and Packages, the space they are occupying on my storage is less. But, together they were eating up nearly 1 GB of space.

If you have any stored/saved Caches they also take a lot of space. You can clear cache on Kodi and free up the storage space substantially. Do not worry though! Deleting cache will not affect the settings we just talked about in the section above.

Method #2: Fix Kodi Buffering with A VPN

Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) make lofty claims about providing high-speed, unlimited internet services to its customers. While their promises are kept for most average users, the heavy streamers are often affected by bandwidth throttling. That may or may not be illegal depending on your country. Also, sometimes they have some clauses in fine prints the Terms & Conditions that we accept without even giving it a look; well that’s what most of us do.

ISP throttling is actually curtailing or restricting the internet speed when a particular user has crossed the certain limit of data usage. This, as I already said, usually happens to the heavy users. If you are someone who loves to watch movies and shows online using services like Kodi, you might just as well fall into their bracket of heavy users. The legal aspects of throttling are becoming more and more obscure ever since it was declared a few months ago that Net Neutrality will be killed in the United States in the coming time.

The best way to prevent internet throttling and to avoid Kodi buffering issues to a great extent is using a reliable VPN. A good VPN service does more than just concealing your identity in the web world. It also masks your data usage details from your ISP. In simple words, if you are using a VPN, your ISP will no longer be able to see what kind of data you are using. They would only be able to determine the amount of data being used.

It has been reported by several users worldwide that throttling is affecting those the most that stream videos, download from torrents, and share heavy files over the web.

With a VPN in place, you will have no reason to worry about ISP throttling. Below is the table of the top 5 VPNs in the industry. I personally use ExpressVPN which is the fastest VPN on the date.

• How to install & use VPN on FireStick
• How to install VPN on any streaming device

Filed Under: Kodi

Search this website

Top VPNs

30-day money-back guaranteeVisit ExpressVPNRead review

7-day money-back guaranteeVisit IPVanishRead review

7-day money-back guaranteeVisit NordVPN

Post Contents

• 1 How to Fix Kodi Buffering Issues
  • 1.1 Enable Unknown Sources on Kodi
• 2 Kodi Buffering Fix: Optimize Cache Size
  • 2.1 Method 1: How to Stop Kodi Buffering Using Ares Wizard
    • 2.1.1 Delete Kodi Temporary Files using Ares Wizard Maintenance
  • 2.2 Method #2: Fix Kodi Buffering with A VPN
  • 2.3 Method 3: How to Stop Kodi Buffering using Supreme Builds Wizard
  • 2.4 Method #4: Use Real-Debrid to Fix Kodi Buffering
  • 2.5 Method #5: How to Fix Kodi Buffering Issues Using a Code
    • 2.5.1 Steps for Windows PC/Laptop
    • 2.5.2 Steps for Other Platforms
• 3 How to Fix Kodi Buffering on Covenant / Exodus / Sportsdevil
  • 3.1 Fix Kodi Buffering on Addons by Clearing Cache
• 4 Possible Reasons for Slow Streaming / Buffering on Kodi
  • 4.1 Reason #1: Slow Internet Connection
    • 4.1.1 Important Tips to Improve Internet Speed
    • 4.1.2 What if I have fast internet and still the problem persists?
  • 4.2 Reason #2: Streaming Source Overcrowded
• 5 Final Words on Kodi Buffering Issues

Trending Guides

1. Best VPN for FireStick
2. How to Jailbreak a FireStick
3. How to Install Kodi on FireStick
4. Best Kodi Addons
5. Best Kodi Builds
6. Best FireStick Apps
7. IPTV
8. Cinema APK
9. Exodus Redux Addon
10. Best Torrent Sites

Recent Posts

• 8 Best Showbox Alternatives (2023)
• How to Jailbreak a FireStick (February 2023)
• Best Kodi Builds (Updated for February 2023)
• Best Kodi Addons to Win Over the World [2023]
• How to Install Real Debrid Exclusively Movies Kodi Addon

Disclaimer – Streaming or downloading copyright content is unlawful.

FireStickTricks.com do not in any way condone, promote or encourage any illegal use of Kodi, Fire Stick or our guides. Users are responsible for their actions. Read our full disclaimer.