Why is my Firestick So Slow & Keep Buffering: Speed It Up

Is your Firestick extremely slow? Troubleshoot with these reasons as Why is My FireStick So Slow and how to speed it up without buffering issues:

With everything from phones to watches turning smart, TV watching has also become smart. Everyone knows of FireStick. While it is a highly versatile device, it is not particularly powerful. Many of us have experienced lags, crashes, and other issues with it from time to time. The system’s performance is often affected by periodic updates of the interface and OS.

In this article, you will find answers to a common question that readers have asked so many times- why is my FireStick so slow? We will list all possible reasons that make FireStick slow and how to improve its performance. We will also discuss solutions to speed up Firestick.

Why is my Firestick So Slow – Reasons

There could be several reasons why is FireStick so slow.

Here are some possible causes:

Low Storage Space

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If your FireStick’s storage is almost full, it can cause it to slow down. When the FireStick is running out of storage space it struggles to perform tasks due to the lack of available storage. This is because FireStick uses its internal storage for cache, temporary files, and other essential data needed to run apps and services.

Additionally, low storage space can also affect the device’s ability to receive and install software updates, which can improve performance and fix bugs. If there isn’t enough free space, FireStick may not be able to download and install these updates, which can lead to performance issues.

Network Issues

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If your internet connection is slow or unstable, it can cause buffering issues and make your FireStick appear slow. FireStick relies on a stable internet connection to stream video content and access online services.

If there are network issues, such as slow or intermittent connection, it can cause buffering or poor video quality, which can make the FireStick appear slow.

Another factor that can affect network performance is the distance and interference between the FireStick and the wireless router. If the FireStick is too far from the router or there are physical barriers, such as walls or other electronic devices, it can cause a weaker signal and slower network speeds.

In addition, the number of devices connected to the network and the overall network bandwidth can also affect the FireStick’s performance. If too many devices are using the network or the available bandwidth is low, it can lead to slower internet speeds and affect FireStick’s ability to stream content smoothly.

Also Read => Fix Windows error ‘Can’t Connect To This Network’

Outdated Software

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If your FireStick software is outdated, it can cause performance issues. FireStick’s operating systems and apps are regularly updated to improve performance, add new features, and fix bugs. If the software is outdated, it can cause compatibility issues with newer apps and services and also limit FireStick’s performance capabilities.

Outdated software can also affect FireStick’s ability to receive and install new updates, which can improve performance and fix issues. If FireStick is not running the latest version of the operating system, it may not be able to take advantage of the latest performance improvements.

Furthermore, outdated apps on FireStick can also cause performance issues. These apps may not be optimized for the latest version of the operating system or may contain bugs that can slow down the FireStick. Therefore, it’s recommended to keep your FireStick’s software and apps up to date to ensure optimal performance.

Overheating

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The FireStick generates heat when it’s in use, and if it gets too hot, it can cause the device to slow down or freeze. This is because when the FireStick overheats, it automatically lowers its performance to reduce heat generation, which can affect its ability to run apps and services smoothly.

Overheating can also cause damage to the FireStick’s internal components and reduce its lifespan. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the FireStick is not running too hot to prevent performance issues and damage to the device.

Too Many Apps Running in the Background

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If there are too many apps running in the background on a FireStick, it can slow down the device’s performance. This is because these apps consume system resources such as CPU, memory, and network bandwidth, even when they are not actively being used.

Here are a few ways that too many apps running in the background can slow down a FireStick:

1. Limited System Resources: FireSticks have limited resources, including RAM, CPU, and network bandwidth. If too many apps are running in the background, they can consume a significant amount of these resources, which can slow down the device.
2. Network Congestion: Some apps may continue to use network bandwidth in the background, even if they are not actively being used. This can lead to network congestion, which can slow down FireStick’s performance, especially if you are streaming content.
3. App Conflicts: When too many apps are running in the background, they can conflict with each other, leading to instability and crashes. This can further slow down FireStick’s performance and cause other issues.

Suggested Reading => 5 Easy Ways To Speed Up Your Phone

App Cache

Cache is a temporary storage location where frequently accessed data is stored for quick access. While caches can help speed up app performance by reducing load times, they can also take up valuable storage space on your FireStick and slow down its overall performance.

When an app cache becomes too large, it can take longer for the device to access the data it needs. Thus, resulting in longer load times and slower app performance. Also, if the cache is consuming a lot of storage space, it can leave less room for other important data.

This can lead to slower overall performance. Also, if the app cache is corrupted or outdated, it can cause app crashes and other errors that can slow down your FireStick.

Hardware Issues

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If you have an older FireStick model, it may not have the processing power or memory to keep up with newer apps and updates. This can lead to slower performance and longer load times.

Also, a damaged FireStick can slow down its performance. Damage to the device can be caused by physical impacts, exposure to water, moisture, or electrical problems.

1. Physical Damage: Physical damage to your FireStick can cause internal components to shift or break, leading to a decrease in performance. This can include damage to the casing, ports, or internal components.
2. Water or Moisture Damage: Exposure to water or moisture can cause corrosion or short-circuiting of internal components, leading to performance issues or even complete failure of the device.
3. Electrical Problems: Electrical problems such as power surges or fluctuations can cause damage to the FireStick’s internal components, leading to performance issues or complete failure.

These are the reasons behind FireStick lagging. Now that you know why your FireStick is slow, let’s see how to fix it.

How to Make FireStick Faster – Solutions

Now, we will tell you how to handle issues that make FireStick slow. Let’s start with the basic solutions to every gadget problem.

Check Your Power Source

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Make sure you use the charging cable and power adapter provided by the manufacturer. Although you can plug the USB cable into your TV or laptop port, the output is significantly lower than that of a wall socket. This can negatively impact your Fire TV’s performance.

If you decide to use a third-party manufacturer’s cable and adapter, make sure that it has the same output as the original. For the 3rd-gen Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, the output is a 5W, 1.0A adapter. Additionally, check that the wall adapter is compatible with the voltage in your country.

Change the USB Socket

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When the Fire TV Stick is powered by the mains, it constantly receives an electrical current and may already feel warm when you begin using it. This is similar to how a phone can feel warm after being charged overnight.

To avoid this issue, it’s recommended to power your Fire Stick using the USB port on your TV if it’s available. By doing so, the device will only receive power when the TV is turned on, and you can prevent unnecessary heat buildup.

Restart/Reboot Your FireStick

The first thing to do when facing any kind of issue with any of the devices is to reboot or restart it. This has worked with slow FireStick most of the time as well. When too many apps run in the background on your FireStick, they can decrease its speed and cause other performance issues such as lagging and crashing.

One effective way to resolve these issues is by restarting the device. Restarting your FireStick can help clear out any temporary glitches and free up system resources, which can help improve its overall performance.

How to Reboot or Restart your FireStick

#1) Navigate to the Settings option on your FireStick home screen using your remote.

#2) Select the Device or My Fire TV option.

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#3) Scroll down and select Restart or Restart Fire TV.

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#4) Confirm that you want to restart your FireStick by selecting Restart again.

Alternatively, you can also restart your FireStick by pressing and holding the “Home” button on your remote for 5-10 seconds until a menu appears on the screen. From there, select “Restart” or “Restart Fire TV” to initiate a restart.

Once your FireStick has restarted, it will take a few moments to boot up and you will see the Amazon logo on the screen. After that, you can start using your FireStick again as usual. Restarting your FireStick can help clear out any temporary issues or glitches that may be causing performance problems or other issues.

It’s a good idea to restart your FireStick every once in a while to help keep it running smoothly.

Switch to a Different Wi-Fi Network

FireStick requires a high-speed internet connection to function properly. Inadequate connectivity can lead to malfunctions in the device. It’s recommended to switch to a faster Wi-Fi network for optimal performance.

How to Change Wi-Fi Network on FireStick:

#1) Turn on your FireStick and go to the home screen.

#2) Navigate to the Settings option on the top menu.

#3) Select Network from the available options.

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#4) Choose the Wi-Fi option.

#5) If your FireStick is currently connected to a Wi-Fi network, select Forget this Network to disconnect it.

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#6) Select Join Other Network.

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#7) Choose the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to.

#8) Enter the Wi-Fi network password if required.

#9) Select Connect to connect to the new Wi-Fi network.

Once you’ve successfully connected to the new Wi-Fi network, your FireStick will automatically save the network details. You can now enjoy uninterrupted streaming on your device.

Uninstall Unwanted Apps

Still having a slow FireStick? If you want to speed up your FireStick device, the first and most effective way is to delete any unused apps. These apps take up valuable storage space (ROM) on your device, even if you’re not using them.

Additionally, if these apps receive regular updates, the system will automatically download and install them. This can further slow down your device.

Furthermore, these apps often run in the background, consuming valuable RAM resources that could otherwise be used to improve your FireStick’s performance. By removing unused apps from your FireStick, you can free up valuable storage space and memory, leading to faster performance and smoother operation.

How to Uninstall Apps of FireStick:

#1) Navigate to the Settings option on your FireStick home screen using your remote.

#2) Select the Applications.

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#3) Scroll down and select Manage Installed Applications.

#4) Select the app you want to uninstall from the list.

#5) Select the Uninstall option and confirm that you want to uninstall the app.

Alternatively, you can also uninstall apps directly from the FireStick home screen by pressing and holding the app icon on the screen until a menu appears. From there, select “Uninstall” and confirm the action.

Once you uninstall the app, it will be removed from your FireStick’s internal storage and any associated data or settings will also be deleted. This can help free up storage space and improve the performance of your FireStick.

Force Stop Unused Apps

Some of the original FireStick apps might not have an uninstall option. Or maybe you don’t want to uninstall an app you are not using in hopes you might use it someday. You will still have to stop them from running in the background. This is where force stopping them comes in.

How to Force Stop an App on FireStick

#1) On your FireStick home screen, go to Settings in the top menu bar.

#2) Scroll to the right and select Applications.

#3) Scroll down and select Manage Installed Applications.

#4) Scroll down to the app you want to force stop and select it.

#5) On the next screen, select the Force Stop option.

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#6) A prompt will appear asking if you want to force-stop the app. Select OK to confirm

The app will now be forcefully stopped and any background processes associated with it will be terminated. This can be useful if an app becomes unresponsive or if you want to free up some system resources. If you ever want to use the app again, simply launch it as usual.

Disable Unused Features

FireStick comes with quite a bit of enabled bloatware by default. Disabling a few of them can free up more resources and speed up your device.

How to Disable Unused Features in FireStick:

#1) On your FireStick home screen, go to Settings in the top menu bar.

#2) Scroll to the right and select Preferences.

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#3) Scroll down and select Privacy Settings.

#4) Toggle off any options that you don’t use or want to disable.

#5) Go back to the Preferences menu and select Data Monitoring.

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#6) Turn off Data Monitoring.

#7) Return to the Settings menu.

#8) Select Applications.

#9) Select Prime Photos.

#10) Toggle off Allow guest connections.

#11) Disable Access Prime Photos if you don’t use this feature.

You can disable other unused features similarly. Disabling unused features can free up system resources and improve the performance of your FireStick. It can also help protect your privacy by preventing apps from collecting data that you don’t want to share. If you ever want to enable any of these features again, simply follow the same steps and toggle them back on.

Clear Apps Cache

On any device, make it a point to clear the app cache from time to time. Built-up caches can slow down any device, and FireStick is no exception.

How to Clear App Cache on FireStick:

#1) Navigate to the Settings option on your FireStick home screen using your remote.

#2) Select the Applications.

#3) Scroll down and select Manage Installed Applications.

#4) Select the app you want to clear the cache for from the list of installed apps.

#5) Select the Clear Cache option and confirm that you want to clear the cache.

Alternatively, you can clear the cache for all apps on your FireStick by selecting “Clear Data” under the “Manage Installed Applications” option. However, keep in mind that clearing data will also delete any app settings or user data associated with the app, so use this option with caution.

Disable App Notifications

Some apps may continue to run in the background even when you’re not using them, and they can send notifications that can slow down the device. These apps can consume valuable resources such as memory and processing power, leading to slower performance.

App notifications can be annoying since they interrupt your streaming by popping up on the screen and taking focus away from the app you’re using.

How to Disable App Notifications on FireStick:

To prevent app notifications from slowing down your FireStick, you can disable notifications for specific apps or turn off notifications altogether.

Here’s how:

#1) Go to the home screen and select Settings.

#2) Select Preferences and then Notifications.

#3) Turn off App Notifications.

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Disabling notifications can help speed up your FireStick and give you a smoother streaming experience.

Update FireStick

Be it FireStick or any other device, it is important that you update them to optimize their performance. Updating the device handles security loopholes, malware threats, and other issues that are the reason your Fire Stick running slow.

How to Update FireStick:

#1) Navigate to the Settings option on your FireStick home screen using your remote.

#2) Select the My Fire TV.

#3) Scroll down and select the About option.

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#4) Select Check for Updates.

#5) If an update is available, select Download and wait for the download to complete.

#6) After the download is complete, select Install Update and wait for the update to install.

The update can take some time, depending on your internet connection and the size of the update. Make sure that your FireStick is connected to a reliable Wi-Fi network and has sufficient power to complete the update process.

Disable Automatic App Updates

Apps, whether official or third-party, are regularly updated. Currently, most devices automatically update apps for convenience. However, you might want to deactivate this option for FireStick for several reasons, like FireStick loading slowly.

How to Disable Automatic Updates on FireStick:

#1) On your FireStick home screen, go to Settings in the top menu bar.

#2) Scroll to the right and select My Fire TV.

#3) Scroll down to the Preferences section and click on Data Monitoring.

#4) Toggle off the Data Monitoring option.

#5) Now go back to the Applications and select Appstore.

#6) Find the Automatic Updates option.

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#7) Toggle this off to disable automatic updates for your apps.

Now, your FireStick device will no longer update your app automatically. If you change your mind in the future, you can easily re-enable automatic updates by following the same steps and toggling the “Automatic Updates” option back on.

Turn Off Collect App Usage Data

Even though it may not seem directly connected to improving the speed of your FireStick, any task performed by it utilizes its system resources. Thus, disabling unnecessary features can enhance its overall performance.

By default, Amazon collects data on your app usage. Disabling this feature can help protect your privacy. Amazon says that they collect this information to improve their apps and enhance the user experience.

If you don’t mind sharing this data, you can leave the setting as it is. However, if you feel uneasy about it and want to see if disabling it will boost your device’s speed, just turn it off.

How to turn Off Collect App Usage Data in FireStick:

#1) On your FireStick home screen, go to Settings in the top menu bar.

#2) Scroll to the right and select Preferences.

#3) Scroll down to the Privacy Settings section.

#4) Click on Data Monitoring.

#5) Toggle off the Collect App Usage Data option.

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Once you’ve completed these steps, your FireStick device will no longer collect data on your app usage. This can help improve your privacy and potentially free up some system resources that may enhance your device’s performance. If you ever decide to turn the feature back on, simply follow the same steps and toggle the “Collect App Usage Data” option back on.

Stop Video and Sound Autoplay

Amazon Fire Stick is set to use the Featured section on the Home screen to play videos automatically, based on its algorithms’ predictions of your interests. This feature plays videos in a continuous loop. However, disabling this feature can greatly reduce the CPU’s workload.

How to Stop Video and Sound Autoplay on FireStick:

#1) Go to the home screen and select Settings.

#2) Select Preferences and then Featured Content.

#3) Turn off Allow Video Autoplay and Allow Audio Autoplay options.

Once you turn off these options, videos, and audio will no longer autoplay on the Home screen or within apps. This can help reduce the load on your device’s CPU and improve its performance.

Factory Reset Your FireStick

Factory reset is the last resort for any device issues. Most of the time it helps, especially if it’s an issue caused by the device, update, or something you deleted but can’t lay a finger on. However, factory resetting will erase everything you saved, every change you made in the device ever since you got it.

How to Factory Reset FireStick:

Before you factory reset your FireStick, make sure you remember your login details. You will need them to set up your device again.

#1) On your FireStick home screen, go to Settings in the top menu bar.

#2) Scroll to the right and select My Fire TV.

#3) Scroll down and click on Reset to Factory Defaults.

#4) A prompt will appear asking if you want to reset your FireStick.

#5) Select Reset to confirm.

#6) Your FireStick will now begin the reset process, which may take several minutes to complete.

Once the process is complete, your FireStick will be restored to its original factory settings, and all data, including apps, accounts, and preferences, will be deleted. You will need to set up your device again, just like you did when you first got it.

FAQs on FireStick Running Slow

Q #1) How do you make FireStick faster?

Answer: Here are some ways to make firestick fasters:

• Restart or reboot your Firestick.
• Uninstall unused apps and add-ons.
• Force stop unused apps.
• Clear data and cache.
• Disable apps features that you don’t use.
• Turn off data monitoring and app notifications.

This can boost the speed of your FireStick.

Q #2) Why is my FireStick so laggy?

Answer: FireStick devices come with limited storage capacity, and if the storage is almost full, it can lead to performance issues. To alleviate this problem without deleting apps, clearing the cache is a recommended solution. An outdated software or older version of FireStick can also make it laggy.

Q #3) What is the lifespan of the Amazon FireStick?

Answer: Using security updates as a rough proxy, the lifespan of Fire TV devices will likely get between six and eight years of support from Amazon from their original launch date. Keep in mind, however, that individual apps may continue to work beyond that timeframe.

Q #4) How do I clear my FireStick cache?

Answer: Go to Settings on your Fire TV and select Applications. In Manage Installed Applications, select the app you want to clear the cache of. Select Clear Cache and then Clear Data.

Q #5) Should I use 5ghz or 2.4 GHz FireStick?

Answer: Ideally, you should use the 2.4 GHz band for devices with low bandwidth, like smartphones, home security systems, and garage openers. On the other hand, if you stream videos on an Amazon FireStick or have a gaming console, 5 GHz supports high-bandwidth devices the best.

Conclusion

We hope this article has answered your question, my FireStick is slow. A slow FireStick can be frustrating. There are several factors that can affect its performance. Common reasons include a slow internet connection, inadequate storage, outdated software, and the presence of unnecessary apps or files.

To improve FireStick’s speed, we have listed things you can try as several solutions, such as optimizing internet connectivity, clearing the cache, uninstalling unused apps, and updating the software. By following these solutions, you can enjoy uninterrupted streaming and a smoother FireStick experience.