How to Fix Twitch Streaming Lag or Buffering Issues [Solved]

Twitch is a leading game and video-streaming network with more than 100 million monthly active users and over 20 million daily logged-in users. The platform also counts more than two million broadcasters. Those numbers may look small compared to YouTube, but it is important to understand that Twitch is primarily used by gamers to stream their gameplay online.

Twitch frequently buffers/lags/stutters

There's nothing more frustrating than having to deal with issues, especially when you're trying to enjoy your favorite Twitch stream. Buffering Twitch videos can make you miss out on epic gameplay moments, ruining your viewing experience. This article will help you understand why your Twitch stream is buffering and how you can fix the problem easily.

Recently, many Twitch users have reported experiencing latency and buffering issues while streaming on various forums. This is not a new issue for Twitch users, as buffering problems often occur even when their internet connection is functioning normally. After researching online, we've found several effective methods to address this issue and prevent buffering on Twitch.

Before we discuss the fixes, let's talk about the primary reasons why Twitch streams buffer. There can be multiple culprits, such as poor internet connectivity, cache file issues, browser problems, or content restricted in your country. Fortunately, we have eight practical solutions for you.

1. Check Firewall Settings 2. Ensure a Good Internet Connection 3. Disable/Use a VPN 4. Change DNS Settings 5. Clear Cache 6. Try a Different Browser 7. Close Background Apps 8. Disable Hardware Acceleration

8 Ways to Fix Twitch Streaming Lag or Buffering

The cause of the Twitch stream buffering issue has been identified. The most effective solutions are easy to find and apply. However, if you've recently made changes to your computer or network, we recommend reverting those changes to see if the issue gets resolved.

1 - Check Firewall Settings

There are certain firewalls that will prevent you from streaming videos. If your device has a firewall, make sure to proceed and disable the settings. Background antivirus software can also be the culprit for video issues. As a streamer, you're busy downloading and uploading videos, and if the antivirus isn't disabled, this process can get interrupted. There are two ways to address this issue: you can either choose to disable it or switch to gaming mode. In the latter antivirus programs, you can only switch to gaming mode, while the disable option still exists. Choose the appropriate method based on your needs and proceed accordingly.

2 - Ensure a good internet connection

You should check your internet connection to see if you can access data. You can easily do this by visiting any website like SpeedTest.net or browsing other sites using your browser. If your internet connection is unstable, we recommend upgrading your internet plan for smooth Twitch streaming or using a third-party service to download Twitch streams and videos without interruptions.

If you're unsure about your internet speed, or if you don't have an internet connection, try resetting your router and plugging it back in after a few minutes.

3 - Disable/Use a VPN

The issue with Twitch not loading could also be related to specific countries or regions. A quick solution is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). You can either install a VPN browser extension or access a VPN website directly.

Alternatively, if you're already using a VPN, this could be the reason why Twitch streams won't load. In that case, try disabling your current VPN temporarily to see if that makes a difference.

4 - Change Your DNS

When you visit a website, your browser needs to look up the domain's IP address in a DNS (Domain Name System) database. If your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can't do this quickly, your browsing experience might suffer. Fortunately, public DNS providers like Google DNS, Cloudflare DNS, or OpenDNS are faster and more secure than most ISPs.

You can set a third-party DNS service on your computer, which you can do by following these instructions:

Step 1: Click on the "Search" bar in the Control Panel, type "Windows," and click on the first option.

Step 2: Search for and select "Network and Internet." On the next screen, click the "View network status and tasks" button under "Network and Sharing Center."

Step 3. Click on “Change adapter settings” in the left-hand pane. On the next screen, you will see a box with the names of your network connections. Right-click on it and select “Properties.”

Step 4. Under Wi-Fi Properties, click on the "Networking" tab, find "Internet Protocol Version 4," and then click it. Now, under the selection box, click on "Properties."

Step 5: On the next screen, click on the option that says "Use the following DNS server addresses," and then enter the following DNS server addresses. Click "OK."

• Preferred DNS server - 8.8.8.8
• Alternate DNS server - 8.8.4.4

Lastly, check your Twitch stream to see if the video buffering issue is resolved.

5 - Clear Cache

Cache files, like images, JavaScript, and CSS, are stored on your computer for faster access. However, these files can sometimes become corrupted or faulty. They can cause various browsing issues, such as videos not playing, websites refusing to connect, or content not loading.

To address browsing issues related to caching, we need to clear the cache files on your computer. Here's how you can do it:

Click on the menu icon with three dots and select "Settings" in your Chrome browser. On the left side of the settings window, click on "Privacy and security." Under "Privacy and security," click on "Clear browsing data." Choose the "Time range" as "All time" and check all the boxes. Clear your browsing data from Chrome. Click on "Clear data" and wait for the process to finish. Finally, restart your browser and see if the Twitch buffering issue has been resolved.

6 - Change your browser

The quickest fix for Twitch latency issues might be to use a different browser. If Twitch is running slow for no apparent reason, or even started to, it could be an issue with your browser. Updating it can also be a solution, but if you're too lazy to do that, you might want to switch to another one, like Firefox or Opera, which are your best bets in this case.

7 - Close Background Apps

If you knew how many apps and windows are currently open on your computer, you might be surprised. If you're on a Mac, you can see them in the menu bar. How many apps do you have open right now?

Close all unnecessary background programs. You only need to be running your stream, which will take up valuable memory, CPU, and disk space. There may even be apps like Google Backup and Sync that are silently uploading large files over the internet in the background, slowing down your upload speed. Closing these can help your stream run more smoothly.

8 - Disable Hardware Acceleration

Twitch latency often occurs when you use Chrome as your primary browser. Known for consuming a lot of RAM, Chrome can slow down your stream to a crawl. You can fix this immediately by accessing your Chrome settings and disabling "Hardware Acceleration."

1. Open Google Chrome on your computer by double-clicking its icon or searching for it from the Start menu. 2. Click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner of the browser window. When you hover over them, it should say "Customize and control Google Chrome." This will open a drop-down menu. 3. At the bottom of the drop-down menu, click on "Settings." Then, scroll down on this page and click the "Advanced" button to expand more options. 4. Scroll down further on the new page until you find the "System" section. Next to the input that says "Disable hardware acceleration," uncheck the checkbox for hardware acceleration. 5. Make sure to restart Google Chrome by closing and opening it again for the changes to take effect.

How to Use Fixo Video Repair Tool to Fix Jumpy Videos

Sometimes, due to conversion errors, damaged video files, improper downloads, or untrustworthy sources, videos may not play correctly. These deep-seated technical issues require the use of video repair tools to correct the playback of the video. There are several tools that can help you fix corrupted videos. Fixo Video Repair Tool is one such utility.

This is a solution that combines video and file repair capabilities. It can also fix corrupted MP4 videos that usually come from digital cameras. Its main features include:

• Repair multiple videos at once.
• Supports video repair from computer, USB, SD card, etc.
• Repairs videos, documents, and photos.

Step 1: Launch Fixo on your local PC. Click on “Video Repair” and then add the corrupted MP4/MOV/AVI/MKV/3GP/FLV/WMV video file by clicking on “Add Video”.

Step 2: Move the pointer to the video you want to fix and click on "Repair" to start the standalone video repair process. Click on "Repair All" if you wish to fix all the videos.

Select the video to repair

Step 3: Wait a few minutes for the software to fix the corrupted video. Preview the video by clicking the Play button. If you only want to save a single video, click the “Save” button next to the play button. To save all the repaired videos, click “Save All.”

Step 4. If the Quick Fix fails, you should use the Advanced Repair mode. Click on “Advanced Repair” and add a sample video. Confirm your choice by clicking “OK.”

Step 5. A detailed list of corrupted and sample videos will be displayed. Click on 'Repair Now' to initiate the advanced video repair process. Once done, you can preview the video and click on the 'Save' button to save the repaired video file to a suitable location.

Conclusions

If your stream is buffering for the first time, and this isn't common on your device, you might be able to stop the Twitch stream from buffering by resetting or restarting your device. Likewise, if your device has consistent issues, try the solutions above, or switch devices to see if the problem persists.