Show keeps buffering, pausing, or freezing

Once your show starts playing, any playback issues—like buffering, pausing, or freezing—are usually caused by how data is moving between our servers and your device.
Think of a movie like a huge file being broken into tiny packets and delivered one by one. If your device can’t keep up, the show might:

• Buffer (you’ll see the spinning wheel)
• Pause (stops but you can press play again)
• Freeze (stops completely—you have to exit or restart the app)

Even if your internet speed seems fast, your experience depends on more than just speed.

There are some situations where the issue is on our side—and we want to know!

Let us know if:

• The problem only happens with one specific title
• The issue happens only when a filter is applied

Contact us HERE with the show title and device info—we’ll take a look!

Something you can try!

If your show stops right before a filtered moment:

• Try playing it without filters—does it still pause?
• Try using cellular data instead of Wi-Fi—does it improve?

If either of those help, it likely means your home Wi-Fi is blocking our filters.

Try whitelisting these domains on your router:

*.vidangel.com 
*.vidangel.work 
*.cloudfront.net
 

Using an Eero router? Follow this guide to fix filter pauses.

These are factors that we don't have control over, but there may be something you can change, or at least know why it's happening (because sometimes that's the most maddening!). 

Internet Speed

VidAngel works differently than other streaming platforms—because we add filters on top of the stream, it requires more bandwidth. Even if other services work fine, VidAngel may need a faster, more stable connection. Some internet providers may also slow speeds for non-preferred video services, which can affect playback. Because of this, recommend

• A minimum download speed of 25 Mbps
• Test your speed at fast.com (vs. other options, because this site is specific to movie streaming)
• If possible, run the speed test on the same device you're using to stream VidAngel.

Even if you have “high-speed internet,” your experience may vary by:

• Time of day (evening congestion)
• Device (older devices may struggle or device-specific software may block us)
• High latency (the time it takes for your device to talk to our servers)
• Network setup (Wi-Fi boosters, extenders, or hotspots can cause issues)

Improve your Wi-Fi connection

A good reboot/restart can do wonders! Try this:

• Restart your router and modem
• Move closer to the router
• Use a wired (Ethernet) connection if possible
• Disconnect other devices that might be using up bandwidth
• If you’re casting, make sure the casting device and TV are close to each other and the router

Device-Specific

If the stopping only happens while on a certain device, try these steps:

1. Check for updates (both the device software and VidAngel app)
2. Clear the cache/data of the VidAngel app
3. Uninstall and reinstall the VidAngel app
4. Check storage or memory: If it's low, delete any unused apps
5. Restart your device
6. Switch Wi-Fi bands: If your router supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz, try switching to 2.4GHz—it’s more stable 

If the show plays fine on one device but not another, the issue is likely device-specific. If it struggles on all devices, the issue is likely related to your network.