The evening comes, you sit on the sofa eager under the warm blanket to watch a good movie or that series you’ve been thinking about all day, turn on the TV and Netflix it does… it freezes. This problem has several causes that we are about to see in the article.
- The Netflix app is not responding.
- Netflix video freezes on the loading screen.
- The entire device (computer, mobile phone, media player, or game console) crashes.
- The video itself freezes but the sound continues to play.
- The video plays but continues to break.
The problems listed above are blocking all your videos, but they could have different causes. If you can’t watch Netflix on your device, it could be that the app itself isn’t working. If so, follow the steps to troubleshoot the app itself.
Why is Netflix crashing?
There are some things that can block Netflix videos and it also depends on the device you are using. Most of the time, it is related to the data stored on the device that needs to be updated for the Netflix app to work properly. However, there are also times when an outdated driver may be to blame or it is your operating system that needs to be updated. Read below all the possible causes of why Netflix crashes and how to fix.
What to do when Netflix crashes on Windows 10 and MAC
Use the following steps to troubleshoot every time a Netflix video crashes on your desktop or laptop PC.
- Restart the modem. Problems with uploading videos to Netflix often stem from a bad network connection. Restart your modem and check your internet connection to make sure you can actually connect to the internet. If you find that you are having trouble connecting to the internet, work on troubleshooting. If the modem works but the computer is unable to connect to the network, you will need to troubleshoot the computer’s wireless connection.
- Restart your computer. Since most of the time the problems when Netflix freezes are caused by information that needs to be updated on the system, the simplest solution is to properly restart your Windows 10 PC or restart your Mac. If you see errors while restarting, try starting Windows in Safe Mode or use your Mac’s Safe Boot option to fix them.
- Delete Netflix cookies from your browser. Clearing cookies is one of the best ways to ensure that all browser information is completely cleared. While you’re at it, you may also want to clear your browser cache. Netflix provides an even faster method to specifically clear Netflix cookies. Go to netflix.com/clearcookies and log into your account.
- If your network and Internet connections are working properly, you may have an outdated version of the Windows or Mac operating system. Make sure you are running Windows updates on Windows 10 or update your macOS to make sure you have the latest patches.
- If you updated Windows recently before the Netflix problems started, you may need to troubleshoot the problems caused by those updates. In particular, you may need to roll back your video card driver to the version that worked.
Speaking of video card drivers, an old video card driver can cause problems every time Netflix updates its website or app. Visit your video card manufacturer’s website, then download and install the latest version for your operating system. In Windows 10 you can do this by automatically searching for driver software.
What to do when Netflix crashes on Android or iPhone
When Netflix crashes on an Android phone or iPhone it could be caused by a number of other reasons. These are usually associated with an outdated app, data caching problems or a bad internet connection.
- Restart your Android or restart your iPhone. This will ensure that the information Netflix has stored on your device is updated correctly. On both Android and iPhone, you have the option to simply shut down the device or restart. When performing the reboot steps, be sure to perform a forced reboot of the device. You will know that you have done this correctly if you see the OS loading screen on startup.
- Troubleshoot any home network connection problems, mobile data connection problems, or Internet connection problems for your Android. iPhones can also have problems connecting to Wi-Fi or problems with mobile data connections. If your device cannot access the internet, this is most likely the cause of why Netflix is crashing. If so, troubleshoot internet connection problems.
- If you are using a free Wi-Fi hotspot or public network, your network administrator may have disabled the ability to stream video over the network. This is common in hotels where streaming movies or shows on Netflix are blocked.
- Even if the network you are on has blocked Netflix streaming services, you may be able to unblock Netflix with a VPN connection. If you have a VPN service, you can connect to a VPN with an Android or set up a VPN for iPhone.
