YouTube Videos Buffering or Loading Forever? Here’s How to Fix YouTube Lagging

Don't you just hate it when you're watching your favorite YouTuber and then you come across that dreaded lagging along with the buffering sign? It's really frustrating when this keeps happening a lot. That's why we're going to talk about the main reasons for this problem and how to fix YouTube lagging with workable fixes. Let's get this show running.

Part 1. Why Is My YouTube Being Laggy?

Before you know how to fix YouTube lagging, you first need to understand why this even happens, and there are several reasons for it, so let's look into them:

1. Slow Network Connection

The first reason is that your network connection is either slow or unstable. This might be the most obvious and probably the main cause, because on a stable internet connection, your device is always downloading the segments ahead of time, which is indicated by the gray line on the YouTube playback. Therefore, if you are experiencing some interruptions like lagging in videos, that means that your internet speed cannot keep up with downloading the segments ahead.

The same goes for the high-resolution settings in YouTube videos. While you probably want to watch your YouTube videos at the highest quality possible, perhaps your internet speed cannot handle that same resolution.

2. Device Performance Issues

The second reason is the performance of your device. If your device doesn't have enough processing power or memory, it can definitely lag your playback, especially on high-quality videos. Since most computers and phones always have processes and apps in the background, having a low processing power or low RAM can interfere with YouTube's ability to play your video smoothly.

It's also a possibility that your device is experiencing a software glitch.

3. YouTube Servers

YouTube is one of the most visited websites in all of the internet, which means there are millions of users accessing its videos on its servers at any given time. So when there are spikes on its servers, it can actually overload them and cause videos to lag, buffer, or stutter.

4. Outdated Graphics Card Driver

The graphics card is supposed to handle the operations for graphics, video, and animation, so when its drivers are old or faulty, the video performance can suffer, which then leads to lagging.

Part 2. How to Fix YouTube Lagging

If your YouTube videos keep lagging, stuttering, or buffering, then we'll show you the best ways and solutions for you to resolve this problem and get your videos running smoothly again.

Fix 1. Check Your Internet Speed or Network Connection

As already discussed, the most common reason for your YouTube videos lagging is an unstable internet connection, so you should check how stable it is, and then check the next fixes.

To do this, first open your browser and search for the internet speed test on Google. You'll see many results, but Speedtest by Ookla is what most people use, so click on it to open the webpage and click on the Go button.

Give it some time to check your internet speed, and this will give you your internet connection's upload and download speeds. Now, for standard YouTube videos, you need at least 3 megabytes per second. For HD videos, 5 megabytes per second, and for 4K videos, you need a minimum of 25 megabytes per second.

An example is that if you get the speed results between the range of 5 to 20 megabytes, switch YouTube resolution to 720p or 1080p, and the lagging will stop.

If your speed is too low, first try rebooting and then resetting your router.

The second way is to move a bit closer to the router while watching videos on YouTube. This will fix the WiFi reception issues you might be having.

If this fails, you may need to contact your internet provider to verify the slow internet speed from their end. In case it does, report your complaint and wait for the problem to get sorted out.

Fix 2. Restart Your Device

Software glitches are a common thing on any device, and this temporary problem can cause YouTube videos to lag. However, the fix is quite simple in most cases. Just give your phone or computer a quick restart and see if this tames the issue.

In case this fails, try to see if there are pending software updates. After you get this done, relaunch YouTube, play a video, and verify that everything is in order now.

Fix 3. Close Background Processes

Both computers and phones can run a lot of software and apps simultaneously, and all of them consume bandwidth. Maybe you have opened a lot of tabs on your browser, along with apps, and this is the main culprit here. The fix is simple here. Close all of these background processes to restore that stolen internet bandwidth, then open only YouTube to stream videos.

On mobile devices, swipe up or sideways to close these apps. On computers, manually close the software or go to Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+DEL) and end the applications or processes one by one.

Fix 4. Update Chrome and Clear Cache

There's a chance that the browser you're using might be causing the issue, so if you're using Google Chrome, you should try following these steps.

Let's start by updating Google Chrome. To do this, open Chrome, then click on the three dots in the top right, then click on Help and select About Google Chrome.

The browser will then look for updates by itself and install the latest ones.

After the browser is updated, restart it, open YouTube, and see if the video lag persists.

It is also important to clear the cache and cookies, as it can help resolve YouTube buffering issues by removing outdated or corrupted files that might be slowing down the video loading process. To do this, again click on the three dots in the top right corner and then go to Settings. Scroll down the side menu and click on Privacy and Security.

Next, click on Delete Browsing Data, check the cached image files in cookies, and change the time range to all the time. Finally, click on Delete Data and verify this hack by opening a YouTube video.

Fix 5. Update Your Graphics Card Drivers

The graphics card installed on your PC can slow down the processing time of YouTube images and videos, which then leads to lagging. Let's take a look at how you can update them.

In the desktop search box next to the Windows icon on the bottom left, type Device Manager and click to open it.

Now, expand the Display Adapter section and right-click on your graphics card. Click on Update Driver. Next, select the first option of "Search automatically for updated driver software".

If you have downloaded your graphics card drivers from the official source, just uninstall the older ones from the Device Manager by expanding the Display Adapter section and selecting Uninstall device. Then, double-click the downloaded drivers .EXE file to install and restart the PC.

Once you did that, restart your PC and check if the YouTube video lagging is fixed.

Fix 6. Disable/Enable Hardware Acceleration

The purpose of your Hardware acceleration is to ensure the smooth running of your videos, including YouTube clips, but turning it on or off can sometimes result in unwanted lagging.

No need to fre through, first open Google Chrome and again, click on the three dots in the top right. Next, head to Settings and now on the left-hand menu choose System. Then, toggle Graphics acceleration on or off from whatever your setting is, and then restart Chrome to apply changes.

Try this and see if it helps to stop the YouTube video from lagging.

Fix 7. Download YouTube Videos Instead of Streaming

If any of the above-mentioned fixes worked for you, great. If not, then your last resort is to download your YouTube video.

There are two ways you can do this. One is inside YouTube. Creators of many YouTube videos allow you to download their content in their channel settings, and when they do, you see a download icon below the video menu. Just click on it to save it to your YouTube account and then experience a lag-free stream.

The catch is that you have to be online on YouTube within a month, so that these downloaded videos are always available to you as offline content.

The second way is that YouTube videos can be downloaded using some third-party online tools. The best part is that you can choose the downloaded resolution, subtitles, and all the other stuff. Also, the videos are then saved permanently on your device unless you opt to uninstall them yourself.

All you need to do is search for a YouTube downloader site, then paste the link (Video URL), and click on Download.

After you click, you get to choose from different quality and size options.

Just click Download next to your selected option to save the YouTube video and watch it offline without experiencing any lagging.

Part 3. Why Is My YouTube So Slow Even with Fast Internet?

If the YouTube videos are lagging or loading slower than usual, even if your network speed is fast, it is quite a new and common problem. But there's a way to actually fix it. So let's show you how.

One of the first things that you need to do is turn off any ad blocker you are using as an extension on your browser. YouTube likes to jot down your loading speed when it detects that you have an ad blocker on, so either get premium or just watch more ads and experience the lag that comes with them.

Other reasons why YouTube lags with fast internet speed are due to factors like too many devices sharing the bandwidth, a weak or unstable Wi-Fi signal, or your device's hardware or software limitations. High video quality settings, an overloaded YouTube server, or outdated browser/app versions can be the source of the problem, too.

If none of these reasons are creating the lag, go to Chrome Settings > System, and toggle off the "Use graphics acceleration when available" setting.

Part 4. FAQs of How to Fix YouTube Lagging

Conclusion on How to Fix YouTube Lagging

So there you have it, guys and girls. There are many reasons for the most common problems, like videos lagging, buffering, or stuttering, that users face while streaming on YouTube. If you want to know how to fix YouTube lagging, you now have 7 DIY fixes at your disposal. We recommend that you try the easiest of them first, like rebooting your router or device. Then, resolve internet speed-related issues and tweak your browser settings.

If all else fails, you can always download YouTube videos within the platform or using third-party YouTuber downloader sites to enjoy lag-free streaming offline or on the go.