Why Does Paramount Plus Keep Buffering and How to Fix It [7 Solutions]

Paramount Plus offers an excellent selection of movies, TV shows, and live TV, but buffering and streaming issues can ruin the experience on the platform.

 So why does Paramount Plus keep buffering?

Here’s what leads to lag and buffering on the streaming service and how to fix it.

Why is Paramount Plus Always Loading?

There are several reasons why Paramount Plus may be buffering. 

Here are the most common ones:

• You’re using an ad blocker. Ad blockers can disrupt parts of the website that go beyond simple ad blocking.
• You’re using a VPN: Paramount Plus blocks access to its content when it detects VPN traffic because it has geo-restrictions in place. 
• Your app is not up to date. If you don’t have the latest version of the app, it might malfunction.
• Your Internet connection is slow. An unreliable internet connection can lead to lagging and buffering streams.
• Your device is too old. Paramount Plug lagging and buffering issues are common on old devices that can’t handle HD streaming.
• You’re using an unsupported browser. Paramount Plus supports a certain number of browsers and operating systems.
• Paramount Plus is having server issues. If the issue is not on your end, it might be on theirs. Too many users on the site at the same time can strain the servers, which will result in buffering. Sometimes, this can also happen if the servers are undergoing maintenance or experiencing other technical difficulties. 

How Do I Fix Buffering Issues on Paramount Plus?

Here are a few ways to fix the Paramount Plus buffering issues.

Force Quit the App

The simplest way to fix bugs and glitches on Paramount Plus is to force close and if necessary, reinstall it. 

This will get rid of any corrupt cache or files that are preventing the service from working properly and will ensure that you have the latest version of the app.

1. Double-tap on the Home screen.
2. From the list of running apps, find Paramount Plus and swipe up on the app (or press and hold until you see a Close Application option) to close its background task.
3. Visit your device’s app store and check for an update. If there is one, download it.
   

If this doesn’t fix the issue, you should try clearing the cache. Here’s how to clear the cache on Android.

Disable Ad-Blockers and VPNs

Ad-blocking software blocks pop-up ads but it can also prevent certain functions on the website from loading.

On the other hand, free VPNs (which can come in the form of a browser extension) can slow down your Internet connection and if Paramount Plus detects VPN traffic, it will block you from accessing any of its titles until you turn it off.

To disable extensions on Google Chrome:

1. Click the three-dot Menu icon, hover over More tools, and select Extensions. 
2. Toggle the switch to disable the extension. (To remove it from your browser, click Uninstall.)
3. Close and relaunch your browser and try streaming on Paramount Plus to see if the issue is resolved.

To disable extensions on Mozilla Firefox:

1. Click the three-bar Menu button at the top right corner of the browser.
2. Select Add-ons and Themes.
3. Click on Extensions.
4. Toggle off the extension to disable it temporarily. (To uninstall it, click the three-dot icon and select Remove.)

If you’re looking to bypass geo-restricted content on the site, you should consider subscribing to a top-notch VPN service.

Check Your Network Connection

Paramount Plus’s minimum streaming requirement is having an internet connection of at least 4 Mbps.  Anything below that would cause the streams on the platform to lag and buffer.

To check the speed of your internet connection, you can use an internet speed test site, such as Speedtest.net.

If you have a good internet connection and are still experiencing a Paramount Plus loading issue, try rebooting your router. This will re-configure your Wi-Fi and remove any internal cache that may be slowing down the connection speed.

To reboot your router:

1. Turn off your modem or router and unplug it from its power source.
2. Wait at least 10 seconds and plug your router and/or back in. 
3. When your router re-powers and regains its connection, try streaming Paramount Plus again.

If Paramount Plus keeps buffering due to a bad connection, here are some ways you can improve your Wi-Fi speed. 

Choose Lower Quality Video

If your internet connection is too slow or unreliable, lowering the video quality should resolve the buffering issue. 

To change the video quality on Paramount Plus:

1. Click the cogwheel icon in the video’s options and select Video Quality.
2. Choose the low-quality option to avoid buffering.

Try a Different Device

It is also possible that the buffering problem is caused by the device you are using. The best way to confirm this is to try loading a video on Paramount Plus on a different device.

Paramount Plus supports a range of devices, including Apple and iOS-based devices, games consoles like PS4, PS5, and Xbox One, Smart TVs, and streaming devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, and so on. It also works with all desktop and mobile web browsers.

So, if Paramount Plus keeps buffering on Roku, switch to your PC or mobile device and see if the issue persists. If the video buffers on one device and not the other, you should restart the device to see if it fixes the issue.

Mirroring your phone’s screen to your TV is a solid alternative if Paramount Plus keeps buffering on your Samsung smart TV or any other smart TV.

Check Your Browser

Paramount Plus supports a select number of browsers, including Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

If you’re using a different browser, you won’t be able to load any of the videos available on Paramount Plus.

Still, the streaming service won’t work on your device if you don’t have the latest supported OS version. For example, subscribers who use v68+ on Windows XP/Vista can’t play videos on-demand.

Check the Paramount Plus Server

If everything checks out, the problem is most likely on Paramount’s end. 

If the server is down due to overcrowding or is under maintenance, you won’t be able to access any video content on the site.

If that is the case, there is not much you can do except wait for Paramount Plus to resolve the problem. 

You can also visit the Paramount Plus status page to see if any outages have been reported or check their social media pages, like Twitter or Facebook, for any updates.

Bottom Line

So why does Paramount Plus keep buffering? In most cases, the culprit is a poor internet connection. Other factors that can affect your viewing experience on Paramount Plus or prevent you from accessing its content are ad-blockers, VPNs, an outdated version of the app, or an unsupported browser.