Want to know how you can fix buffering issues on Discovery Plus?
If you love watching documentaries and TV shows, Discovery Plus is a must in your living room media center. Discovery Plus is the latest streaming platform offered by Warner Bros and packs some of the best shows from Discovery Channel.
Gaining over 20 million subscribers in its first year, Discovery Plus easily became one of the most popular streaming services.
While the service rivals the likes of Netflix and HBO Max, the app is not there yet when it comes to stability and performance.
If you are reading this, we can assume that you are experiencing buffering issues on Discovery Plus. When this problem occurs, you won’t be able to enjoy the movie or TV show you want to watch since it will constantly stop.
Most of the time, this problem on Discovery Plus is caused by server-related issues or slow network connections.
On the other hand, it can also be due to outdated software and corrupted data.
To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing buffering issues on Discovery Plus.
Let’s get started!
1. Check Discovery Plus Servers.
Before tweaking your system configurations, we recommend checking the status of Discovery Plus’ servers first. This way, you’ll know whether the problem is coming from your end or Discovery Plus.
You can use third-party websites like Downdetector to view the current status of Discovery Plus’ servers.
If the servers are offline, the best thing you can do is wait since server problems can’t be resolved on your end. On the other hand, you can head to the next solution below if the servers are fine.
2. Restart Your Device.
A temporary bug or glitch may have occurred on your device, causing connectivity issues to Discovery Plus and other apps. If this is the case, we suggest restarting your device to reload its resources.
On Android:
- Find the Power button on your device.
- Press and hold the button until the options page shows up.
- Lastly, tap on Restart.
On iOS:
- Open the Assistive Touch on your iOS device.
- Next, go to the Device tab and tap on More.
- Finally, tap on Restart.
On macOS:
- Access the Apple Menu by clicking on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
- Now, choose the Restart option from the drop-down menu.
- Finally, click the Restart button in the dialog box.
On Windows:
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start Menu.
- From there, access the Power Options tab.
- Lastly, click Restart.
Go back to Discovery Plus after restarting your system and check if the problem is solved.
3. Check Your Network Connection.
A slow or unstable internet connection is mostly the cause of buffering issues on Discovery Plus or any other streaming platform. Streaming videos online requires a lot of bandwidth, and your video will surely buffer if you are connected to a slow or unstable connection.
To confirm this, perform a speed test on your current network using Fast.com to measure its upload and download bandwidth.
If the result indicates a problem with your connection, restart your modem or router to refresh the link between your device and your ISP’s servers. Remove your router’s power cable from the outlet and wait for 5 to 10 seconds before reconnecting it.
Once done, re-run the test to check if the problem is solved. If not, contact your ISP and ask them to fix the issue.
4. Turn Off VPN.
Virtual private networks are third-party apps that protect your data from hackers and other entities. They work by filtering your activity and masking your IP address to keep your identity private and secure.
Unfortunately, virtual private networks could also cause instability to your network if they are not well optimized.
To avoid problems, we recommend turning off your VPN before streaming any shows.
If you are not comfortable going online without protection, you can try switching to PureVPN. Unlike other VPNs, it uses high-speed servers to keep your network fast and reliable while protecting your online data.
PureVPN also works well with most streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+.
5. Update Discovery Plus.
If you still encounter buffering issues on Discovery Plus, you can try updating the app on your device. This should patch potential bugs and glitches on the app and ensure that there are no compatibility issues on your system.
Head to the App Store or Google Play Store to download the latest version of Discovery Plus on your device.
While you’re there, take the time to update your other apps as well.
6. Reinstall Discovery Plus.
At this point, the last option you have is to reinstall Discovery Plus on your device. This way, we can ensure that there are no corrupted data from your system and you have the latest working version of the app.
Here’s how you can delete Discovery Plus:
- On your device, go to the home screen and locate Discovery Plus.
- Next, hold down its app icon until the options menu appears.
- Finally, tap on Uninstall (Android) or Remove App (iOS) to delete the app.
Reinstall Discovery Plus on your device afterward and check if you’ll still encounter buffering issues on the platform.
That wraps up our guide for fixing buffering issues on Discovery Plus. If you have questions or other concerns, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to respond as soon as possible.
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
