How to Fix Kodi Crashing During Video Playback

Is Kodi crashing on your device during video playback?

If you rely heavily on Kodi for your media consumption, it’s pretty annoying when this open-source media player decides not to work. While Kodi offers tons of features and customizations, it can run into errors from time to time. 

If you’re here, it is safe to assume that Kodi is crashing during video playback on your device. 

Based on what we know, this problem on Kodi occurs randomly, which can get in the way of your watching experience. 

Unfortunately, there’s no specific reason as to why this happens on the platform. 

Depending on the situation, crashes during video playback on Kodi can be due to outdated software or corrupted installation files. However, other factors such as improper device configuration and broken add-ons can also cause this issue. 

To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide on what to do if Kodi is crashing on your device during video playback. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Restart Your Device. 

When you encounter problems with Kodi, the first thing that you should do is restart your device. This will allow your system to reload its resources, which may have run into errors during run time. 

For Windows users, here’s how you can restart your computer: 

  1. First, access the Start Menu on your Taskbar
  2. After that, open the Power Options tab. 
  3. Lastly, click on Restart to reboot your system. 
Restart Windows

On macOS devices, follow the steps below to restart them: 

  1. Access the Apple Menu on your Mac
  2. Next, choose the Restart option. 
  3. Finally, click the Restart button on the dialog box. 
Restart Mac

If you are using an Android device, see the steps below to restart it: 

  1. Locate the Power button on your Android device. 
  2. Now, press and hold the Power button until you see the options screen. 
  3. Finally, tap on Restart
Restart Android

For iOS users, here’s how you can restart your device: 

  1. First, open the Assistive Touch on your screen. 
  2. After that, go to Device and tap on More
  3. Lastly, tap the Restart option to reboot your system. 
Restart iOS

If you are using an Amazon Firestick device, here’s what you need to do: 

  1. While on the main screen, press the Home button on your remote to access Settings
  2. After that, go to the My Fire TV tab. 
  3. Finally, scroll down and choose the Restart option to reboot your device. 
Restart Firestick

After restarting your device, try playing another video to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Update Your Add-Ons. 

If you’re using add-ons on Kodi, the current build installed on your device may have issues. In this case, we suggest checking your add-ons for updates to ensure that you have the latest working copy installed. 

Check out the steps below to update your add-ons on Kodi: 

  1. First, go to the Settings on Kodi and tap on Add-Ons
  2. Next, access the add-on you want to update. 
  3. After that, tap on the Versions tab and select the latest build possible. 
  4. Lastly, go back to the previous page and enable Auto-Update
Kodi crashing during video playback

Once done, go back to the video you’re watching and check if Kodi is still crashing during video playback.

3. Update Kodi. 

After updating your add-ons, you should also install the latest version of Kodi. This will ensure that all bugs and glitches that may have occurred on the platform get patched with the latest update. 

For Android users, here’s how you can update Kodi: 

  1. On your device, access the Google Play Store and tap on your Profile
  2. After that, tap on My Apps & Device and open the Updates Available tab. 
  3. Finally, locate Kodi from the list, then hit the Update button beside it to install the latest version of the app. 
Kodi crashing during video playback

On iOS devices, you can update Kodi by doing the following: 

  1. First, access the App Store on your device. 
  2. Next, tap on your Profile to view the list of apps with available updates. 
  3. Lastly, find Kodi from the list and tap the Update button. 
Kodi crashing during video playback

If you are using a computer, go to Kodi’s official website and download the latest installer from there. 

Try playing another video afterward and observe if you would still experience crashes. 

4. Update Your Graphics Driver (Windows). 

Kodi utilizes your GPU to enhance its performance while playing videos. However, if you don’t have the latest drivers installed, Kodi may struggle to communicate with your graphics card, and issues can occur. 

If you experience crashes on Kodi during video playback, try to check if there are available updates for your graphics driver. 

Follow the guide below to update your graphics driver on Windows: 

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows + X keys to access the Quick Menu
  2. Next, click on Device Manager and expand the Display Adapters tab. 
  3. After that, right-click on your GPU
  4. Finally, click on Update Driver and follow the prompts to continue with the process.
Kodi crashing during video playback

After updating your graphics driver, restart Kodi, then observe if it will still crash. 

5. Toggle Hardware Acceleration. 

On some devices, hardware acceleration on Kodi provides better performance. However, there are instances when your device is not compatible with this feature, and problems can occur if you enable it. 

In this case, we suggest toggling hardware acceleration on/off on Kodi to see which settings work for you. 

See the steps below to guide you on the process: 

  1. First, click the Gear icon on Kodi’s main menu to access the Settings
  2. Next, go to the Player tab and click on Videos
  3. Lastly, scroll down and toggle the Allow Hardware Acceleration – DXVA2 option. 
Kodi crashing during video playback

Restart Kodi afterward and check if the problem is solved. 

6. Reinstall Kodi. 

If none of the solutions above worked for you, we recommend reinstalling Kodi on your system. Some of its installation files may have gotten corrupted, causing Kodi to crash during video playback. 

On Windows, you can delete Kodi by doing the following: 

  1. On your computer, access the Control Panel and click on Uninstall a Program
  2. After that, locate Kodi from the list. 
  3. Finally, right-click on Kodi and choose Uninstall
Kodi crashing during video playback

For macOS users, here’s how you can remove Kodi from your system: 

  1. First, go to the Finder on your Mac
  2. Next, access the Applications folder and look for Kodi
  3. Lastly, drag Kodi to the Trash to remove it from your computer. 


If you are using an iOS or Android device, follow the steps below to uninstall Kodi: 

  1. Locate Kodi from the app drawer. 
  2. Now, press and hold Kodi’s app icon until the selection screen appears.
  3. Finally, tap on Remove App (iOS) or Uninstall (Android) to delete Kodi
Kodi crashing during video playback

Once done, reinstall Kodi on your device and check if it will still crash while playing a video. 

This ends our guide for fixing Kodi if it’s crashing during video playback. For your questions and other concerns, please leave a comment below, and we’ll be here to help. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter) Website

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