TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in recent years, with millions of users worldwide. The main feature of TikTok is sharing short videos which allow users to boost their brand.
However, one of the most common issues users face is the slow loading or buffering of videos. This can be frustrating, especially when trying to watch your favourite content.
This article will explore why TikTok videos take too long to load or buffer frequently and provide eight ways to fix the issue.
Reasons why TikTok videos take a long time to load & how to fix it
This section discusses common reasons that restrict your TikTok videos to be played smoothly.
Here are some of these reasons:
1. Poor Internet connection
A poor internet connection is the most common reason for the slow loading or buffering of TikTok videos. If your internet connection is slow or unstable, it can cause videos to take longer to load or buffer frequently.
You can check your internet speed by downloading something to see if it takes longer.
To fix this issue, try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network or using a mobile data connection if you have a strong signal.
2. Change Your DNS Address
DNS (Domain Name System) addresses are network settings that can interfere with your device’s Internet connection.
An affected Internet connection could cause TikTok playback issues. When this happens, the TikTok app cannot connect with its servers and download the content completely.
read more: How to Share Instagram Reel to TikTok?
DNS converts domain names into numerical IP addresses that computers can easily understand.
The TikTok app can connect to and download data from the TikTok servers without any restrictions
by providing the address information.
Despite this, some users experienced network errors when using the default DNS configurations, including playback errors on TikTok.
As a result, they resolved the issue by switching to a custom DNS address, such as Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8).
Here are the instructions on how to adjust the DNS configuration:
For Android
- Navigate to Settings, go to the Wi-Fi section or tap the Wi-Fi icon in the notification shade.
- Click on the type of connection you have, including your Wi-Fi.
- Afterward, select Advanced Options for the Wi-Fi you’re connected to.
- After that, in IP Settings, convert DHCP to Static.
- In DNS part 1, delete the previous IP and type 8.8.8.8
- In DNS part 2, change the IP to 8.8.4.4, which stands for Google DNS
- Save the changes.
For iOS
- Head to Settings and then choose Wi-Fi.
- To access these settings, click Advanced Options.
- Convert DHCP to static in IP Settings.
- To change the DNS address, select Configure DNS.
- Then, on the next screen, under DNS Servers, select Manual, delete the current IP address, and enter 8.8.8.8.
- Repeat for DNS 2 and add 8.8.4.4 to represent Google’s DNS.
- Finally, in the upper-right corner, tap Save.
3. Outdated TikTok app
Another reason TikTok videos may take too long to load or buffer frequently is using an outdated app. If you last updated your TikTok app a while ago, it may be causing issues with video playback.
App developers offer regular new updates to users to allow them to use the app smoothly without any bugs, which delivers a pleasing experience of using the app to users.
So by heading to the play store or the app store, depending on your device and checking TikTok’s new updates, you can get rid of TikTok’s outdated bugs and use it easily.
4. Having many apps running in the background
Too many apps running in the background of your device can cause TikTok videos to take longer to load or buffer frequently.
Too many apps running in the background can use up your device’s available RAM, which is necessary for running applications.
With enough RAM, your device can keep up with the processing power needed to load videos quickly.
To fix this issue, close all other apps running in the background and restart TikTok.
5. Low storage space
If your device needs more storage space, it can cause TikTok videos to take longer to load or buffer frequently.
This is because when your device has insufficient storage space, there needs to be more room for the app to store videos, which causes them to take longer to load.
To fix this issue, try deleting unnecessary files or apps from your device to free up space.
Corrupted cache data
Another reason you face long delays in playing videos on TikTok is corrupted cache data.
If the cache data on your device is corrupted, it can cause TikTok videos to take longer to load or buffer frequently.
Try clearing your device’s cache data for the TikTok app to fix this issue.
To do it, follow the steps below:
- Open Settings on the device.
- Scroll down and find Apps.
- In the Apps section, look for the TikTok app.
- Click on the TikTok app and tap on Storage.
- Then choose Clear Cache from the menu.
- Restart the TikTok app.
7. Turn off battery-saving mode
The battery-saving mode can limit the performance of your device, which can cause slow loading or buffering on TikTok.
The battery-saving mode can reduce the performance of your device by limiting the amount of power it can use.
This can mean that the processor and other components must work harder to run applications and load data, causing slow loading and buffering on TikTok.
Turn off battery-saving mode and see if that helps. Here are how you can do it:
- Go to your device’s settings
- Look for the ‘Battery’ or ‘Power Management’ section.
- Once there, you can disable the battery-saving mode and set the power level to ‘Normal.
8. Restart or Force Stop the TikTok App
TikTok, like other apps, needs memory and Storage to function on your device. When you run out of these, it will lead to overheating of your device, and your app will not be able to run smoothly on your device.
As a result, TikTok videos will buffer or stop loading.
To avoid overheating your device, you need to force the TikTok app.
To do this, follow the steps below using different devices:
iOS
- Launch Application Manager on your device.
- Locate the TikTok app.
- To hide TikTok from your app bar, move it up, down, right, or left.
Android
- Navigate to Settings on your device
- Open the Application, and scroll down to find TikTok in the list of applications.
- Tap on the TikTok app.
- Click the Force Stop button on the app’s info page.
9. Server issues
Sometimes, TikTok may experience server issues that can cause videos to take longer to load or buffer frequently. To fix this issue, try waiting a few minutes and then again later.
You can also open TikTok Web on another device to see if the issue is related to the TikTok server or if the issue is related to your TikTok app or mobile device.
If you undergo the same issue on TikTok web, it has nothing to do with your app or mobile, and you can do nothing but wait, allowing the app developer to handle the issue.
Read more: “TikTok Videos Not Playing” Problem: Common Solutions!
Summing up
As you know, slow loading or buffering of TikTok videos can be frustrating, but there are several ways to fix the issue.
Following the nine tips outlined in this article, you can improve your TikTok video playback experience and enjoy your favourite content without interruptions.
We hope reading this article helps you address your issue with slow loading or buffering video on TikTok.
Do you know any other tip in this case which helps our reader solve their problem on TikTok? We would be glad to hear your solution in the comment section.