If you subscribe to the ad-supported version of Hulu, you’re willing to deal with a few commercials for a cheaper plan. But you shouldn’t have to put up with ads that are freezing and crashing.
In this article, I’ll share two possible solutions if you’re suddenly having issues with Hulu ads freezing.
First, let me explain the problem I’ve encountered:
When the last ad of a commercial break should be playing, the video freezes but the audio continues. Even after the ad is over, I can hear the show playing but the frozen ad remains on the screen.
As a temporary workaround, I found myself fast-forwarding for 10 seconds after the show started and then rewinding for 10 seconds to the beginning.
Hulu would then play the show as normal, but an ad would freeze the very next commercial break.
At some point, I became fed up and contacted Hulu’s customer service team. In this article, I’ll share the two solutions I learned about to hopefully save you a call.
Here’s what you need to know if Hulu keeps freezing during ads!
Solution #1: Check for System Updates
Checking for system updates is the first thing you can do to troubleshoot the issue with Hulu’s ads freezing. Here’s what Hulu says on its website:
“We recommend that you regularly check for any updates available for Hulu and your device. This ensures that you’re receiving all the latest features, improvements, and bug fixes.”
I’ve been using a Chromecast with Google TV device to stream Hulu. According to a Google chat support agent, updates should be made automatically when you’re connected to Wi-Fi.
However, you can manually check for updates by navigating to Settings > System > About > System Update.
Roku and Amazon Fire TV say software updates on their devices happen automatically when connected to the internet, but you can also manually update your device’s software.
Hulu has detailed instructions to check for system updates with multiple supported devices.
A Hulu customer support representative told me the service pushes updates about three times a month, so she said you should check for updates once a week to avoid any playback issues.
This step alone could solve the ad freezing issue, but the Hulu support agent gave me an additional tip.
Solution #2: Uninstall and Reinstall the Hulu App
If you’re still experiencing issues with Hulu’s ads freezing after updating the software, the next step is to uninstall and reinstall the Hulu app from your device.
If you’re using Chromecast with Google TV, follow these steps:
- Press Select on the Hulu app
- Click View Details
- Select Uninstall
- Select Install
Once you open the reinstalled app for the first time, you’ll have to log in to Hulu again. I prefer to activate on a computer at hulu.com/activate and enter the code displayed on the TV screen.
As an alternate option, you can always log in with your Hulu username and password.
The Hulu customer support representative told me that uninstalling and reinstalling the app will ensure that you’re getting the most up-to-date version.
This method has reduced my Hulu ad freezing significantly, but I had to repeat this step after about a week.
Check Your Internet Speed
A slow internet speed is another possible explanation for Hulu playback issues. Hulu’s customer service agent asked me to run a speed test from the SpeedOf.Me website.
Hulu says a minimum download speed of 3 Mbps (megabits per second) is recommended for Hulu’s Streaming Library, 8 Mbps for live streams and 16 Mbps for 4K content.
In addition, Hulu’s support agent told me that you want a ping time or latency under 50 ms (milliseconds).
If your internet speed is causing Hulu ads to freeze, contact your internet service provider for help. After that, you can try the two primary solutions that I mentioned if the problem persists.
If all else fails, visit this page on Hulu’s website to contact them by phone or live chat.
Have you experienced issues with Hulu freezing during ads? Leave a comment below to share your experience and whether you’ve come up with a better solution!
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Not helpful…. Hulu is still incredibly glitchy on my 16G ram i7 fully updated computer with 500mb internet, one of the more expensive option from internet provider. I wish there was something else offered in this long article besides the silly things hulu says in order to not take any responsibility for their subpar service.
These tips worked for me. Sorry. You can contact them for support.
Same. Tried these. Hulu is just getting worse. Probably will just cancel.
Just cut the cord, bought 3 new firestick 4k max devices with ethernet adapter, paid for Hulu, ad free, unlimited devices, etc. basically all the bells and whistles. I already had Prime, HBO max, and a couple others so added those as well to the firesticks. My network connection is superfast, 400Mb, and not at all glitchy. For 3 or 4 days it worked great, then got glitchy, and now I can’t play anything on Hulu. Live TV, streaming movies, anything at all on Hulu. Everything I try wants to first play an ad, which either won’t load at all, or loads the same 10 seconds of the ad and plays that 10 seconds repeatedly. I never get to watch the live show or streaming movie, just the same 10 seconds of a 36 second ad over and over with a 20 second black screen wait in between iterations.
I’ve restarted the firesticks, uninstalled and reinstalled the Hulu app, but no joy. Prime, HBO max, Discovery+, the browser, and everything else works great. Speedtest.net shows 96Mb download and 51Mb upload, and a 6ms ping.
My conclusion? The Hulu app sucks. I’ll be moving to YouTube TV, which was my second choice based on features and channels available, but since I can’t actually USE Hulu, the better features and channels they ‘offer’ aren’t of much value to me.
Let me know how YouTube TV works for you
Yeah. I will uninstall, reinstall Hulu once, twice, three times a week because they can’t deliver their product to my screen. Because their bundle partner Diz, and competitors from MAX to TUBI know the secret and aren’t sharing…
Either that, or HULU won’t spend the money to provide a reasonable streaming service. “Check your internet speed” check the dates on the complaints for the very same issues.
I have tried everything recommended, but Hulu repeatedly gets stuck on the ad on my smart TV. All of the other streaming services work just fine.