How to Make Your Phone Stream Movies Faster

Nowadays, people are always after convenience. From ordering food, hailing a taxi, or searching for recipes to cook, we’ll do it, if possible, through our smartphones. Streaming movies is one of the most common activities we do on our phones, but let’s admit it: it’s not the best gadget to watch a movie or TV show on. It has a small screen, and it can buffer and lag nonstop. So, if you want to optimize your phone to stream faster, you’re in the best place.

We’ve also had a fair share of frustration when it comes to streaming movies on our phones, so we’ve made sure to look for solutions to fix this issue. Whether you want to watch on Netflix, Disney+, Sling TV, or other streaming platforms, we’re here to provide some tips for you. Let’s start!

Check Your Internet Speed

One of the most common reasons why we experience buffering or lags is because of slow internet. Regardless if you’re connected to your home WiFi or your mobile data, you must have enough speed to stream movies. Of course, if you want to watch in higher quality, it will take up more bandwidth.

It’s recommended to have at least 25Mbps to ensure a smooth streaming experience using your phone. But if you think your home WiFi is glitching or underperforming, try resetting your router to see if it helps.

Close All Running Background Apps

We are all guilty of forgetting to close the apps we’ve recently used or opened. Unfortunately, leaving them running in the background can drag your phone’s resources and affect your streaming experience. So, before you start watching on your phone, it’s best to close all the running background apps so that your phone can focus on providing you with a smooth streaming session.

Experiment with Your Streaming Settings

Most streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, Dish TV, and Disney+ give you the freedom to adjust your streaming settings, like reducing the video quality of the movies you want to watch. In most platforms, even the standard definition (SD) is clear enough for most phones. That means it wouldn’t hurt you to switch to it once in a while, especially if you’re using your mobile data.

Free Up Some Space

If your phone is running low on storage, it’s likely that you’ll start experiencing lags not only while streaming but in general. So, if you have time, back up your files and start decluttering. Freeing up some space can help your phone perform more efficiently, which then leads to a smoother streaming experience every single time.

Check Your WiFi or Data Signal

Aside from your internet speed, your signal also plays a crucial role in determining the speed and smoothness of your mobile streaming. Let’s say you’re watching Go Latino TV with only one signal bar, of course, you can’t expect to stream without any buffering or lag.

What you can do is, if you think your home WiFi doesn’t have enough coverage, use a repeater or a mesh WiFi to extend the coverage. On the other hand, if you’re using your mobile data, move to a different location where the signal is better.

Keep Your Operating System Updated

The most important thing you can do for your phone is to keep its software up to date at all times. These updates contain crucial improvements that fix and improve your phone’s overall performance, including streaming. We highly recommend you turn on auto software updates so you don’t have to regularly check if there’s an update available. Moreover, doing this will also help you save time in the long run.

iPhones, for example, have this option, and when you have it turned on and leave it plugged in power, it will automatically update for you whenever it’s available. That convenient feature is mostly available on most phones, so make sure to check if your phone has it.

Final Thoughts

Even though you don’t have a top-of-the-line mobile phone that’s built for streaming movies, you can always optimize your current phone so you can stream the latest movies faster and smoother. So, make sure to save these tips and share them to your friends or loves ones who might need help. Happy streaming!