Hey there! Have you ever found your Kodi app freezing, crashing, buffering, or just plain not working right? I‘ve been there myself – it‘s so frustrating! But don‘t worry, we can get your Kodi up and running again.
I want to walk you through the most common Kodi problems and show you how to troubleshoot them. By the end, you‘ll have the tools to get your Kodi working perfectly again. Sound good? Let‘s get started!
What Does "Kodi Not Working" Mean?
First things first – what exactly does "Kodi not working" mean? Here are some of the most common issues people see:
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Crashing or freezing when launching Kodi or while streaming video – This is often caused by a problematic add-on or skin. Resetting Kodi usually fixes it.
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"No stream available" error message – This means the link for the show you wanted to watch is down. Try another source or wait a bit.
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Constant buffering and lag – Poor internet connection is the main culprit. Or it could be due to outdated Kodi settings.
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Add-ons failing or not opening – Outdated add-ons need to be updated or reinstalled to work properly.
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Playback failures – This can happen from incorrect platform settings or compatibility issues.
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General crashes and glitches – An out-of-date Kodi version prone to bugs is likely the issue.
The most common Kodi problems stem from add-on conflicts, software bugs, connectivity issues, or outdated components. But they can always be fixed with some troubleshooting!
Why Kodi Stops Working
Before we dive into solutions, let‘s look at some of the reasons Kodi can stop working properly:
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Outdated or incompatible add-ons – As addons age, they become buggy and broken. Newer Kodi versions can also render them obsolete.
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Corrupted data in caches – Large caches accumulate corrupted data over time that slows down and crashes Kodi.
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Connectivity issues – Anything disrupting the internet connection will interfere with video streaming.
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Underpowered streaming device – Slow hardware like an older Firestick can‘t run Kodi optimally.
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Incorrect platform settings – Settings not optimized for each device and OS can cause incompatibility issues.
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Broken dependencies – Add-ons rely on specific dependency add-ons to function right.
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Outdated Kodi version – Older Kodi versions are vulnerable to more bugs and glitches.
With over 40 million users worldwide, troubleshooting searches for "Kodi not working" have exploded 10x in the past 2 years according to Google Trends. But there‘s almost always an easy fix!
Fixing a Frozen or Crashing Kodi
If Kodi keeps freezing, crashing, or won‘t even open, it‘s extremely frustrating. Here are some effective solutions to get it working again:
Reset Kodi – Restoring Kodi‘s factory settings often resolves crashing issues. It wipes any problem caches, settings, or add-ons causing conflicts.
- On Firestick: Go to Settings > Applications > Kodi > Clear Data + Cache
- On Android TV: Go to Settings > Apps > Kodi > Clear Data + Cache
- On Windows: Delete the "userdata" folder in Kodi‘s program directory
Update Kodi – An outdated Kodi version prone to bugs can cause crashes. Download the newest stable Kodi release from the official site.
Upgrade Hardware – Underpowered streaming devices like old Firesticks can‘t handle Kodi well. Consider upgrading to a Firestick 4K or Nvidia Shield.
Disable Problematic Add-ons – Bad add-ons are a common source of Kodi crashes. Disable or remove them under Add-ons > My Add-ons.
Following this troubleshooting guide should get Kodi working smoothly again! Let‘s move on to fixing video playback problems next.
Fixing Playback & Buffering Issues
Few things are more annoying than Kodi videos constantly buffering or not playing at all. To resume seamless streaming, try:
Clear Cache – Large, outdated caches overwhelm Kodi and disrupt streaming. Clearing it out improves performance.
- On Firestick: Go to Settings > Applications > Kodi > Clear Cache
- On Android TV: Go to Settings > Apps > Kodi > Storage > Clear Cache
- On Windows: Delete "Cache" folder in Kodi‘s userdata folder
Optimize Cache Settings – Adjust read/buffer cache sizes for optimal streaming:
- Set "Read buffer factor" between 4-10
- Enable "Zero cache"
- Set "Buffer mode" to 2
Check Internet Connection – Weak WiFi signals, modem issues, and VPN disruption all cause Kodi buffering. Troubleshoot connectivity.
Use Wired Connection – Wired internet eliminates WiFi dead zones and provides faster, more reliable speeds for buffer-free streaming.
Enable Real-Debrid – This service improves broken stream links and unreliable torrent sources that buffer or fail. It‘s a game-changer!
With the right settings and troubleshooting, you can eliminate frustrating Kodi buffering. Now let‘s talk about fixing broken add-ons.
Getting Non-Working Kodi Add-ons Fixed
One of the top reasons for Kodi misbehavior is problematic add-ons. Here are some tips to get them working again:
Update Add-ons – Outdated add-ons cause all sorts of issues from crashes to missing streams. Updating them fixes bugs and broken sources.
To update an add-on:
- Go to Add-ons > My Add-ons
- Select the add-on
- Open context menu > Check for updates
Reinstall Add-ons – If an add-on is completely busted, reinstall it from the original repository source. This wipes any corrupted data.
Remove Problematic Add-ons – Some add-ons become abandoned and never work right. Identify and remove them under Add-ons > My Add-ons.
authorize Real-Debrid – This fixes links and sources for many add-ons like Seren and The Crew. Authorize it in account settings.
Check Developer Site – If an entire add-on site goes down, all its add-ons will fail until it gets restored.
With some maintenance and troubleshooting, you can get your add-ons running smoothly again.
Why Does Kodi Say "No Streams Available"?
This frustrating error means the video link Kodi tried to play is dead or offline. Here are some tips:
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Try restarting the video or wait a bit – the link sometimes comes back.
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Attempt another source if available – one stream might be down while others work.
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Ensure Real-Debrid is authorized – it massively boosts source reliability.
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The entire host site for that stream might be down – check downloader sites for status.
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The content may have been removed or set to private. Try searching for another source.
While annoying, "No streams available" errors are often temporary as sources switch between active and inactive.
Additional Kodi Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some other useful troubleshooting techniques:
Inspect the Debug Log – Enable logging under System > Logging. Check for recent errors around the time of issues. This can reveal the source of problems.
Adjust Hardware Acceleration – Turning this off can resolve stability issues in Kodi. But it disables 4K, so revert on more powerful devices.
Uninstall Then Reinstall Kodi – If all else fails, a complete reinstallation of the latest Kodi version often identifies and fixes lingering issues.
Ask the Kodi Community – The Kodi forum has tons of expert users eager to help solve almost any problem. Just provide details and logs of the issue.
With some targeted troubleshooting, you should be able to resolve most any Kodi playback failure, freezing, crashing, or general malfunction. Keep at it and your system will be running smoothly again in no time!
Frequently Asked Kodi Troubleshooting Questions
Here are answers to some of the most common Kodi troubleshooting questions:
Why does Kodi crash when I try to open it?
Frequent crashing on launch is typically caused by data corruption, problematic skins, broken add-ons, or platform-specific compatibility issues. Resetting Kodi or reinstalling often fixes it.
How can I stop the buffering in Kodi?
Buffering is usually caused by network connectivity problems, insufficient hardware performance, or incorrect cache settings. Try optimizing connectivity, upgrading hardware, adjusting cache settings, and enabling Real-Debrid.
What should I do when my Kodi add-ons won‘t open?
Non-working add-ons are generally fixed by updating, reinstalling, or completely removing them. Check for problems with the add-on site itself. Enable auto-updates to avoid issues.
Why can‘t Kodi find any streams for a video?
The links for that particular file are likely all currently offline or down. Try restarting the video or waiting a bit for sources to return. Using Real-Debrid improves link reliability.
How do I stop Kodi from crashing when playing videos?
Frequent crashing during playback is typically caused by broken add-ons, skin conflicts, encoding issues, or incompatible platform settings. Troubleshoot each possibility and update Kodi.
Why does Kodi lose all my settings whenever I close it?
This is likely a permissions issue with Kodi not having write access to save its data. On some platforms, manually granting filesystem permissions to Kodi resolves it.
I hope this troubleshooting guide gives you all the tools to tackle any Kodi issues you encounter. With some targeted maintenance and problem-solving, you can get your system back up and running smoothly. Let me know if you have any other questions – happy streaming!
