As a long-time Kodi user and cord-cutter, I've relied on it for years to organize, access, and stream my local media library. While it's incredibly versatile, Kodi often falls short of rivals like Plex in user-friendliness, requiring more tweaks and suffering from frequent buffering.
If you've invested time perfecting your Kodi setup only to battle constant pauses, take heart—these issues are usually fixable with targeted adjustments. Drawing from hands-on experience across devices and setups, here are three reliable tips to eliminate Kodi buffering.
Kodi handles three main stream types:
Live TV buffering stems from server overload, beyond your control. But for local files and on-demand streams, the fixes below work wonders.
Important warning: Many third-party add-ons are illegal. How the legality of your Amazon Fire TV Stick and Kodi can cause problems. Kodi and Fire TV Stick combos are popular, but they can lead to legal issues. Read More. MakeUseOf does not endorse using these tips for pirated content.
Start with the advancedsettings.xml file, which unlocks settings absent from Kodi's GUI. It controls cache behaviors and more. As someone who's optimized dozens of installs, this is often the game-changer.
The file isn't there by default—you'll create it in Kodi's userdata folder. Simpler than it sounds. Follow these rules:
Open a plain text editor (like Notepad++), create advancedsettings.xml (no .txt extension), and save it to:
Note: Windows users, avoid the Program Files Kodi folder.
Paste this into the file:
<advancedsettings>
<cache>
<buffermode>[Insert number]</buffermode>
<memorysize>[Insert number]</memorysize>
<readfactor>[Insert number]</readfactor>
</cache>
</advancedsettings>Tailor based on your hardware:
buffermode: 0 (all internet files), 1 (local + internet, recommended), 2 (internet only), 3 (off).
memorysize: Bytes for RAM cache (Kodi needs 3x available). E.g., 20971520 = 20MB (60MB RAM needed). Too high risks crashes—test incrementally. Or set to 0 for disk caching (HDD/SSD space limits only).
readfactor: How much extra to buffer. 8 balances fill speed and bandwidth use effectively.
How to Set Up a VPN on Kodi and Why You Should. VPNs hide your activity from ISPs and governments, but crucially, they stop ISP throttling on video streams—a hidden cause of most buffering.
Throttling is technically illegal, yet post-net neutrality, it's rampant in places like the US. Skip free VPNs; they're unreliable. 5 reasons why you should stop using free VPNs right now. Invest in a premium service—worth every penny for seamless playback.
Not instant, but essential if other fixes fall short. Kodi thrives on capable devices.
How to Choose the Best Kodi Box for Your Needs.
Powerhouses like Nvidia Shield excel. 7 Reasons the Nvidia Shield is the Ultimate Cord Cutter Device. Budget Android phones, cheap boxes, or low-end sticks like Fire TV often struggle, especially with VPNs.
These expert-tested solutions resolve most issues. If not, revisit basics: How To Set Up And Use Kodi: For Beginners.
Share your fixes in comments—what worked for you?