Hulu Not Working? Here’s a Solution

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It’s been a long day, and all you want to do is sit back with some ice cream and watch your favorite show, but you can’t play it for some reason. There can be several reasons why the streaming service won’t work, so make sure to find the solution instead of giving up on your favorite on-demand content. 

We’ve put together a list of possible issues (and how to solve them) that might be why Hulu is not working. So, let’s dive in and help you return to enjoying your favorite Hulu content as soon as possible. 

Check Your Internet Connection

Like many other streaming platforms out there, Hulu demands high-speed internet. If your internet is slower than usual, you may not be able to watch a show without frequent buffering or won’t be able to open the app at all. 

It’s always good to check your internet speed and see if your internet connection is to blame. You should be able to do this online in no time. If you want to watch Hulu, you’ll need 3 Mbps for streaming, while live streams and 4K content require 8Mbps and 16mbps, respectively. 

Check Whether Hulu Crashed

Even a popular streaming service experiences an occasional temporary crash. These interruptions don’t occur often and are usually quickly fixed, but sometimes when an increasing number of users ​​tries using the app, it can go down. 

A quick way to check whether the platform is down is by visiting websites such as Isitdownrightnow or Downdetector. It’s also wise to check Hulu’s social media and see if they’ve announced any bugs. 

Clear Cache

Clearing cache can sometimes help because the local files can get corrupted, which results in an error. If you’re watching Hulu on a desktop device, simply delete your browser’s cache, and if you’re watching Hulu on your phone, go to your settings and clear the cache. 

Try a Wired Connection 

Your Wi-Fi signal can sometimes weaken due to bad weather or because too many people are connected to one network. Trying to connect to the internet via a wired connection might solve the problem. 

Check With Your ISP

If there are no apparent bugs on Hulu’s end and your internet connection seems fine, you can get in touch with your ISP (internet service provider) and see if there are any issues on their end.

Restart Your Device 

Restarting your device might be the oldest trick in the book, but it’s the first recommended advice for a reason, and it does the job just fine. Your device may have run too long, and a simple restart can help return it to its optimal function. 

Reboot Your Modem

A similar thing applies to your modem; simply unplug it and plug it in again. It can help restore your internet connection or – if the connection was too slow – bring it back to the satisfactory level for streaming. 

Update or Reinstall the Hulu App

The problem may be in the app itself when you’re still experiencing issues while your device is working and your internet connection is stable. If there are specific bug fixes or updates Hulu released, you’ll likely need to go to App Store or Play Store and update your app to continue using the platform.

screen shot showing where to uninstall hulu app

In some cases, even though there’s no maintenance, updating the app might help. Another way to solve app-related issues is to reinstall the app altogether. You simply need to delete the app and install it again.

Try a Different Device

When you’ve exhausted all your options and established that nothing works, you can try to log in to your Hulu account from another device and see if that brings different results. If nothing more, you’ll be able to undoubtedly rule out Hulu being down. 

Deactivate and Reactivate Your Device

You can always log in to your Hulu account and deactivate your device when facing issues. Once you do that, try and activate it again, and see if something changes. You can deactivate your device on Hulu by following these steps: 

  • Go to secure.hulu.com/account
  • Tap Manage Your Devices
  • Find the device and tap Remove
  • Sign in again with the same device
screenshot showing where to reactivate your device on hulu

Try a Different Browser

If you’re streaming Hulu via Google Chrome, and suddenly it no longer works, try switching to Opera, Safari, or Mozilla. Specific difficulties you might encounter while streaming could result from Hulu making changes and temporarily affecting your preferred browser. 

Fully Close and Then Reopen the Hulu App

Fully closing the app might help. Sometimes, the app might freeze, and you’ll have to close and restart the application again. Fully closing and opening the app is different on Android and iOS devices. 

Check the Error Codes From Hulu 

When Hulu crashes, and you get an error code, don’t ignore this information. You’ll often be able to tell which measures need to be taken to overcome the issue by the specific error code you’re looking at. We’ll review some of the most common codes and tell you what to do if you encounter these Hulu issues. 

Hulu Error rununck13

Hulu Error rununck13 concerns Buffering and Playback issues, so if you haven’t managed to get rid of it, try deleting and reinstalling your app and clearing the cache. 

Hulu Error 5003

Hulu Error 5003 signals a Playback Issue, which means the problem is most likely on your end. You can try restarting your router and device and deleting and reinstalling the Hulu App. 

Hulu Error p-dev 320

Hulu Error p-dev 320 is the Digital Media Player Issue, which often happens when there’s a problem on Hulu’s end. Still, you can try any of the steps above to ensure you’ve done everything until Hulu fixes the problem. 

Contact Customer Service 

If everything else fails, try contacting Hulu’s customer service. They’re accommodating and can clarify why the service is unavailable and what steps you can take to fix the issue. 

Use VPN If You Can’t Acess Hulu

If everything seems to be working perfectly fine, but you live outside of the US, you still won’t be able to watch any of the great shows on Hulu, as this streaming service is only available in the United States. Luckily, there’s a way to watch Hulu even if you don’t live in the US.

A good VPN might help you surpass this geographical barrier so you can sign up and continue using Hulu with the VPN

Bottom Line

If you love streaming movies and tv shows, Hulu is a great platform. It has a lot to offer, but sometimes you might encounter difficulties using it. This article showed you some ways to try and fix these issues yourself so you can continue watching your favorite content uninterrupted. 

If the problem persists, you can always contact customer support to get help with the Hulu service. And finally, if you live outside of the US and want to use Hulu, get a VPN

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