You can face Hulu connection error on Smart TVs, smartphones, or while streaming on a browser. It can pop up when you try to stream any Hulu content. We have listed some easy fixes that can resolve a Hulu connection error.
Read on!
Why Does Hulu Keep Saying Connection Error?
Many users from the US have reported Hulu connection errors. Even though the error message is quite generic, the issue may arise due to different reasons. Here are some of the probable reasons.
Hulu Server Is Down
Due to technical glitches, the Hulu server might be down temporarily. This can trigger a connection error while streaming. The servers might even be down due to patch upgrades or IT maintenance.
Network Issues
You might face problems while streaming on Hulu if you have poor internet connectivity. If your internet bandwidth fluctuates or restricts responses from the Hulu server, you can encounter connectivity-related errors on Hulu and the respective error message.
Corrupt Hulu App
If somehow any Hulu libraries or application-related files get corrupted or deleted on your device, it might prevent Hulu servers from responding to your device’s requests, and show this error message on the screen.
Such errors can also be due to an older version of the app running on your system.
How To Fix Hulu Connection Error?
1. Check The Status of Hulu Servers
The only way to find out whether Hulu’s servers are down is by checking the trend of issues reported at Hulu. By looking at the volume of Hulu outage tickets and the time and date when they were reported, you can find out about the health of Hulu servers.
Web-based tools like Downdetector, monitor such Hulu-related incidents and can provide a rough idea about any server downtimes. If there were issues reported regarding Hulu’s server issues, there’s nothing you can do. You have to simply wait it out or you can check out some other streaming platforms in the meantime.
In case there were no server-related issues reported recently, then you can go ahead with other troubleshooting options and try to fix the error on your own.
2. Check Your Internet Bandwidth
Having steady internet connectivity is one thing, but streaming on Hulu has bandwidth criteria of its own.
In order to easily navigate its platform you must have a minimum internet bandwidth of 3Mbps. If you don’t have such a connection, expect connectivity and loading issues. And that’s just while you are browsing through Hulu’s library.
To stream Live TV Hulu demands a bandwidth of 8Mbps while 25 Mbps connectivity is required to stream content in 4K UHD. If you face connectivity and buffering issues on Hulu, check your internet speed.
Visit Speedtest to gauge your internet bandwidth. Just click Go, and find out the bandwidth provided by your ISP. If your connection meets Hulu streaming criteria but you are still getting connectivity issues, it’s recommended that you reset your router.
Simply switch off your Wifi router and then turn it back on. Perform a speed test once the router restarts. If the issue still persists contact your local Internet Service Provider.
3. Restart Your Device
Your devices gather a lot of user input to improve your app experience. Due to this, its memory gets loaded with redundant data over time. Restarting your device flushes stale data and might solve the issue.
On Android
- Press and Hold the Power button
- Choose Restart
- Wait for a few seconds until it boots and then launch Hulu
On iOS
- Press and Hold the power button until a slider appears. Then slide to the right to power off your device
- Once your device is switched off, press and hold the power button for a few seconds to turn it back on
- Launch the Hulu app and check if the issue persists
Smart TV/ Firestick
- Turn off your TV or Firestick. Turn off the power just to be sure
- Restart the device and launch Hulu
4. Restart Hulu App
Hulu connection errors can also show up due to bugs or glitches and stale processes running in the background. One way of countering it is by stopping all Hulu services and restarting the app. Here’s how to do it
Restart Hulu on Android
- Click on Settings and scroll to the Apps section.
- Select Hulu and click Force Stop
- Launch the Hulu app
Restart Hulu on iOS
- Swipe up from the bottom of your screen to access the application switcher.
- Swipe left and right to get to Hulu, and open the app preview.
- Close Hulu and then restart the app.
Restart Web Browser
If you are accessing Hulu on a browser, simply closing the browser won’t do the job. You have to terminate all browser threads. To do so,
- Open Task Manager and go to Processes Tab
- Sort by App name to see all the Processes in your browser.
- Select the process and click End Task
- All instances of your browser will be closed
- Again launch your browser and visit Hulu. The error shouldn’t be visible now.
Kill Browser Processes From CMD
- Press Windows + R and type CMD.
- Type tasklist and press Enter
- You will see all the running tasks. Find out the name of your browser from the task list.
- Type taskkill /f /im <browser_task_name.exe> /t where <browser_task_name.exe> is the name of your browser task and press Enter. If you are using a chrome browser, type taskkill /f /im chrome.exe /t
- This will end all instances of your browser. Now relaunch your browser and access Hulu.
Restart Hulu on Smart TV/ Firestick
On your smart TV/ Firestick,
- Go to settings, scroll through the options and click on Manage Installed Applications
- Select Hulu and click Force Stop
- Restart your TV/Firestick and launch Hulu.
5. Disable VPN
If you are in the US, disabling your VPN can solve the connection error. VPN bounces your request off different servers to mask your address. It is highly likely that a connection-related error can be displayed if you use a VPN while streaming Hulu.
Also, avoid using anonymous proxy tools.
If you are accessing Hulu from outside the US, go for VPNs that bypass the Hulu block. VPNs like PureVPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark have multiple US servers and can be used to stream Hulu without any issue.
6. Update Hulu App on Respective Devices
If the Hulu connection error is due to a bug, a patch fix will already be in place to take care of the problem. You just have to make sure whether you have the latest Hulu packages installed on your systems. Here’s how you can update the Hulu app on different devices.
On Android
- Open Android Play Store and search for the Hulu app
- If Hulu isn’t updated, you will find an Update button on the screen. If the app is already up-to-date an Open button will be present instead.
- Click Update and wait for the packages to install on your device.
- Launch Hulu
On iOS
- Open the iOS App store and navigate to Hulu
- If Hulu isn’t updated, you will see the Update button on the page.
- Click it and let the updates get installed on your device
- Launch Hulu
Smart TV/ Firestick
- Go to settings and scroll through the options and click on Manage Installed Applications
- Select Hulu and click Update
- Restart your TV/Firestick and launch Hulu.
Alternatively, you can also keep auto-update On to keep all apps on your Smart TV up-to-date.
7. Update Device OS/Firmware
Hulu has specific OS and device requirements. If the minimum requirements aren’t met you won’t be able to access Hulu on your device or get error messages while you try to access Hulu content.
To update Android OS
- Open Settings and click on About Phone
- In the About tab, click on Software Update
- Click Download and Install to update the Android OS.
- Wait until your device reboots
- Launch Hulu
To update iOS
- Open Settings and navigate to the General tab
- Click on Software Updates
- Tap Download and Install to update iOS
- Reboot your device and launch Hulu
8. Reinstall Hulu
If updating Hulu and device firmware didn’t solve the issue, then the obvious solution will be to uninstall the app from your device and install it back. This way if any Hulu library or services get corrupted due to faulty sandboxing, reinstalling the app will address the issue.
On Android
- Navigate to your app list and press and hold on to the Hulu app icon.
- The app will get highlighted
- Simply hold and drag the app to uninstall it.
- Give it a few seconds and Hulu will get removed from the screen
- Now, head to Google App Store, search for the Hulu app, and download it
- Give it a few minutes until the app is downloaded and installed on your device
- Launch Hulu
On iOS
- Select the Hulu app, and Press and hold on the app icon
- Click on Remove App and Hulu will be uninstalled from your device
- After the app is uninstalled, visit the Apple app store and search for Hulu
- Download Hulu and wait until it gets installed on your device
- Launch Hulu and check if the connection issue persists
On Smart TV/ Firestick
- Click on Settings and open Applications
- Click Manage Installed Applications and select Hulu
- Click Uninstall/Remove to remove Hulu
- Once Hulu is uninstalled, open the App store on your Smart TV
- Search for the Hulu app
- Click Download and Install, and reinstall the Hulu app on your device
- Launch Hulu
9. Report the Problem To Hulu Help Centre
Ideally, the Hulu connection error should get resolved by one of the above-mentioned fixes. If the issue still pops up, reach out to the Hulu support team.
First, you have to sign into your Hulu account on a browser. After you are logged in, visit Hulu Help Centre. Here you have to provide a detailed explanation of the problem you are facing.
If it’s a common problem and others have raised the same, you will get a solution right away (if it has been addressed by Hulu support). If the issue is unique to you, provide error details, details of the device where you encountered it, and steps that led to the issue.
Once the issue is posted, you will get an email notification about your Hulu ticket status on your registered email ID.
I hope these steps will help you solve the Hulu connection error. In case you are encountering issues related to Hulu Home Location, read this.
