A lag on any video is annoying, but the problem becomes increasingly pronounced when you’re trying to keep up with trends or learn routines and challenges to take part in.
When TikTok starts to lag, the problem can impact creators as well as users – affecting the cohesiveness between what’s on screen and the audio playing and creating a lag in response time on comments and other interactions.
Suffice to say, it’s an irritating issue that you will want to fix as soon as possible. Which is why we’ve created this quick guide, sharing some of the common reasons behind a TikTok lag and how to fix it.
You’re Running an Old Version of the App
If you’re running an old version of TikTok, or haven’t updated your app recently, then the lag could be due to specific features and tools no longer running at their optimum speed.
Some TikTok updates can leave certain features and actions behind – meaning that if you are using an outdated version, the action you’re trying to take is no longer fully supported.
To ensure this doesn’t become a problem and doesn’t impact your browsing experience, ensure to always update your TikTok and other social media platform apps.
You Need to Empty Your Cache Data
The TikTok cache is a storage space that contains information about all your actions and interactions on TikTok. It is used to help predict what kind of content will interest you and what you will want to see – however, it can be problematic if the cache picks up an old or corrupted data file.
Clearing the cache on a regular basis is a good way of cleaning out any problematic data or information, so that you can continue running the best possible version of the app.
You’re Browsing in Data Saver Mode
There are lots of reasons why you might choose to activate and browse TikTok while in data saver mode, not least to reduce the amount of data used but also to help preserve battery.
However, when it comes to ensuring a speedy and responsive browser experience, you want to switch data saver mode off! This is because data saver mode is designed to minimise your reliance on data, thereby loading videos more slowly.
You can switch this function off by heading into your device settings and turning off ‘Data Saver’ mode with the settings toggle.
Your Internet Is Weak
We’ve all been there – you’re trying to load a picture on social media or open a webpage in your browser, only to find a lack of sufficient internet leads to low response speeds and broken pages.
If you think you’re in a spot with low or no connection, the best thing to do is wait until you are somewhere with better signal – therefore enjoying a quicker and more seamless browsing experience.
Your App Needs Reloading
Finally, if in doubt consider closing the app down completely and reopening it.
This minor reboot is a good way of resetting a TikTok feed that may be freezing or suffering a lag, by unsettling any glitch or error that may have set in on your device.
We hope this helps! When TikTok refuses to cooperate and act as you would expect, the experience can become incredibly frustrating. Knowing what could be cause a lag in the video playback, or causing videos to freeze, is the first step to improving the experience. Happy browsing!
