How to Finally Fix Frustrating YouTube ReVanced Buffering Issues

Have you recently discovered the modified YouTube app called ReVanced and fallen in love with its ability to block ads, play videos in the background, and bring back other useful features?

I don‘t blame you – after using the original Vanced for years, I was thrilled when ReVanced emerged to fill the void after Vanced was discontinued earlier this year.

But in your excitement exploring ReVanced‘s possibilities, you may have also experienced an annoying downside: Frequent buffering and playback interruptions, especially a minute or two into watching videos.

Don‘t worry, you‘re not alone! As a long-time streaming aficionado and modded app user, I‘ve faced this buffering problem myself in the past.

In this guide, I‘ll share with you the most effective solutions I‘ve discovered through extensive testing to fix ReVanced buffering.

We‘ll get into the details soon, but first, let‘s briefly go over what causes the buffering problem so you understand what‘s going on behind the scenes…

What‘s Causing Your YouTube ReVanced Buffering Woes?

Simply put, buffering happens when the app struggles to maintain a steady stream of video data to keep playing the content smoothly.

This lag occurs because one or more of following issues are disrupting the streaming process:

Your internet connection speed is dropping or inconsistent.
The YouTube or ReVanced servers are overloaded or having downtime issues.
Your device lacks sufficient processing power and RAM to rapidly decode high resolution video.
You‘re using outdated ReVanced and MicroG APK builds containing bugs.
Background play places extra demand on system resources.

Now let‘s explore how to address each of these potential causes and narrow down what‘s behind your specific buffering problems:

6 Reliable Fixes to Stop YouTube ReVanced Buffering for Good

1. Update ReVanced Manager, ReVanced, MicroG, and YouTube to Latest Builds

This is often the first solution I recommend trying, because using outdated APK builds is one of the most common culprits behind random ReVanced buffering.

The developers are regularly pushing out newer versions that squash bugs and optimize performance. But if you don’t manually update, your installed APKs can lag behind and start glitching out.

To check for and install the latest builds:

ReVanced Manager – Visit the ReVanced Manager GitHub releases page and grab the newest APK. Installing this also updates the base ReVanced app.
ReVanced – If needed, separately visit ReVanced Builder and install the latest build over your existing one.
MicroG – MicroG integration is required for logging into YouTube accounts. Grab the newest APK from GitHub.
YouTube – ReVanced splices into the official YouTube app, so keep that updated too for best results.

Once you‘ve checked for updates and upgraded all these components to the newest versions, test if it‘s fixed the pesky buffering. This simple maintenance step solves the problem for many users.

2. Enable Key "Spoof" Settings in ReVanced

If updating APKs doesn‘t help, the next step is enabling some key settings that can boost compatibility and performance:

Spoof player parameter – Go into ReVanced settings > ReVanced Extended > Miscellaneous > and enable the "Spoof" player parameter. This tricks the app into thinking you‘re on the latest YouTube version to avoid glitches.

Spoof app version – While in Miscellaneous settings, also toggle on “Spoof app version” and set it to the current YouTube version like 17.36.37. Tie this to your real installed YouTube APK version for optimal stability.

ReVanced Settings

Together, these two options act as a "digital facelift" to maximise ReVanced‘s smooth functioning with YouTube‘s codebase. I enable them whenever apps or mods misbehave and they work like a charm.

3. Cleanly Reinstall YouTube, ReVanced Manager, ReVanced, and MicroG

If you‘re still facing buffering after updating and tweaking settings, the nuclear option is to completely clean out and reinstall ReVanced from scratch:

Uninstall all installed YouTube, ReVanced, MicroG, and Manager APKs using your device‘s app manager.
Redownload and install the latest ReVanced Manager APK from GitHub.
Open Manager, go to Downloads, check for updates, and install the newest YouTube, ReVanced, and MicroG APKs.
Set up MicroG first, followed by YouTube, then ReVanced over it.
Open ReVanced, enable the Spoof settings mentioned earlier, and set spoofed app version to match your real installed YouTube.

This "clean slate" approach wipes out any lingering bugs, caches, bad data, or corrupted files that may be plaguing your current setup. Rebuilding on a fresh foundation often eliminates troubling glitches.

4. Attempt Streaming With Different YouTube Accounts

Now this one may sound strange, but trust me – I discovered it accidentally while troubleshooting and the difference was night and day!

The issue: Videos keep buffering when you access them directly or via homepage recommendations.

The fix: Navigate to the channel uploading those videos instead. Go to their Videos tab and play the exact same videos from there.

For some reason, streaming the same video files via the channel pages avoids the buffering issues. It clearly shows the problem is account-specific rather than a general app glitch.

You can test this yourself by launching ReVanced in Incognito mode and trying to play videos without signing into your main YouTube account that‘s facing problems.

If buffering stops in incognito but persists when logged into your account, it‘s good to report the issue directly to YouTube/Google for further investigation. There seems to be an account configuration factor at play.

5. Downgrade YouTube APK to a Known Stable Release

Remember how I mentioned keeping the official YouTube app updated? Well, sometimes the latest YouTube version itself contains nasty bugs or code changes that destabilize ReVanced built on top of it.

In such cases, downgrading to a rock-solid YouTube APK can improve buffering:

Uninstall the existing YouTube app completely.
Grab build v18.23.35 APK from APKMirror. Many recommend this specific version.
Download and install v18.23.35 over the deleted YouTube app.
Next install ReVanced Manager and ReVanced as normal.

The older YouTube build layered with the latest ReVanced bits irons out the kinks causing problems in newer YouTube versions. I suggest keeping v18.23.35 as a handy backup for if future YouTube updates start acting up again.

6. Access Videos Via Channel Instead of Search or Suggestions

This earlier tip is worth reiterating because it‘s one of the quickest buffering fixes I know, albeit a bit inconvenient:

Rather than playing videos from Search results or Home page recommendations, manually locate them through the uploading channel‘s Videos tab.

So if a music video keeps buffering when you tap it on the Home page, go to the artist‘s channel, open Videos, and play it from there instead. Tedious but effective!

The cause seems to be how the back-end YouTube servers handle streaming requests from different navigation paths. It‘s counterintuitive but channel links are often more stable than direct video page links.

Bonus Tips to Avoid ReVanced Buffering Woes Altogether

Beyond the key fixes above, applying some general video streaming best practices can help minimize buffering problems in ReVanced:

Pause background apps – Close other apps running in the background to free up device CPU and RAM for optimal video playback. Every little bit of resources helps!
Disable battery optimizations – Go into Settings > Apps > Special app access > Battery optimization and remove YouTube from the optimized list. This prevents Android from aggressively restricting background YouTube processing.
Use wired headphones – Ditch Bluetooth for wired headphones or earphones while streaming. One less radio signal competing for bandwidth.
Reduce video quality – If you face frequent lag, set the video resolution lower to 360p or 480p temporarily until connection improves.
Clear app data and caches – Wipe YouTube/ReVanced app data and caches via device settings or apps like SD Maid to delete corrupted files.
Restart your router – Still seeing buffering across multiple apps? Restart your Wifi router and modem to rule out any network issues.
Check server status – Monitor YouTube‘s server status to see if global outages are happening, which third-party apps can‘t bypass.

The Light at the End of the Buffering Tunnel

Phew, that was a lot of information and suggestions covered! But I hope going through the fixes and tips in detail gives you a good sense of how to approach debugging the pesky ReVanced buffering problem.

To recap, focus on:

Updating to the newest YouTube, ReVanced, MicroG, and Manager builds.
Enabling key Spoof settings in ReVanced.
Clean reinstalling all the components.
Trying different accounts to isolate the issue.
Downgrading YouTube APK to a stable version.
Accessing videos through channel pages if needed.
Optimizing device performance and network conditions.
Checking server status during global outages.

With dedication and patience, you can get to the bottom of what‘s disrupting your streaming and find the right solution. Don‘t let buffering ruin the ReVanced experience!

Let me know in the comments if any particular fix does the trick or if you have something else that worked for you. Happy ad-free watching!