Cache settings can help Kodi ride out short dips in a live stream, but they cannot fix a connection that is slower than the stream, and they are no use if the stream itself is failing at the source. In current Kodi versions the main options are in the settings menus, so most of the old advice about editing advancedsettings.xml is no longer the first thing to try.
Quick answer: Raise the memory buffer a little in Kodi's caching settings, keep it within what your device's RAM can spare, and test. If buffering continues, the limit is your connection, Wi-Fi or the source, and no cache value will cure it.
Why do older guides tell you to edit advancedsettings.xml?
For years, Kodi's cache options could only be changed by creating an advancedsettings.xml file in your user data folder and adding values such as buffer mode, memory size and read factor. Plenty of videos and posts still show this method. Kodi 21 "Omega" moved the main caching options into the normal settings screens, so you can usually change them without touching a text file. Where they appear depends on the version and the skin's settings layout, and the wording varies: look for a "Caching" or "Internet access" style section, and set the settings level to Standard or Advanced if you cannot see them. The Kodi beginner's guide explains the settings levels.
If you still have an old advancedsettings.xml with cache values in it, remember it can override what you set in the menus. Remove or rename it while you test, so you know which values Kodi is using.
What do the cache settings do?
- Memory buffer size: how much data Kodi holds in RAM ahead of the playback point. A bigger buffer smooths over short interruptions but makes a channel slower to start and uses more memory.
- Read factor: how much faster than the stream's own rate Kodi tries to fill the buffer. A low value can leave the buffer thin; a very high value can hammer a weak connection.
- Buffer mode: whether network streams are buffered at all. For live streams over the internet, you want buffering on.
Use the exact names on your own screen, since they differ between versions.
What values should you try?
Kodi's memory buffer is taken from the device's RAM, and in the old advanced settings documentation the real memory use was higher than the number you typed. So be cautious on small devices.
| Device memory | Starting point |
|---|---|
| About 1 GB (older sticks) | A modest buffer, in the tens of megabytes. Do not push it. |
| About 2 GB | A moderate buffer, around a hundred megabytes or so |
| 3 GB or more | A larger buffer is possible, but more is not always better |
These are starting points, not official figures. Change one value at a time, play a live channel for ten minutes, and note whether the stalls improved. Raising the buffer until the device runs out of memory makes things worse, with freezes or Kodi closing.
What can the cache not fix?
- A connection slower than the stream. A buffer only delays the problem. Run a speed test on the device itself.
- Weak Wi-Fi. Try a cable or the 5 GHz band. See our buffering fixes for the full diagnosis.
- One channel failing while others are fine. That points at the source, not your settings.
- A device that is too weak for the stream's format.
If that didn't work
Check whether other apps (BBC iPlayer, YouTube) also stall on the same device and network. If they do, work on the network first. If only Kodi stalls, try another channel, then another device.
Tell us your Kodi version, the device and how much RAM it has, and the cache values you tried, and we can compare notes.