Hulu Not Letting Me Fast Forward? – (Quick Fix!)

If you’re running into this error where you ask, why is Hulu not letting me fast forward? You’ll need to address the issue. In this guide, we’ll provide you with the complete instructions on how to resolve it.

You have full control of what you’re watching whenever you’re watching regular content on Hulu. Not being able to fast-forward can be troublesome since it’s a feature that should be available.

We’ve got your back!

To fix Hulu not allowing you to fast forward your content, the first thing to do is restart the show you are currently watching. If that doesn’t work, reboot the Hulu app, as this clears out any bugs or glitches.

Before discussing the steps, let’s enumerate the causes of your inability to jump on your Hulu timeline.

Reasons Why Is Hulu Not Letting Me Fast Forward

Several factors can cause your Hulu not to be able to jump forward on your smart TV or streaming device. To fix the issue, you will need to figure out what’s causing it.

Let us briefly look at the possible reasons below.

• You’re watching content that’s non-skippable, like live TV
• Connection to Hulu is not stable and reliable
• Hulu servers are down, and there’s an outage
• Corrupt files saved on the Hulu app on your device
• Your app is outdated and needs an update
• Outdated device firmware for TVs and streaming boxes.

If you don’t fix these issues, you can’t jump forward on the movie you’re watching on Hulu. We listed some troubleshooting methods that you can do at home. 

Complete Guide to Fix Hulu Fast Forward Error

Before you move on to more complex solutions for Hulu not letting me fast forward, start with simple and effective methods.

If you’re watching Hulu on a browser, one of the things you can do is refresh it. It could be a minor glitch or bug that won’t allow you to fast forward.

For those of you that watch Hulu on your phone, you can restart the Hulu app. If that doesn’t work, logging out and back in can help.

You can also reboot your device to get rid of temporary issues that can cause the error.

Solution #1: Make Sure You’re Not Watching Hulu Live TV

Hulu supports different kinds of content. From movies to TV shows, there are a lot of things you can watch on the platform.

There is one particular form of content that Hulu doesn’t allow you to fast forward, and that’s Live TV.

If you watch live TV, you simply can’t fast-forward since it hasn’t happened yet. You want to make sure that you’re not watching live sports or shows, as you can’t use the timeline.

Here’s how to check if you’re watching live TV on Hulu:

1. You’re navigating the Live TV section on the Hulu interface.
2. You can see a channel guide that indicates live programming.
3. There’s a Live badge or indicator on the screen.
4. You’re watching live sports, concerts, or other events.

Note: If you notice any one of these signs, it means you're watching live TV, and you can't control its timeline.

Solution #2: Clear Out Glitches and Bugs with a Power Cycle

After checking that you’re not watching Live TV, video navigation should be available on your content.

If you’re unable to fast-forward video content from Hulu, it’s usually a software issue.

It could be the browser or app malfunction and won’t allow you to navigate through content quickly. 

These bugs or glitches are something that you need to look out for. The quickest way to eliminate them is to power cycle your device.

Here are the steps to properly power cycle your Hulu device:

1. Switch off your TV using the remote.
2. Unplug the TV from the wall socket.
3. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes to drain the power.
4. Press the Power button while it’s off.
5. Plug the TV and turn it back on.

Note: Most smart TVs only go to sleep when you press the power button. 

That’s why it helps to perform a power cycle.

Solution #3: Force Restart of the Hulu App on Your Device

If you’re watching using an app on your phone or a smart TV, it doesn’t mean you will not face this particular error.

Even on other platforms, the fast forwarding issue is also something that you’re likely to encounter.

On the app one of the most effective ways to deal with this is to perform a force restart of the Hulu app. Whether you’re on the phone or a smart TV, a force restart can help resolve this issue.

Here’s how to perform a force restart of the Hulu app:

Smartphone:

1. Go to your phone’s Home Screen.
2. Open your phone’s app drawer.
3. Locate Hulu’s app card from the list.
4. Swipe the preview Up or Down.

Smart TV:

1. Open your TV Settings.
2. Select Applications
3. Choose Installed Applications.
4. Select Hulu from the list.
5. Click on Force Stop.

Note: After performing this Force Stop method, it's best to restart your phone.

Solution #4: Confirm That Your Internet is Stable

The fast-forward feature requires a high-speed Internet connection. If Hulu isn’t letting you fast forward content, your Internet speed is slow or unstable.

So, you must check your network speed and troubleshoot connectivity issues. 

As long as you have a stable and fast internet connection, you won’t run into this issue. To fix it, you want to check whether your current internet connection meets or even review it.

Here’s how to check your internet speeds for optimum Hulu streaming:

1. Open a browser and go to speedtest.net.
2. Close any unnecessary apps that use up a lot of bandwidth.
3. Select a server close to your location for a more accurate reading.
4. Click on the Start button to test your connection.
5. Wait for the test to finish and display the results.

Note: Apart from download speeds of more than 16 Mbps, you also want your ping to be less than 50ms.

Solution #5: Switch Off Your VPN

Apart from software, a suboptimal connection can also cause Hulu to not fast forward the content you’re watching. You may be connected to a server far from Hulu’s data centers if you’re a VPN user.

Some VPNs can also cause bottlenecks to the network, causing your overall speed to slow down significantly.

Disabling your VPN, even for a few moments, can help connect Hulu to its nearest servers.

Here’s how to disable your VPN:

1. Open your VPN app.
2. Go to the Connections tab to check for active connections.
3. Select the Disconnect button.
4. Wait for your VPN to disconnect.

VPN: If you're looking for a VPN perfect for Hulu, Atlas VPN is the one you're looking for. 

It’s fast and reliable, the perfect combination to watch uninterrupted Hulu.

Solution #6: Reset Your Device’s Network Settings

These solutions are enough to get the fast-forward function on Hulu back. However, if it’s not the case, you will bring out the heavy hitters and reset your network settings.

It’s a full reset that only involves its network settings, so you can ensure your other configurations are kept.

Resetting the network settings allows you to clear up everything and not lose any of your important files.

Here’s how to reset your phone’s network settings:

iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app on your phone.
2. Go to the General menu.
3. Scroll down and tap on Reset.
4. Choose Reset Network Settings.

Android:

1. Go to your device’s Settings app.
2. Scroll down to System.
3. Tap on Reset Options.
4. Choose the Reset WiFi, mobile and Bluetooth options.
5. Select Reset Network Settings to confirm.

Smart TV:

1. Using your remote, open the Settings menu of your TV.
2. Select the Settings or Network option.
3. Go to Network Settings.
4. Choose the option to only reset the network settings.

Note: If your TV does not have a network reset option, you can reset the device to factory settings.

These troubleshooting methods should help you resolve Hulu’s fast-forward error. If none work, you can also try to update or reinstall the Hulu app on your device.

As a last resort, you can also update your device’s software.

Bottom Line:

If you’ve been having problems with Hulu not letting me fast forward and you’re not watching live content, you now know the steps to solve it. You can also contact Hulu customer support for technical assistance if you’re dealing with a hardware issue.

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