Before starting the troubleshooting process, make sure the services you are using with Kodi are working. You can check the social media handles of these services.
1. Relaunch Kodi after Force Closing it
Kodi will fail to operate properly if any of its operational modules are in an error state and need a fresh start. In such a case, relaunching Kodi after force closing will solve the problem. On an iOS device, tap on the App Switcher and Swipe Up on Kodi. For Android, follow these steps:
2. Restart the Device and Router
Kodi relies on the network to complete its processes and operations. If the network modules of your device or router are in an error state, Kodi will not be able to utilize them and hence will stop working. To fix this, restart your device and router.
3. Set the Device’s Refresh Rate to 60 Hz
Kodi is not compatible with devices that use a refresh rate of more than 60 Hz. If your device’s refresh rate is higher than that, Kodi’s graphic modules will not be able to handle the higher rate. If it was working properly previously, an OS update might have increased the refresh rate of your device. In this case, setting the device’s refresh rate to 60Hz will resolve the issue. For iOS devices, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Limit Frame Rate. For Android:
4. Disable Nord VPN or Change its Protocol
Nord VPN has a known bug where it causes issues with Kodi. Disabling the Nord VPN or changing its default protocol will do the trick here. You can also use some other alternatives. But for now, try disabling all VPNs and diagnose where the issue is coming from.
5. Disable the Antivirus of the Device (For PC)
If your antivirus has marked any of the essential Kodi addons as a threat (false positive), it can block the execution of certain Kodi modules. Here, we can try to disable the Antivirus and see if that does the trick. Lately, the Crew addon has been reported to be detected as a threat. To disable ESET on a Windows PC, follow these steps: Warning: If you are not using a 3rd party antivirus, add Kodi as an allowed app in the Windows Defender settings. If you are using a portable version of Kodi on Windows, you can run that in Sandboxie.
7. Update Kodi Addons to Latest Builds
Kodi is coded in C++ but its add-ons are scripted in Python. We recently observed that a bug in Python broke the required compatibility between Kodi and several of its add-ons. This causes even the most basic operations of Kodi not to work. You can try solving this problem by updating the addons to the latest builds.
8. Update Kodi to the Latest Build
An outdated Kodi installation will not be compatible with several of its add-ons and the device’s operating system. This incompatibility will not let the app access modules critical for its operation and hence the app will not work. Here, updating Kodi to the latest build will solve the problem. To update Kodi on an Android device:
9. Change Permissions of the Kodi App (Android Only)
With every update of the OS or the Kodi app, certain permissions of the app are reverted to the defaults. There is a chance that a recent update revoked some important permissions that are crucial for the application. In this case, you can go over the permissions and make sure this isn’t the case.
10. Disable Auto Clean Addons
Maintenance add-ons such as EZ Maintenance often include an auto-cleaning function that removes Kodi’s cache and temporary data upon launch or exit. However, sometimes removing this temporary data can cause problems. Here, disabling the Auto Clean feature of your maintenance addon will solve the problem. To do so on EZ Maintenance:
11. Reauthorize your Account with Premium Hoster
Kodi uses premium hosters (such as Real Debrid) to serve the required content. If, after a backend change, the premium hoster fails to authorize your Kodi installation, the application will stop functioning. Here, reauthorizing your account with the premium hoster will solve the problem. To do so for Real Debrid:
12. Reinstall Kodi Addons
Addons are mostly third-party and provide additional functionality over the boilerplate application. However, one has to make sure they are updated to the latest build and their files are up-to-date. If due for any reason the installation of the add-ons is corrupt, it will not let your system function properly. In this case, reinstalling these add-ons will do the trick. Before proceeding, make sure to back up any add-ons related info/data. Following is the list of addons reported to cause the Kodi issue.
13. Reinstall Kodi
If none of the above methods work, we can move ahead and reinstall Kodi from scratch. This will ensure only the latest files are present in your system and the core modules are fetched freshly from the servers. Before proceeding, back up any data that may be required later. To uninstall Kodi on a Windows PC:
15. Disable Reuse Language Invoker
The reuselanguageinvoker is a Kodi plugin inherited from Python. It changes the way the invoker is reused. If during the execution, a backend path change is detected, the plugin will never load and Kodi will get stuck in a busy dialog or a loop. Here, disabling the Reuse Language Invoker will solve the problem. Umbrella and Fen are two of the famous addons that use reuselanguageinvoker. To Disable Reuse Language Invoker on YouTube addon:
16. Reset Your Device to the Factory Defaults
In there is event of an unsuccessful OS update, the critical components of your device will become invalid. When Kodi tries to access these components, it will fail to execute properly. The issue can be resolved by restoring the device to its original factory settings. Before resetting, make sure to back up your data and fully charge the device. To reset an Android phone: If the issue persists, you can use an older version of Kodi as the latest version is reported to be incompatible with several Python-based addon libraries.
