Check your Xbox One internet connection
If your Xbox One download speeds are slow, the first step is to check your connection. This will show you the amount of speed, packet loss and latency your Xbox currently has. To check the connection:
- Open the Settings app on your Xbox.
- Find the Network tab.
- Select Network Settings.
- Select Test network speed & statistics.
- Wait for your connection to be checked. Once it is done, you’ll see the speeds, packet loss and latency values displayed on the screen.
If you regularly check your connection and notice that you’re experiencing download speeds much slower than the speeds you pay for from your internet provider, there may be a problem with your connection. You can follow the rest of our tips for speeding up your Xbox One downloads to see if your connection improves. Check out our guide on internet speeds for gaming for more information on how much speed you’ll need for the best gaming experience.
Use a wired connection to speed up Xbox download speeds
If your Xbox is connected to the internet using Wi-Fi, switching over to a wired connection is an easy and fast way to speed up your Xbox. All you’ll need to do is get an ethernet cable and plug one end into your router and the other to the ethernet port on the back of your Xbox console. Your Xbox download speeds will increase because the console will be plugged directly into the internet connection instead of trying to wirelessly connect through Wi-Fi.
Change your DNS settings
Domain Name System (DNS) is basically a contact list for the internet. When you type in a website like www.google.com, your DNS searches through its contact list to find the IP address that matches the domain name you typed in. That way, you don’t have to type in a long string of numbers for every single website you want to visit. Instead, you can just type in the domain name which is much easier to remember.
Your home network is assigned a default DNS that is usually provided by your internet service provider. While the default DNS works, there are other DNS servers that are faster and run more efficiently. Switching to one of these faster servers can speed up your Xbox One download speeds. We recommend using Google DNS. To change your DNS settings:
- Open the Settings app on your Xbox.
- Find the Network tab.
- Select Network Settings > Advanced Settings > DNS Settings > Manual.
- Once you select Manual, you will be able to enter a new DNS address. To use Google DNS, enter 8.8.8.8
- After you confirm this address, you’ll need to enter a second one. For Google DNS this number is 8.8.4.4
After following these steps your download speeds should increase. If you notice that your speeds have not improved over time, you can always revert back to your default DNS settings. To do so, follow steps 1-4 above. Instead of selecting Manual in step four, select Automatic. Your settings will revert back to the default DNS.
Close Xbox games and apps when you’re not using them
If you’ve opened any other games or apps on your Xbox, they may still be downloading in the background while you’re playing other games. Closing games and apps when you’re not using them can help speed up Xbox One download speeds. To close games and apps follow these steps:
- Hover over the game or app’s icon on the home screen.
- Tap the Menu button on your Xbox One controller. It’s the black button with three horizontal lines on the left side of the controller.
- Select Quit. The option to Quit will only show up if the app is open. If it doesn’t show up, it means the app or game is already closed.
Pause downloads if your Xbox One is slow
It’s best to download one game at a time on your Xbox One. This will make your games download faster. If you try to download several games at once, they all have to share the bandwidth which can cause a downloading traffic jam. When only one game is downloading at a time, that game can use more bandwidth which will help it download faster. To pause downloads on your Xbox:
- Press the Xbox logo on your controller. This will pull up the Guide.
- Press down on your controller’s joystick to highlight My Games & Apps.
- Press A on your controller.
- Highlight See All and select A again.
- Scroll down the menu on the left to your Queue. This will show you all of your active downloads. If nothing is listed in the Queue, then nothing is trying to download.
- Highlight each download that you want to pause and press the Menu button on your controller.
- Highlight Pause and select A.
Restart your Xbox console and internet router if downloads are slow
Restart your Xbox One console
Speeding up your Xbox One downloads can be as simple as turning your equipment off and back on. Restarting your console can help solve connectivity issues that occur while downloading. To restart your Xbox One console:
- Hold down the Xbox button located in the middle of the controller. This will open the Power Center.
- Select Restart Console.
- Select Restart.
Once you select Restart, all of your current downloads will pause automatically, and they will resume once you have restarted the console. You can double-check that your downloads have resumed by following these steps:
- Open My Games & Apps from the home screen.
- Select Queue and hover over the game or app that was downloading before the restart. The game or app should be listed as Installing.
- If the game or app says Queued or Paused instead of Installing, select it and press the Menu button.
- Select Resume installation.
Restart your internet router
Routers occasionally experience connectivity issues or unexpected slowdowns. These issues can often be resolved by restarting the router. To restart your internet router, unplug it from the wall and leave it unplugged for a few minutes. Once you plug the router back in it will restart automatically. Just remember that it might take a few minutes for the router to reconnect, so be patient.
Cancel installation for games or apps that are downloading and reinstall them
If your Xbox One games still won’t install after you’ve restarted your equipment, try starting the downloads over again. Sometimes an installation is just glitchy and needs to be reset. To cancel a download and reinstall it, follow these steps:
- Open My Games & Apps from the home screen.
- Click on Queue and hover over the game or app that is downloading.
- Press the black Menu button that features three horizontal bars on your controller and select Cancel.
- Reinstall the game or app by downloading it from the Microsoft store or inserting the disc again.
Upgrade your equipment to improve download speeds
There are routers on the market that can improve your gaming experience and speed up your Xbox One downloads. You’re not stuck with the router that your ISP provides. There are a few things to consider when shopping for an internet router.
Select a QoS Gaming Router
Routers designed for gaming have Quality of Service (QoS) features. These routers, also called gaming routers, let you prioritize your Xbox over the other devices using the internet in your house. This means that your Xbox will have priority if multiple people are trying to use the internet at the same time. When you’re gaming and your roommate is watching Netflix at the same time, your Xbox will get first dibs on the bandwidth so you won’t experience lag.
Ensure that your router has a 5GHz band
Routers have either a 2.4 or 5 GHz band. For those that are using a Wi-Fi connection for gaming instead of a wired ethernet connection, we’d recommend a router with a 5 GHz band. The 5 GHz band enables faster and more reliable Wi-Fi speeds than a 2.4 GHz band. By upgrading to a router with a 5Ghz band, your Xbox One should run faster. The only drawback to 5 GHz bands is that they work best over short distances. You’ll want your Xbox to be as close to the router as possible to avoid any connection issues.
Make sure that your internet router can support your download speeds
Routers are only designed to handle a certain amount of download speed, and some routers can handle more than others. If you’re paying for an internet plan with download speeds up to 500 Mbps, but your router can only handle speeds up to 250 Mbps, you will never get download speeds faster than 250 Mbps. This is a waste of money because you’re paying for twice the speed that you’re actually getting. To find out if your router can support your internet plan’s download speeds, google your router’s make and model. This information should be printed on the back of your router.
Avoid using your Xbox One during peak times
There are certain times throughout the day when a lot of people are trying to use the internet at the same time. Unless you have a fiber internet connection, it’s likely that you will experience slower download speeds during these peak internet traffic times. This happens because you share bandwidth with your neighbors and other internet users that subscribe to your ISP. If it fits into your schedule, try gaming during less busy parts of the day. You can also download games during off-peak hours to speed up the process.
Look for a faster internet connection to speed up Xbox One downloads
If you’ve tried all of our tips and nothing seems to work, you might just need a faster internet connection. Gaming requires a good amount of speed, especially if there are other people in your household using the internet. For those that live with other gamers or streamers, you have to share bandwidth with them. Certain types of internet offer faster and more reliable speeds than others, which makes them better for gaming. Connections like fiber and cable internet will be better for gaming than DSL or satellite internet. To find out if your provider offers faster speeds or if there is a better provider for gaming in your area, use our search by address tool.
If you’re not sure exactly what internet speeds you need for your household, here’s a chart to help you decide:
Download speed | What you can do with this speed |
|---|---|
25 Mbps | Connect 1-2 devices Online shopping Video conferencing Light gaming (except satellite) Streaming music Stream videos in 1080p HD quality |
50 Mbps | Connect 2-3 devices Download files in minutes Online multiplayer gaming (except satellite) Stream videos in UHD 4K quality Average gaming (less likely to lag) |
100 Mbps | Connect 4-5 devices Download 10 songs in 30 seconds Download 20 photos in 1 minute Download 10 TV episodes in 3 minutes Daily gaming that may or may not slow down other devices on the network |
200-300 Mbps | Connect 8-15 devices Small smart home system with cameras Seamless online gaming (except satellite) Live stream video Large file sharing |
1 Gig/1 Gbps/1,000 Mbps | Connect 40+ devices Download 10 songs in 3 seconds Download 20 photos in 5 seconds Download 10 TV episodes in 30 seconds Professional online gaming (except satellite) |
Here’s a quick recap of all the steps you can make to speed up download speeds on your Xbox One:
- Check your internet connection.
- Use a wired internet connection for your Xbox One.
- Change your DNS settings.
- Close Xbox games and apps when you’re not using them.
- Pause downloads and make sure to only download one game at a time.
- Restart your Xbox console and internet router to fix any connectivity issues.
- Cancel slow downloads and reinstall them.
- Upgrade your internet router to one with QoS settings and a 5 GHz band that can handle your internet speeds.
- Avoid using your Xbox One during peak internet traffic hours.
- Find a faster internet plan using our search by zip code tool.
Note: If you decide to upgrade, check out our article on how to improve Xbox Series X download speeds next!