What The Hulu Error Code RUNUNK 13 Means And Why It's So Frustrating

Error codes aren't world-shattering disasters, but when you're jonesing to watch the latest episode of your favorite series or too exhausted to satisfy your boredom with anything other than a binge session, it can be mighty frustrating. There is one error code in particular that you may happen upon frequently if you're a Hulu user.

The Hulu error code RUNUNK13 shows up quite frequently, and yet its source is shrouded in mystery. For as long as people have submitted reports about it, the only thing we can be certain of about it is that it typically means you won't be able to playback whichever video it is you're craving. When reported at Hulu's official site, a community manager will often mark questions about this error code as "answered," sometimes without further explanation or by followed by prompting frustrated users to create their own topics to complain in. 

This code sometimes accompanies a message like "we encountered an error playing this video. Please try restarting the video or select something else to watch." A bit dismissive, sure, but such is the nature of these cryptic errors. And though this specific code is exclusive to Hulu, the problem, in general, isn't.

The problem with error code RUNUNK13 is that it's a generic catch-all signal for any issue that causes video playback on Hulu to fail. The underlying issue can trigger from any number of reasons, whether that's a server-side hiccup on Hulu's end or an issue with your network causing it to communicate with Hulu's servers improperly.

Sadly, there is little rhyme or reason for how this error code is triggered, and it can occur randomly. In general, you can try the usual troubleshooting tips as detailed on Hulu's website, such as restarting or reinstalling the Hulu app, restarting the device you're watching on, trying it on a different device, clearing app data or cache (if possible), or resetting your home network. You could also try to watch another show or movie and see if it's that specific title causing the issue.

If none of this works, then the problem just might be on Hulu's end. You could contact the company, but it'll likely run you through the same generic troubleshooting steps you've already tried. If you're lucky, Hulu may even admit that the fault is its own and that there's some temporary downtime to suffer through, but the only likely recourse it'll recommend is to try again later. If nothing is working, you may just need to exercise some patience and find something else to dig into and save that cliffhanger for another rainy day.