Is Crunchyroll Down (Or Is It Just You)? Here's How To Tell

There's nothing worse than sitting down to watch the newest episode of your favorite anime, only for Crunchyroll to fail to boot. You sit down on your couch, ready to binge Crunchyroll's newest original anime, only to be met with the frowning face of Hime, the company's orange-haired mascot, as the site informs you that you are unable to connect. Or maybe you manage to get into the app, only for the videos themselves to endlessly buffer without actually playing.

For all the benefits that come with streaming services, it certainly seems like there are more than a few technological drawbacks. There are a lot of different factors that could contribute to a streaming service not working the way it's supposed to. It could be a problem with your internet service, your router, the device you're streaming on, or even a problem with Crunchyroll's own servers. The most frustrating thing about trying to figure out how to solve this issue is having to troubleshoot the root of the problem and figure out if Crunchyroll is down or if it's something on your end. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that you can take to figure out what is preventing you from enjoying your afternoon of anime-watching leisure. Here's what to do when Crunchyroll goes down.

You won't be able to access Crunchyroll if you can't access the internet, so the first thing you need to do is ensure your connection is functioning properly. This is pretty easy to test. Simply log on to your network and try to access a different site using a different device from the one that failed to access Crunchyroll. If this device also fails to access the internet, the problem is likely on your end.

To remedy this, you should start by rebooting your router. There should be a button on the back that you can use to turn it off and back on safely. It might take a few minutes for your internet to fully come back online, but this simple reboot can fix many connectivity problems. It might even make your connection a bit faster than before.

If that fixes it, great! You should now be able to access Crunchyroll and go back to streaming that sweet, sweet anime. If your devices still won't connect to the internet after the reset, you may have to contact your internet service provider for more information on how to get it working. But if your devices are connecting to the internet fine and you still can't access Crunchyroll, you might need to explore other options.

If your internet is working fine, the problem might be something on Crunchyroll's end. The company's servers do occasionally suffer outages, and these outages can prevent you from being able to access video content. This can happen when too many people log in to watch the same show simultaneously. This can cause the servers to become overloaded and stop functioning properly. That's extremely rare, though, as Crunchyroll's servers are usually more than adequate for the amount of traffic the company gets. It's much more likely Crunchyroll has taken these servers down for maintenance.

One way to check the servers' current status is to go to Downdetector. This site shares metrics about site outages based on user reports. It shares the number of outage reports made in 24 hours, with an outage map showing where the largest number of these reports took place. According to Downdetector, 70% of the reported problems with Crunchyroll have to do with users being unable to stream video, while 23% have to do with failing to log in, and only 8% have to do with the app not working. If you see on Downdetector that Crunchyroll is currently down in your area, you simply need to wait for the servers to return online. The good news is that Crunchyroll's outages usually only last a few hours, and then the platform should go back to working like normal.

Assuming you've checked Downdetector and found that the servers are all fully operational, it might be time to look at the device you're using. You could be streaming through a PC, smart TV, gaming console, or a dedicated box like a Roku or an Amazon Fire Stick. Whatever the device, you can do a few things that might get Crunchyroll working again.

The first thing to do is restart the device. All streaming devices are essentially computers, and computers can get bogged down with all kinds of weird errors when they've been running for a long time. Many smart TVs don't turn off when you hit the power button on your remote. They just go into a sort of sleep mode. Unplugging and plugging them back in is the easiest way to get a full reset.

An article on Crunchyroll's support page also suggests that PC, Mac, and mobile users streaming via a browser might try clearing the cache of the browser connecting to Crunchyroll. The cache usually stores information from the site to speed up loading times. This can cause recurring problems with the site if any of the data in the cache is corrupted or outdated, though. Clearing it allows your device to start over fresh. Those using a Crunchyroll app should first clear the cache and then delete the app data.