Blurry Paramount+ video usually means your internet speed is too slow, your app needs an update, or your streaming quality setting is capped below what your connection can handle

Paramount+ adjusts video quality based on your internet speed, device, and the quality setting you chose in the app. If the picture looks soft or pixelated, the app is either throttling the stream because your connection dropped, or you have manually set the quality to a lower tier. Start by checking your internet speed — Paramount+ needs at least 2.5 Mbps for standard definition and 25 Mbps for 4K. If your speed is fine, restart the app and your device, then check whether you have the latest version of Paramount+ installed.

Blurriness can also happen if your device's display settings are wrong, if the app cache has corrupted data, or if Paramount+ is having a temporary issue on their end. Most of the time, a restart or an app update fixes it within minutes.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your internet speed using a speed test tool — you need at least 2.5 Mbps for standard definition and 25 Mbps for 4K video.
  • Restart the Paramount+ app and your device completely, then try playing a show again to see if the picture clears up.
  • Update the Paramount+ app to the latest version through your device's app store, since older versions can have playback bugs.
  • Look at your quality settings inside Paramount+ — if you set it to Low or Medium, the picture will be softer than High or 4K.
  • Clear the app's cached data by going to your device settings, finding Paramount+, and selecting Clear Cache or Storage.

Check your internet connection speed first

Paramount+ streams video at different quality levels depending on how fast your internet is. If your connection is slower than what the app expects, it will lower the quality automatically to keep the video from buffering. Use a speed test tool like Speedtest.net or Fast.com to see your actual read speed.

Paramount+ recommends 2.5 Mbps for standard definition, 8 Mbps for HD, and 25 Mbps for 4K. If your speed is below 2.5 Mbps, that is your problem — the app cannot deliver a sharp picture on a slow connection. If your speed meets the requirement but the picture is still blurry, move to the next step.

If your speed test shows you are getting what you pay for, restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in. Sometimes a router needs to reset its connection to your internet service provider. Wait for all the lights to stop blinking before you try Paramount+ again.

Restart the Paramount+ app and your device

A restart clears temporary data from the app's memory and forces it to reload. Close Paramount+ completely — do not just minimize it. On most phones and tablets, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top on older Android devices) to see your open apps, then swipe Paramount+ away. On a TV, press the Home button, highlight Paramount+, and select Close or Remove from Recent.

After closing the app, restart your entire device. Power it off completely, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. This clears the device's memory and resets its connection to your network. Once the device is fully booted, open Paramount+ again and try playing a show.

If the picture is still blurry after a full restart, the problem is not a temporary glitch.

Update the Paramount+ app to the latest version

Older versions of Paramount+ can have bugs that cause blurry playback or quality issues. Check your device's app store — Apple App Store on iPhone and iPad, Google Play Store on Android phones and tablets, or the app store built into your smart TV — and see if an update is available for Paramount+.

If an update is waiting, install it. If updates are set to automatic on your device, the app should already be current, but it is worth checking. After the update installs, close and reopen Paramount+, then play a show to see if the picture is sharper.

Updating the app also fixes problems with how it talks to your device's display, which can sometimes cause blurriness even when your internet is fast.

Check your quality setting inside the app

Paramount+ lets you manually set the video quality to Low, Medium, High, or 4K (if your plan includes it). If you set it to Low or Medium, the picture will look softer than it should, even if your internet is fast enough for High or 4K. Open Paramount+, go to your account settings or profile menu, and look for Streaming Quality or Video Quality.

Set it to High or 4K depending on what your plan includes and what your internet speed supports. If you are not sure which tier your plan has, check your Paramount+ subscription details on the website or in the app. After you change the setting, close the app and reopen it, then play a show to see if the picture improves.

Some devices also have their own quality settings separate from the app. On a smart TV, check the display settings or picture settings in your TV's menu to make sure the resolution is set to the TV's native resolution, not a lower one.

Clear the app's cached data

The Paramount+ app stores temporary files called cache to load shows faster. If that cache gets corrupted, it can cause playback problems including blurry video. Clearing it is safe — the app will rebuild the cache the next time you use it.

On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings, find Paramount+, tap it, and select Offload App or Delete App. Choose Offload if you want to keep your login information, or Delete if you want a complete fresh start. Then reinstall Paramount+ from the App Store.

On Android, go to Settings, find Apps or process Manager, tap Paramount+, select Storage or Storage and Cache, and tap Clear Cache. If that does not work, tap Clear Storage instead, but know that this will log you out and you will have to sign in again.

On a smart TV, the steps vary by brand. For Samsung, LG, and Roku, go to Settings, find the app management or apps section, select Paramount+, and choose Clear Cache or Clear Data. Restart the TV after you do this.

Check whether Paramount+ is having an outage

Sometimes blurry video is not your fault — Paramount+ servers or streaming infrastructure can have problems that affect picture quality for many users at once. Check the Paramount+ social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter) or look at a service status site like Downdetector to see whether other people are reporting the same issue right now.

If Paramount+ is having an outage, there is nothing you can do except wait for them to fix it. If no outage is reported and your picture is still blurry after trying all the steps above, contact Paramount+ support through the app or website and describe exactly what you see — whether it is pixelation, softness, or something else — and what device you are using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Paramount+ blurry on my TV but not on my phone?

Your TV and phone may have different internet connections — your TV might be on Wi-Fi while your phone is on a faster connection, or your TV might be farther from the router. Move your TV closer to the router or switch it to a wired ethernet connection if possible. Also check whether your TV's display settings are set to the correct resolution for your TV model.

Does lowering my quality setting to Low save data?

Yes, streaming at Low quality uses less data than High or 4K, but it will make the picture look blurry. If you have a data cap on your internet plan, you can use Low quality to stay under the limit, but be aware that the picture will not be sharp. Most home internet plans do not have data caps, so this is usually not necessary.

Can a VPN make Paramount+ blurry?

A VPN can slow down your internet speed if it is not fast enough to handle the extra encryption, which can cause Paramount+ to lower the quality. Try turning off your VPN and running a speed test to see if your connection is faster without it. If it is, the VPN is the problem.

What if I cleared the cache and the picture is still blurry?

Uninstall Paramount+ completely and reinstall it fresh from your app store. This removes all cached data and resets the app to its default state. Sign in again and try playing a show. If the picture is still blurry after a fresh install, the problem is likely your internet speed or a device display issue, not the app.

Does Paramount+ look blurry on older devices?

Older phones, tablets, and smart TVs may not support the higher quality streams that newer devices can handle. Check whether your device is on Paramount+'s list of supported devices on their website. If your device is very old, Paramount+ may only stream to it at lower quality even if your internet is fast.