7 ways to fix an Xbox One that keeps freezing or crashing

Playing your Xbox® is fun… until you become the Call of Duty teammate whose game freezes—or worse— crashes. 

At uBreakiFix® by Asurion, we make tech easy. From device repairs to gaming console deep cleaning—we've got you covered. Here’s how to press pause on your Xbox freezing so you can avoid having to wait the rest of the round in the online game lobby.

What causes an Xbox One to freeze or lag?

Here are a few issues that could be leading to your Xbox having chronic shivers:

• A game disc issue. Individual game discs can run into trouble with either the disc being dirty or a glitched data file. 
• A software glitch. Your system’s software having trouble firing up the programs that read your game discs. 
• The console is overheating. Freezing—and crashing—are tell-tale signs that the console is getting too hot. 
• A hardware problem. The game disc reader might be broken and needs repair. 

Keep in mind that your Xbox freezing or crashing is usually a symptom of a bigger issue, so having it checked out by a local Xbox repair expert can be helpful to avoid further damage.

Troubleshooting a frozen Xbox One

1. Restart the game

Restarting your device is an easy way to clear up any one-time bugs that might be causing your Xbox to freeze. Follow these steps to ‌complete that restart: 

1. Press and hold the Xbox button on your console for 10 seconds until it turns off.
2. Unplug the system and wait at least 10 seconds.
3. Plug it back in and press the Xbox button on your console to turn it on.
4. If you don't see the green startup animation when the console restarts, repeat steps 1–3, checking that you hold the Xbox button until the console completely shuts down.

2. Check for a slow internet connection 

Depending on your Wi-Fi connection, online gaming can lag or freeze completely. Make sure slow internet isn’t the problem by running a network connection test. Here’s how:

1. Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
2. Select Profile & system > Settings > General > Network settings. 
3. Select Test network connection. If the test is successful and the console can find your Wi-Fi, it’ll connect to the Xbox network.

3. Check the game disc

Eject the game disc and see if it’s dirty or scratched—either of these could be the reason your game keeps freezing. If there’s visible grime, you can use a soft microfiber cloth to clean the disc. If you see a scratch or a crack, you can try your luck with a disc repair kit. 

4. Try another game

Testing your Xbox with another game disc is a great way to rule out whether the issue is the disc or the console. 

5. Reinstall the problematic game

Start the game from the beginning, with a new save file. If the game continues to freeze or freezes at the exact spot every time, the disc’s game data might be corrupted. 

You can also try uninstalling the game, and then reinstalling it to attempt another play-through to see if it persists. 

6. Update your software

If you’ve noticed your Xbox keeps freezing no matter which game you play, a software glitch could be to blame. Updating your system’s software is the best way to help your console get over that issue. Follow these steps to update your Xbox One:

1. Make sure your Xbox is connected to the internet.
2. Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide, then select Profile & system.
3. Open Settings > System > Updates to check for and update your console.

7. Factory reset

Factory resetting your Xbox clears all of its saved data–including any system issues that might be causing trouble–and returns it to its factory settings. This kind of reset does mean all of your saved game files will be deleted, so it’s a good idea to back up if you can. You can use Xbox Live for more than online gaming; you can use it to back your games up to the cloud. As long as your console is connected to Wi-Fi and has available cloud space, you can use it to save your game data. You only have to launch the game while it’s connected to Xbox Live. Then, follow the steps in our guide to factory resetting your Xbox One.