If you want to buy, manage, and play Microsoft Games on Windows without using Steam, your best bet is the Xbox app. The app is free and has improved a lot over the years, and with the rise of Game Pass, it has brought more value than ever before. Now, there will be times when downloading games from the Xbox app will be slow and annoying. In many cases, this has much to do with the app itself, certain settings in Windows 11/10, or your network connection. Thankfully, there are ways to increase the Download Speed in Xbox app, and that is what we’re going to discuss right now.
Why is my Xbox only download speed so slow?
You may experience slow download speed on the Xbox app if there is a problem with the internet connection or you’re getting errors related to network connectivity. Apart from that, if some game is already running and you install another game or app, Remote Play connection, delivery optimization settings on your Windows PC, etc., can also be some reasons for slow download speed.
What does the Xbox app on Windows do?
The Xbox app acts as a companion to the Xbox console itself where users can communicate with their family and friends on Xbox Live. Folks can also take advantage of features such as a second screen (formerly known as SmartGlass), and remote control. Additionally, the Xbox app can be used as a launcher for PC games that are installed on your computer.
Fix Windows Xbox app slow download speeds
To increase the Download Speed in Xbox app on your Windows PC, here are some suggestions that are sure to help you:
- Close and restart the Xbox app
- Check your internet speed
- Reset your router
- Check the status of the Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level
- Update the Xbox app
- Remove yourself from the Xbox Insider Program
- Stop downloads from happening on other computers
- Change the Delivery Optimization Advanced Settings
- Repair or Reset the Xbox app
1] Close and restart the Xbox app
This may or may not have occurred to you, but the simple task of restarting an app can solve some problems, not all. With that in mind, we do not recommend clicking the X button to close the app, as it only minimizes it.
From the tray area, right-click the Xbox icon, then select Quit. From there, go to the Start Menu to reopen it.
2] Check your internet speed
There’s a possibility that your internet speed is the reason why you’re having problems downloading games at the optimal speed, where the Xbox app is concerned. To find out if your speed is up to the task, you must perform an Internet speed test.
You can also try switching to a wired network connection, like connecting your computer to the internet via an Ethernet cable. This may help because wireless networks always experience more packet loss than wired networks.
Read: How to find out if your Internet Connection is capable of streaming 4K content.
If you’re experiencing high ping or low speed, then maybe your ISP is at fault and there is nothing you can do until they’ve rectified the problem.
3] Reset your router
Resetting your router is a simple task. All you have to do here is to unplug the router from the power source and wait a few seconds. After that, plug it back in and press the power button.
Alternatively, you could press and hold the small reset button on the device. This button is usually located at the bottom or on the side of the router. Depending on the design, you may need a pen or a pin to press the button.
Read: How to increase upload and download speed in Windows 11/10.
4] Check the status of the Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level
The Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level is a feature that improves performance for programs that receive TCP data over a network. This feature is disabled by default for the programs that use the Windows HTTP Services (WinHTTP) interface. Some examples of programs that use WinHTTP include Remote Desktop Connection and Windows Update. Enabling the Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level feature will make your network connection more efficient by increasing the data transfer rates.
Check the status of the Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level. If you find it disabled, enable it. The following instructions will help you with that:
Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. Copy the following command, paste it into the Command Prompt (Admin), and press Enter.
netsh interface tcp show global
If the status of the Receive Window Auto-Tuning Level shows disabled, you have to enable it. To do so, copy the following command, paste it into the Command Prompt (Admin), and press Enter.
netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal
This solution has fixed the issue for many users. It should also work for you.
5] Update the Xbox app
If you are using an outdated version of the Xbox app, you may experience several issues. This can be one of the causes of slow download speeds on the Xbox app. Open Microsoft Store and check if an update for the Xbox app is available. If yes, install the update.
The following steps will guide you on this:
- Open Microsoft Store.
- Go to Library.
- Click on the Get updates button.
- After this, Microsoft Store will automatically start updating the apps for which an update is available. If the update does not start by itself, click Update all.
6] Remove yourself from the Xbox Insider Program
If you are one of the many folks who have decided to join the Xbox Insider Program, please know this could be the reason behind your woes. You see, the Insider Program was created to give users early access to features and fixes, and while that might sound tantalizing, it can cause uncertainty.
- Click on your username from the Xbox app
- From there, select Xbox Insider Program from the dropdown menu
- Choose Previews from the left menu
- Go to Windows Gaming which is located under Joined
- Select the Leave Preview option after you’ve clicked on Manage
- Click the Continue button to confirm your choices
- Restart the Xbox app to have the chances initiated
That’s it, you should no longer be a part of the Xbox Insider Preview scheme.
7] Stop downloads from happening on other computers
You may not have known this, but Windows comes with a cool feature known as Delivery Optimization. This feature was created to improve the reliability and speed of the Xbox app, Microsoft Store, and Windows update downloads.
In our minds, the most impressive feature here is the ability to download updates from other computers that are downloading the same set of files. This is great, but some users have claimed that disabling this feature has solved problems with the Xbox app.
- Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I
- Scroll down and select Windows Update from the left panel
- From there, navigate to Delivery Optimization from the right panel
- Finally, turn off Allow Downloads from Other PCs
That’s it, you’re done. You can now check whether the Xbox app is downloading games faster than before.
Read: Xbox One slow upload or download speed
8] Change the Delivery Optimization Advanced Settings
The Delivery Optimization Advanced Settings on Windows 11/10 lets you set the percentage of measured bandwidth for downloading the updates in the foreground and background. Changing this setting may boost your downloading speed on Xbox. The following steps will help you with that:
- Click on the Windows Search and type delivery optimization advanced settings.
- Select the desired option from the search results.
- By default, the Absolute bandwidth option is selected. Select the second option (Percentage of measured bandwidth).
- Select both checkboxes and move the slider to limit the bandwidth. For some users, limiting the bandwidth to 100% fixed the issue.
Now, open Xbox app and see if the download speed increased.
9] Repair or Reset the Xbox app
Open Windows Settings and Repair or Reset the Xbox app. That should help!
Read: Fix Xbox App Notifications not working on Windows PC.
