Xbox App Slow Downloads? Speed Up in Windows 11

Updated 4 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

If your Xbox app downloads crawl on Windows 11, the bottleneck is usually a combination of network settings, background activity, and the app’s own download cache. This guide walks you through the most effective fixes, from turning off delivery optimization to clearing a corrupted cache, so you can get back to playing faster.

What You’ll Need

Windows 11 PC with the Xbox app installed (it comes preinstalled)
Administrator access to change system settings
An active internet connection (wired is recommended for testing)

Step-by-Step

Check the Xbox app’s download settings. Open the Xbox app, click your profile icon in the top left, then select Settings > General. Under Download settings, make sure Allow game updates to happen in the background is enabled. This lets updates download while you do other things, but it doesn’t directly speed up a current download. More importantly, if you have a metered connection, Windows may throttle downloadsâ€”turn off Limit background data if it’s on.
Pause and resume the download. Sometimes the download thread gets stuck. In the Xbox app, go to your Queue (bottom left), click the pause icon next to the game, wait 10 seconds, then click resume. This often renegotiates the connection and can jumpstart a stalled download.
Close other apps that use the network. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Processes tab, and sort by Network. Close or pause anything using significant bandwidth: browsers, streaming apps, Steam, Epic, or Windows Update. Even a background OneDrive sync can eat your pipe.
Turn off Delivery Optimization (the big one). This Windows feature shares updates with other PCs on the internet, which can slow your download. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization. Turn off Allow downloads from other PCs. If you need to keep it on, at least set the slider to Off for both Downloads on this PC and Uploads to other PCs.
Clear the Xbox app cache. A corrupted cache can cause slow or stuck downloads. Close the Xbox app completely. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe and press Enter. This clears the Microsoft Store cache, which the Xbox app relies on. Wait for the command to finish and the Store to open, then close it and relaunch the Xbox app.
Reset the Xbox app via Settings. If wsreset doesn’t help, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Xbox, click the three dots, and choose Advanced options. Scroll down and click Repair first. If that doesn’t work, try Reset (this will clear your sign-in and settings, but not your games).
Change your DNS to a faster server. Slow DNS can affect connection setup. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) > your connection > DNS server assignment > Edit. Set it to Manual, turn on IPv4, and enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare). Save and restart the Xbox app.
Run the Windows Network Troubleshooter. Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters, run Internet Connections and Network Adapter. This can fix underlying driver or configuration issues.
Check for Windows updates. An outdated Windows 11 build can have bugs affecting download speeds. Go to Settings > Windows Update and install any pending updates, then restart.
Use a wired connection temporarily. If you’re on Wi-Fi, plug in an Ethernet cable. Even if Wi-Fi shows strong signal, interference or a weak adapter can cause packet loss that slows downloads. Test with a cable to see if the speed improves.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to restart the Xbox app after changing settings. Many settings only take effect on a fresh launch. Always fully quit the app (right-click the icon in the taskbar and choose Quit) before testing.
Turning off Delivery Optimization but not restarting. The change may not apply until the next download session.
Assuming the Xbox app is the only thing downloading. Windows Update, Steam, and even game launchers like Epic or Riot can run in the background. Check Task Manager’s network column.
Using a VPN or proxy. VPNs can dramatically slow downloads due to encryption overhead and server distance. If you have one on, turn it off and test.
Changing DNS but not flushing the cache. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run ipconfig /flushdns after changing DNS.

Tips

Schedule downloads for off-peak hours. If your ISP throttles during peak times, start the download late at night or early morning.
Keep your game drive healthy. If you’re installing to an HDD, consider moving to an SSD. Slow disk write speeds can bottleneck even a fast connection.
Update your network drivers. Go to your PC manufacturer’s support site and download the latest Wi-Fi or Ethernet driver. Windows Update sometimes misses these.
Use the Xbox app’s built-in speed test. In Settings > General, there’s a Network tab that shows your download speed. Run it to confirm your connection is actually fast.
Pause other device downloads. If you have a phone, tablet, or another PC on the same network, pause any large downloads there too.

Troubleshooting

If your download is still slow after trying everything:

Check if the problem is the server. Try downloading a different game. If that’s also slow, it’s likely your connection. If it’s fast, the original game’s server may be overloadedâ€”wait a few hours and retry.
Restart your router and modem. Unplug them for 30 seconds, plug back in, and wait for the lights to stabilize. This clears NAT tables and can fix connection issues.
Disable IPv6 temporarily. Some ISP configurations have broken IPv6. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > More network adapter options, right-click your adapter, select Properties, uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), and restart.
Use the Microsoft Store’s own download settings. The Xbox app shares infrastructure with the Store. Open the Store, click the three dots in the top right, go to Settings, and disable Update apps automatically if you want to avoid background downloads competing.
If nothing works, reinstall the Xbox app. Uninstall it from Settings > Apps, then download it again from the Microsoft Store. Your games remain installed, but you’ll need to sign in again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Xbox app download slower than my internet speed?

Your ISP may throttle gaming traffic, or the game’s server may be far away. Also, Windows Delivery Optimization and background updates can eat bandwidth. Check your speed with a direct download (like a Steam game) to compare.

Does pausing and resuming actually help?

Yes, sometimes. It forces the app to renegotiate the connection, which can bypass a stuck thread or a temporary network hiccup. It’s worth trying if the download seems frozen.

Will clearing the cache delete my games?

No. Clearing the cache (via wsreset or the Reset option) only removes temporary files and settings. Your installed games remain on your drive. You’ll just need to sign in again.

Is it safe to turn off Delivery Optimization?

Yes, it’s safe. It only prevents your PC from sending or receiving update chunks from other PCs. You’ll still get updates directly from Microsoft. It may slightly increase load on Microsoft’s servers, but that’s fine.

Why does my download speed drop to zero randomly?

This often happens when the disk can’t keep up with the network, or when the connection times out. Try moving the game to an SSD, and check if your router has QoS settings that might be throttling.

Can I download games faster by using a VPN?

Usually no. A VPN adds overhead and routes your traffic through a middleman, which often slows downloads. It might help if your ISP is throttling Xbox traffic, but test carefully.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.