Fixing Micro-Stuttering
When your video stream freezes briefly or hiccups every 1–2 seconds, despite a fast internet connection.
Some users may experience consistent “micro-stuttering” or periodic frame drops when using CloudGear on iOS devices. This often looks like a heartbeat—the stream runs perfectly smooth for a second, hitches, and then runs smooth again.
This is a known phenomenon affecting many real-time streaming applications on iOS (including CloudGear, Moonlight, and Remote Play). It is generally not caused by the app itself, but by background system processes related to Apple’s location and device discovery services (often referred to as AWDL or Apple Wireless Direct Link).
Periodically, your iOS device’s Wi-Fi radio briefly tunes away from your router’s frequency to scan for other Apple devices (for features like AirDrop and Handoff) via AWDL. This scanning causes packets to drop or be delayed, resulting in a stutter.
Fix #1: Router Settings
The most effective and permanent fix is to align your router’s 5GHz Wi-Fi channel with the channel Apple uses for AWDL. This prevents your device’s radio from having to “hop” between frequencies, eliminating the stutter without needing to disable any iOS features.
How to do it:
- Log into your router’s administrator page.
- Navigate to your 5GHz Wi-Fi settings.
- Change the Channel Selection from “Auto” to either 149 or 44.
- Save settings and reboot your router.
Fix #2: iOS Settings
If you cannot change your Wi-Fi channel (e.g., you are on a public network or a mesh system that blocks channel selection), you can try to minimize the background scanning activity by disabling specific iOS features.
⚠️ Important: This method is not 100% foolproof. While it significantly improves stability for most users, the iOS system may still occasionally trigger a background scan even with these settings disabled.
Step 1: Disable Location Services
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
- Tap Location Services.
- Toggle the switch OFF.
Step 2: Disable AirDrop
- Go to Settings > General.
- Tap AirDrop.
- Select Receiving Off.
Step 3: Disable AirPlay and Continuity
- Go to Settings > General.
- Tap AirPlay & Continuity.
- Disable ALL Options.
Step 4: Restart Your Device
After applying these settings, you must restart your iPhone or iPad. This clears any active AWDL processes that might still be running in the background.
