Nothing is more annoying than sitting down to watch some anime on Crunchyroll only to be met with an error that sounds like something Elon Musk would name his child; but if you’re reading this then that’s probably exactly what you’re going through right now.
Don’t sweat it though, errors aren’t uncommon when streaming and this might not be the only one you’ll experience on Crunchyroll. Luckily a few things you can do to try and fix the error although first things first, we’ve got to try and figure out the cause of the error code.
What causes the p-dash-28 error?
The p-dash-28 error can appear for a number of reasons, it could be a server overload, meaning too many people are trying to stream content at the same time. Or it could be due to a more easily fixable situation such as a cache overload on your device or a poor connection on your end. Cache overload can certainly impact performance in a negative way and an unstable connection could disrupt your streaming.
If you’re trying to access geo-restricted content that could also result in the error code as some platforms restrict streaming in certain locations for various reasons. Another possibility is that the Crunchyroll app could be outdated or even corrupted which could lead to compatibility issues. It’s important to try and identify what exactly could be causing the error as it could help you fix the problem quicker. Now that you have an idea of what could be causing the issue, here are some possible solutions.
Check server status
First port of call would be to check whether the Crunchyroll servers are down. You can do this by going to the Downdetector website and typing in “Crunchyroll.” It will bring up reports that can tell you whether the site’s servers are currently down or not. If they are then there isn’t a lot you can do unfortunately. Unless you want to take a roadtrip to the Crunchyroll headquarters and try fixing their problem yourself.
Resetting your network
You can check your internet speed on free websites online if you need to check, an internet speed of 25mbps is recommended for the best anime streaming experience. If your connection seems a little slow and unstable you could reset your router by turning it off for at least 10 seconds and then turning it back on. You could also try the classic IT technique of turning the device you’re watching from off and on again. Alternatively, you could do a network reset by going into settings>Network & Internet>Advanced Network Settings>Network Reset, this will remove network adapters from your PC and will reinstall upon restarting.
Modify DNS
The next thing to try would be changing your DNS settings. Changing to a public DNS servers could provide a better connection. You’ll want to go into your device settings and replace the preferred DNS and alternate with either Google (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1) this could give you a better connection.
Check for app updates
If you’re still getting the error then try updating the app. Locate Crunchyroll on the Microsoft/App/Play store and see if there is a newer version to potentially download. You could also try uninstalling the app altogether and then reinstalling.
Clear your cache
Whilst the cache and cookies are designed to improve the browsing experience, it can also affect playback, so clearing your cache could possibly fix the error. To do this, simply find your way to the history or privacy settings, you can usually get to this by clicking on the three dots in the top right, although this can change depending on the browser you’re using. From there click Clear Browsing Data and select a time frame, make sure that Browsing Data, Cookies and Other Site Data, and Cached Images and Files are selected, then click “Clear Data.”
Other potential fixes
If you know that the content is region locked then the solution to your problem might be slightly trickier to solve. You could try a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to change your location and bypass the restrictions.
There could also be certain extensions and plug-ins causing the error so it might be worth disabling them. To do so, navigate your way to extensions, which will likely be hiding in that three dot menu in the top right again, then disable any extensions which could be causing issues.
If you’ve gotten this far and are still experiencing the error then your best course of action might be to contact Crunchyroll support and see what wisdom they have to offer.