[FIX] Hulu We Encountered an Error When Switching Profiles
Some Hulu users are seeing the ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error when attempting to switch or cycle between the profiles associated with their account. As it turns out, this problem seems to occur across multiple devices.
As it turns out, there are several different causes that might be ultimately leading to the apparition of this error code:
- Cached data related to Hulu – One of the most common causes that will trigger this error is conflicting Hulu account data that is currently being saved on your browser. If you’re encountering this problem on a PC, you should be able to fix the problem by opening the streaming service in an Incognito Mode (Private Window) from your favorite browser.
- Facebock account is tied to old Hulu account – Another instance that will trigger this error is a situation where Hulu’s servers end up determining that the Facebook account you’re using to sign in with your current account was also used with an old account. If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the problem by severing ties with your Facebook account with the old Hulu account.
- Conflict caused by activated devices – If your Hulu account is activated on multiple devices that are pinging from places where Hulu is not supported officially, streaming might be interrupted by Hulu’s server on the entire account. In this case, you should be able to resolve the problem by removing every unnecessary device from the Manage your Devices menu.
- Account suspension or ban – Under certain circumstances, it’s also possible that the error you’re seeing is actually caused by some type of restrictions imposed by Hulu’s support due to violation of their ToS. In this case, your only hope at getting the issue resolved is to get in contact with Hulu’s support team.
Method 1: Using Incognito Mode (Private Mode)
As it turns out, the go-to fix for the majority of affected users that have started seeing the ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error in Hulu is to simply open the same service in Incognito Mode (in Google Chrome) or Private Mode (in Mozilla Firefox).
This is more of a workaround rather than a proper fix, but a lot of affected users have successfully confirmed that they have used this workaround successfully.
If you’re looking for a quick fix, simply click on the action button of your browser and then select New Incognito Window from the newly appeared context menu.
Note: If you’re using Firefox, click on the action button and then click on New Private window from the newly appeared context menu.
Once you are successfully opened a private window, access the Hulu homepage, and log in with your account once again. Keep in mind that since you are inside an Incognito window, your login credentials will not be saved.
After you manage to successfully log in to your Hulu account, see if you can change profiles without encountering the same ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error.
In case the same problem is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.
Method 2: Disconnecting old Facebook Account from Hulu
Another documented instance that might cause the ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error in Hulu is when the user is logged into a Facebook account via their browser (or at least a cookie is saved) and an old Hulu account is also linked to the same Facebook account.
This prompts an account conflict with Hulu which will de-log your account forcibly as soon as you get to the profile page. This happens because Hulu is used to look for a Facebook account and ends up finding one that isn’t associated with the one it expects.
If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix the problem by logging in with your own Hulu account and severing the ties with your Facebook account.
In case this scenario is not applicable or you already did this and you’re still encountering the same ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error, move down to the next potential fix below.
Method 3: Removing Unnecessary Activated Devices
As it turns out, the apparition of this issue can also be caused by the list of activated devices of your Hulu account. In case you have a lot of activated devices that you are no longer using or you have devices that are currently pinging from a territory where Hulu is not supported, expect to see the ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error once you get to the profile page.
If this scenario is applicable, you should be able to fix this problem by accessing the list of your activated device in Hulu and then removing every unnecessary device from the list of allowed ones.
Here’s a quick guide on doing this from your Hulu account:
- Open your Hulu account and click on your account icon (before you get to the profile page) to get to the Your Account page.
- Once you get to the Your Account page, scroll down until you find the Watch Hulu on Your Devices section. When you see it, click on the Manage Devices button associated with it.
- Once you’re finally inside the Manage Your Devices menu, go ahead and click the Remove button associated with every non-essential device or with any device that you don’t recognise.
Managing your Device - Once every non-essential device is removed, sign out and in with your Hulu account again and see if the ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error still appears once you get to the Profile page.
In case the same problem is still occurring, move down to the next potential fix below.
Method 4: Contacting Support
In case none of the methods above have helped you go around the ‘We encountered an error when switching profiles‘ error, your only hope at getting this issue resolved is to get in contact with Hulu’s support desk.
First, make sure you are signed up with the correct account, then follow the on-screen instructions to open up a support ticket.
According to some affected users, this problem can also occur due to some type of conflicting data saved on Hulu servers that makes it impossible for you to switch profiles on that particular device.
Some users that were previously encountering the error code have confirmed that the problem was finally resolved after getting in contact with a Hulu support agent and asking them to clear the saved data related to your account.and/
