YouTube adds new video resolution options to help users reduce data usage

After allowing users to change their YouTube channel name without changing their Google account name, YouTube has made significant changes to video resolution settings on its iOS and Android apps. YouTube has started rolling out advanced video resolution options in the YouTube app. Video resolution is automatically set based on data usage.

As a result, after the update, users will no longer have the usual 720p, 1080p, or 4K resolution options in the YouTube app on Android and iOS. Instead, you’ll get higher quality options and advanced options like Data Saver, which automatically sets video resolution based on your data usage.

YouTube’s new video resolution options

According to YouTube, this is intended to simplify video resolution selection in the app and allow non-technical users to choose the option that best fits their data needs. So, as you might have guessed, this is similar to the resolution selection options on Disney+ Hotstar and Prime Video, which includes high, medium, and low settings.

However, unlike the aforementioned platforms, YouTube offers “High Quality” and “Data Saver” modes, as well as an “Advanced” option that allows users to select a specific video resolution as before.

A new resolution option allows users to set the resolution of the video they are currently watching. However, the changes will not be applied to other videos. However, users can set the default video resolution for all videos by going to Settings -> Video Quality Settings in the YouTube app. You have the option to set the default video resolution for both Wi-Fi and mobile networks.

Additionally, “High Quality” mode, which sets the video resolution to 720p or higher, is best when using a Wi-Fi network. Conversely, the “Data Saver” option maximizes video resolution to 480p and minimizes the amount of data used.

availability

New YouTube video resolution options will be rolled out through a server-side update. Therefore, updating the YouTube app doesn’t necessarily bring these new options to your device. I updated the YouTube app on my iPhone XR and didn’t see the new resolution options, but Android users can force quit the app and clear the cache to test the feature right away.