How to Change YouTube Video Quality on an iPhone

YouTube automatically adjusts video quality based on your internet connection speed. However, you can manually change YouTube video quality on your iPhone to reduce data usage, improve streaming, or enhance video resolution. Here are some ways to take control over YouTube’s video quality on iOS.

Use the YouTube App Settings

Manually adjusting YouTube app settings helps in enhancing video quality by allowing users to select higher-resolution options, which can provide clearer and more detailed visuals. By choosing a higher video quality setting, users can enjoy a more immersive viewing experience with improved image clarity, especially on devices with high-resolution displays.

The easiest way to manage video quality is directly in the YouTube app:

1. Open the YouTube app and tap on your profile picture.

2. Go to Settings > Video Quality Preferences. 

3. Select your preferred video quality. The options are Higher picture quality, Data saver, or Advanced.

4. If you choose Advanced, you can set separate preferences for cellular data vs. Wi-Fi.

This allows customizing video quality directly within the YouTube app itself. You can optimize for data usage or resolution.

Change Cellular Data Settings

Changing cellular data settings when adjusting YouTube video quality on an iPhone is necessary to control data usage and prevent excessive consumption of mobile data. By adjusting the video quality or enabling “Limit Cellular Data Usage” in the YouTube app settings, users can avoid unexpected data overages and ensure a smoother experience while watching videos on the go without draining their data allowance too quickly.

For more control over cellular networks, adjust your iPhone’s cellular data settings with these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options.

2. Find YouTube in the list and tap on it.

3. Select Low Data Mode to stream lower-quality videos on cellular.

4. Alternatively, turn off cellular data for YouTube altogether.

5. Return to Settings > Cellular and toggle Enable LTE to limit speed.

Customize cellular data at the iOS level to manage YouTube streaming on the go.

Use a Third-Party App 

YouTube video quality can likewise be enhanced through third-party apps. 

Apps like Video Quality+ give you more quality options:

1. Install the app and grant it accessibility permissions.

2. Open YouTube and start a video. Tap the overlay. 

3. Choose from Quality presets like Small, Medium, HD, Full HD, and more.

The app runs in the background applying video quality settings.

Other widely used apps that serve such purpose include the following:

1. ProTube for YouTube: ProTube offers various video quality options, including higher resolutions for iPhone users. It also provides additional features like background playback and ad-blocking, enhancing the overall YouTube viewing experience.
2. Cercube for YouTube: Cercube is known for its ability to download YouTube videos and watch them offline at different quality levels. It also allows users to customize video playback options, enabling improved video quality based on their preferences.
3. Tubex for YouTube: Tubex provides the option to watch YouTube videos in higher resolutions, making it a great choice for users who want to enhance the video quality beyond the default settings. The app also supports background playback and enables offline video viewing for an enhanced YouTube experience.

Find and pick the app that best suits your needs and video preferences.

Adjust Resolution Manually

Manually adjusting YouTube video quality on an iPhone is necessary to cater to different internet connection speeds and data limitations. By allowing users to choose their preferred video quality, they can optimize their viewing experience based on their current network conditions, avoiding buffering issues on slow connections or conserving data on limited data plans.

You can manually set an exact resolution with these steps:  

1. Tap the video to open the full-screen player. Tap the three dots.

2. Select Quality to see available resolutions like 1440p, 1080p, 720p, etc.

3. Choose your desired resolution. This will become the new default.

4. Repeat for other videos to set the resolution you want.

Selecting a specific resolution gives you the most control over YouTube’s video quality on your iPhone.

Reduce Streaming Data

When you reduce streaming data for YouTube on an iPhone, the video quality will be lowered to consume less data while watching videos. This means that the videos will appear at a lower resolution, which may result in slightly pixelated or less sharp visuals compared to higher-quality settings. 

However, reducing streaming data can benefit users with limited data plans or slow internet connections, as it helps reduce data usage and prevents buffering issues.

To minimize data usage:

– Enable Limit Mobile Data in YouTube settings.

– Lower the video quality when on cellular networks.

– Tap the X icon on videos to stop streaming when finished.

– Download videos over Wi-Fi to watch offline later.

Optimizing for minimal data usage is great for instances when you have limited bandwidth.

The YouTube app provides options to customize streaming video quality over cellular data and Wi-Fi. Use built-in settings, system-level data management, third-party apps, or manual selection to override quality defaults.

Changing YouTube Video Quality on iPhone FAQs