Put an end to changing YouTube’s preferences for every video. Learn the steps to permanently set the YouTube Video Quality on your desktop or mobile device.
Generally, watching your connection video will automatically set the quality of a YouTube video. But you may need to be aware that you may change the video’s quality on YouTube to improve its visuals or reduce its data footprint.
We’ll show you how to permanently set YouTube’s video quality for both mobile and desktop, so you won’t have to keep making this setting for each video you watch.
How Do I Change the Quality of a Video on YouTube?
As of April 2021, Android and iOS users will notice a change in how YouTube’s video quality settings function. Whether you’re using Wi-Fi or cellular data, you may now customize the video quality that will automatically set.
YouTube offers four distinct video quality settings:
- Automatically adapts the video quality to the available bandwidth, display size, and video file quality in real-time.
- To display videos in a higher resolution (at least 720p), more data must be used.
- Because the amount of data used by YouTube is directly proportional to the quality of your streaming connection, YouTube offers a data-saving mode that shows lower-quality videos.
- In-depth, allowing for granular control over video quality. Said it’s your only viable option.
Noticeable differences in video quality between clips indicate that you are utilizing the Auto setting.
Remember that a video can only be watched in the resolution it was originally uploaded in. A video that has been uploaded at 480p, for instance, will not play in higher resolutions. When a video with a higher resolution, such as 8K, is uploaded, you’ll be given a range of options to pick from, starting at 8K and going down to 144p.
Since adjusting the quality settings for each video can be a hassle, we’ll be showing you how to do so in a more permanent fashion on mobile and desktop devices. You can use this technique and many others to improve your YouTube presence.
How to set YouTube’s Mobile Video Quality For Good
YouTube’s mobile video includes an option to select the video quality to a specified rate permanently. How? Read on!
- Launch the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the upper right corner.
- Go to the Preferences menu.
- Choose your desired video quality by tapping the corresponding button. The next step for iOS users is to choose either “On mobile networks” or “On Wi-Fi” on the following page.
- Select between Better picture quality or Lower data use under Video quality when using mobile data or Wi-Fi.You may have noticed that the video resolution is fixed and cannot be changed. The Advanced option is where you’ll select the controls, which will only appear once the video has begun playing.
Here’s what you should do to accomplish this:
- Use the YouTube mobile app to play any video.
- Use your finger to tap the screen wherever you want the video to play.
- Tap the ellipsis (…) or the gear in the upper right.
- In the pop-up window, select Quality, then tap Advanced.
- Use the slider to tap the video quality you want. The video will begin playing at your chosen rate when you click the video button.
Remember that the quality of the uploaded video will determine the customization options that are made available. This setting can also be changed later on. Once you switch to a different video, it will change.
Instructions for Permanently Changing Desktop YouTube Video Quality
There is no official method of setting the desktop default video quality. Thankfully, you can use a variety of browser extensions to set YouTube’s desktop site’s video quality permanently.
Add-on for Chrome and Edge from YouTube:
- Find the Auto HD/4k/8k for YouTube extension in the Chrome Web Store.
- When prompted, select Add attachment after clicking Add to Chrome.
- Use your web browser to visit YouTube.
- To automatically switch to higher video quality (or higher resolution) when watching YouTube, click the corresponding icon from the browser extension’s menu. If the icon for the extension isn’t already visible, choose the Extensions menu item from your browser’s menu bar, and then select Auto HD/4k/8k for YouTube from the list. When you install the add-on, a window will appear where you may choose from several quality settings.
- Select the YouTube video quality that best suits your options. The extension will remember your preference and force a page refresh on YouTube to apply your changes immediately.
Mozilla Firefox’s YouTube Add-On
You can permanently change the video quality using the YouTube High Definition add-on for Firefox.
- Install the YouTube High Definition add-on for Firefox.
- To add a bookmark to Firefox, tap the Add button and select the action. Check If it’s your preference, check the box next to “Allow this extension to execute in private windows,” and then click Okay.
- Just open up YouTube and play playing a video.
- Click the high-definition option by clicking the YouTube logo in the upper right corner.
Select your selection from the Video quality menu and enjoy the video in your quality format. With this add-on, you may choose your desired video quality, which will load instantly. - Pin the extension to your browser’s toolbar for quick access in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
Remember that if the video you’re watching doesn’t support the quality setting you’ve chosen as your default on YouTube, these add-ons will automatically select the best quality for you. You may observe a 1440p video on a 1080p screen, but there are several changes you should be aware of.
Improve YouTube Video quality on Your Own
The YouTube Video Quality can be perplexing at first. However, with the highlighted steps above, you can permanently watch videos of your desired quality.
It’s a skill you can acquire with many others by exploring the vast resources of YouTube.
