To give you the best viewing experience, YouTube changes the quality of your video stream based on your viewing conditions. These conditions are why you may notice that the quality of your video changes as you watch videos.
Here are some factors that decide video quality:
- The speed of your internet connection.
- Video player/screen size: Higher-quality videos generally play better on larger screens.
- Quality of the original uploaded video: If the video was recorded in standard definition, it won’t be available in high definition.
- Your browser: Some browsers don’t support newer video formats or quality options.
Note: With YouTube Premium, you can watch videos in 1080p Premium on Apple phones and tablets. Become a YouTube Premium member or learn more about YouTube Premium benefits.
Change video quality
You can manually change the video quality of any video you're watching on a computer, TV, or mobile device.
How to change the quality of a video you’re watching
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Change video quality on your TV:
- In the video player, select Settings
.
- Select Quality.
- Select your preferred video quality.
Note: Some high-quality formats (for example, 1080p, 4K) may not be available for all devices, as they may not support the latest video compression technology (VP9).
To change video quality while watching on your computer:
- In the video player, select Settings
.
- Click Quality.
- Select your preferred video quality.