Set a Lower Video Quality
While everyone loves to watch their shows in the highest quality possible, HD is going to take up a lot more data than standard definition. The Netflix mobile app lets you select between three different levels of quality. The lower you’re comfortable using, the less data you’ll use. This option is available whether you have the Netflix app installed on iPhone or Android. Go to App Settings > Cellular Data Usage and turn off Automatic and set it to the “Save Data” option.
You can also set data usage settings online by logging into your Netflix account in your browser. Choose the account you want to change data usage for and select Account > My Profile > Playback Settings. Note that on average Standard Definition is about 1GB of data per hour and High Definition is about 3GB per hour. Also, if you’re concerned about the total amount of data Netflix uses, you will need to make the adjustment to each account.
Download Shows on Wi-Fi for Offline Viewing
Your best option to save data and still watch your favorite content while on the go is to download Netflix content via Wi-Fi before leaving the house. Not everything is available to download, but a good chunk of the Netflix library is. In fact, the easiest way to get content is to check the “Available to Download” section in the app. Also, in App Settings, you want to choose the video quality of your downloads. Here you need to remember that HD quality is going to take up more space. And most importantly, make sure your content is set to download over Wi-Fi only.
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