{"id":99327,"date":"2023-12-04T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/?p=99327"},"modified":"2024-05-30T23:08:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T03:08:04","slug":"why-does-youtube-default-to-360p-and-how-to-fix-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/why-does-youtube-default-to-360p-and-how-to-fix-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does YouTube Default to 360p? (and How to Fix It)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Does YouTube default to 360p quality for your videos? At 360p, YouTube videos can appear blurry. Some reasons why YouTube chooses to play your videos in 360p are that your internet connection is slow, you have yet to set the default video quality, your web browser settings are incorrect, and more.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check if Your Internet Connection Is Slow\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most common reason YouTube plays your videos in 360p is that your internet connection is slow. Your connection speed isn\u2019t fast enough to play videos in higher quality, which forces the platform to choose a lower quality for your video playbacks.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, check if your internet connection is fast enough using a site like Fast<\/a> or Speedtest<\/a>. These sites will check your connection\u2019s speed and let you know the current speed.\n<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

If your connection is slow, contact your internet service provider (ISP) to upgrade to a higher-speed plan.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manually Change Your YouTube Video\u2019s Playback Quality\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If YouTube doesn\u2019t automatically enhance your video quality<\/a>, manually choose the high-quality option for your video playbacks. You can do this on YouTube\u2019s desktop site as well as YouTube\u2019s app for iPhone, iPad, and Android.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing YouTube Playback Quality On Desktop <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Open your preferred web browser and access YouTube.com<\/a>.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Start playing your video on the site.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Select Settings<\/span> (a gear icon) in the video player\u2019s bottom bar.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Select Quality<\/span> and choose your preferred quality.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Changing YouTube Playback Quality On Mobile <\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Open the YouTube<\/span> app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Play a video.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Select Settings<\/span> (a gear icon) in the video player\u2019s top-right corner.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Choose Quality<\/span> in the menu.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Select Advanced<\/span> and choose your preferred video quality.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Set the Default Video Quality in YouTube for Android, iPhone, and iPad\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Unlike YouTube\u2019s desktop site, you can set the default video quality in the platform\u2019s app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. This means you can fix your YouTube reverting to 360p quality issue by choosing your preferred video resolution in the app.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Note that YouTube will use your chosen video quality for all future video playbacks in the YouTube app on your phone.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. Launch the YouTube<\/span> app on your phone.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Select You<\/span> in the app\u2019s bottom bar.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Tap Settings<\/span> (a gear icon) in the top-right corner.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Select Video quality preferences<\/span> in the menu.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Choose Higher picture quality<\/span> in both Video Quality on Mobile Networks<\/span> and Video Quality on Wi-Fi<\/span> sections.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Note that YouTube will use relatively more internet data<\/a> when you choose to play your videos in high quality. You might want to keep an eye on your data usage if you have a limited data plan.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Clear YouTube\u2019s Cache on Your Android Phone\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        If YouTube continues to bring your videos to 360p quality, it\u2019s possible the app\u2019s cached files are corrupted. When such corruption happens, your app can cause various random problems.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Luckily, you can fix your app\u2019s bad cache by wiping off the cache on your phone<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t delete your data in the app and allows you to fix many issues with your app.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Note that you can only clear an app\u2019s cache on Android. The iPhone and iPad don\u2019t allow you to remove an installed app\u2019s cached data.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. Tap and hold on YouTube<\/span> on your home screen or in your app drawer.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Select App info<\/span> in the menu.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Choose Storage usage<\/span> on the following screen.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Select Clear cache<\/span> to delete your app\u2019s cached data.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
          \n
          \"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
            \n
          1. Launch your YouTube<\/span> app and play your videos.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Uninstall and Reinstall YouTube on Your iPhone or iPad\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            If you\u2019re using YouTube on an iPhone or iPad, and the app continues to play your videos in 360p quality, remove and reinstall the app to see if that fixes your issue. This is because your app\u2019s core files might be corrupted, causing the problem.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            1. Find YouTube<\/span> on your device\u2019s home screen.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Tap and hold on the app and select Remove App<\/span> > Delete App<\/span>.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Reinstall the app by opening App Store<\/span>, finding YouTube<\/span>, and selecting the download icon.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Reset Your Desktop Web Browser\u2019s Settings\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              One reason YouTube defaults to 360p video quality on desktop is that your web browser\u2019s settings are configured incorrectly. You or someone else may have tweaked your browser settings incorrectly, causing the problem.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              In this case, reset your browser settings<\/a>, and your issue should be resolved.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              You can reset Google Chrome by opening the browser, selecting the three dots in the top-right corner, choosing Settings<\/span>, selecting Reset settings<\/span> in the left sidebar, choosing Restore settings to their original defaults<\/span> on the right, and selecting Reset settings<\/span>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n

              \n
              \"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

              To reset Mozilla Firefox, open the browser, select the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner, choose Help<\/span> > More troubleshooting information<\/span>, select Refresh Firefox<\/span>, and choose Refresh Firefox<\/span> in the prompt.\n<\/p>\n\n\n

              \n
              \"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

              You can bring Microsoft Edge\u2019s settings to the defaults by launching the browser, selecting the three dots in the top-right corner, choosing Settings<\/span>, selecting Reset settings<\/span> in the left sidebar, choosing Restore settings to their default values<\/span>, and selecting Reset<\/span>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n

              \n
              \"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

              Close and relaunch your web browser when you\u2019ve reset the settings, then launch YouTube.com<\/a> and see what quality your videos play in.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Force YouTube to Use Your Specified Video Quality Using a Web Browser Extension\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              If your issue still isn\u2019t resolved in your desktop web browser, you can utilize a browser extension to force YouTube to use your specified resolution for your videos. This prevents the site from switching to 360p for your video playbacks.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              If you\u2019re a Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge user, you can get the Auto HD\/4k\/8k for YouTube – YouTube Auto HD<\/a> extension. Mozilla Firefox users can achieve the same in their web browser using the YouTube High Definition<\/a> add-on.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Once you\u2019ve installed an extension, configure that extension and choose your preferred video quality. Then, YouTube will play all your videos in your chosen resolution.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Prevent YouTube From Switching to 360p Quality for Your Videos\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              Gone are the days when 360p was considered a good resolution for videos. If YouTube keeps reverting to that quality, use the methods described above, and your issue will be resolved. YouTube will then play your videos in your chosen quality, allowing you to enjoy your watching sessions.\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Does YouTube default to 360p quality for your videos? At 360p, YouTube videos can appear blurry. Some reasons why YouTube chooses to play your videos in 360p are that your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":99329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5267],"tags":[5338],"class_list":{"0":"post-99327","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-social-media","8":"tag-youtube"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/youtube.webp","author_info":{"display_name":"Mahesh Makvana","author_link":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/author\/mmakvana\/"},"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t