T-Mobile is downgrading YouTube’s video quality – here’s how to fix it

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YouTube is calling out T-Mobile’s Binge On program, claiming the carrier’s been downgrading its videos down to 480p.

If you’re an habitual YouTube user and a T-Mobile subscriber, you may have noticed a recent drop in stream quality. According to YouTube via The Wall Street Journal, the carrier is throttling all video streams down to 480p, even if the service isn’t included in the Binge On program.

For those of you out of the loop, Binge On is the T-Mobile’s new program that allows users to stream videos from a selection of video services without it counting towards their data allowance. However, the downside of it is that T-Mobile throttles all video in Binge On down to 480p. The good thing is that Binge On is completely optional–users can opt-out at anytime.

But what makes this whole situation intersting is that YouTube isn’t even included in the T-Mobile’s Binge On program, but unfortunately for the Google owned company, the carrier downgrades its videos anyway.

“Reducing data charges can be good for users, but it doesn’t justify throttling all video services, especially without explicit user consent.”

If you’re someone who uses YouTube on T-Mobile a lot and don’t want to sacrifice your streaming quality, here’s the best solution:

1. Log in to your T-Mobile account online.
2. In the upper-right corner, click Profile.
3. In the right-hand panel, click Media Settings.
4. Disable the “Binge On” toggle.

One thing to remember after disabling Binge On is that your data consumption will dramatically increase when using services such as Hulu, Netflix, HBO, or any other video streaming service. But the good thing is that you can switch this setting on/off at any time. Just follow the steps above and you’re good to go.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.