Forum Discussion
Streaming throttling
Hi, why is there such throttling of streaming from my mobile device? I’m on a 5G+ plan (with a 15 Pro Max phone), but I can barely watch Twitch or YouTube at 720p. Speedtest always shows 200+ Mbps an...
For example, Twitch or YouTube. To clarify, I am not saying I am not getting the best quality. What I’m saying is, when I set a YouTube video to 4K or a Twitch stream to 1080p (which is the max resolution on Twitch), it just becomes impossible to watch due to constant buffering. Have you tried to watch YouTube in 4K? Does it work for you? There shouldn’t be any issues with that; it doesn’t even require that much bandwidth. But for some reason, it’s just not working for me. It’s only watchable in 720p.
TELUS_Support
Official Support Team
Official Support TeamAs Nighthawk mentioned, most apps do default to a lower res for cellular data use, but can always be changed. In terms of buffering, there are a number of factors that come in to play. Since you're on the 5G+ plan, you shouldn't be seeing buffering occur too frequently, though of course it depends on where you are specifically in relation to the network itself. Have you tried restarting your device or speaking with our Mobility team about this?
- Nighthawk
Community Power User
TELUS_Support So I went and did a bit more testing in the Edmonton area. I was direct line of sight to a 5G+ tower at a distance of about 2 blocks. I had my iPhone set to 5G Auto. Had a lot of buffering. Switched back to LTE and almost no buffering at all, except the first few seconds it loads the stream, and it loaded much faster. I can't say for sure but I suspect there's something with 5G data at least in the areas I've been in. It's not the first time I've noticed it either but it has improved from what it was previously.
kusius As a short test, try switching your data to LTE and test the streaming apps. LTE should still offer more than enough speed for 4K. Highest speed I've had on LTE was over 300mbps though it will vary by tower and location.
Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data > Select LTE
Additionally under Cellular Data Options, under Data Mode, does it show Standard or Allow More Data on 5G? Stanard may make iOS put a restriction on the quality of video.
