How to change streaming and download quality in Apple TV app

Learn how to change the quality of content streamed or downloaded in the TV app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.

Gone are the days of having the same quality for all shows and movies you watch. With wonderful technological advances, you can choose the quality you want. So, if you’re comfy on the couch with your Mac, you likely want the best quality available. But if you’re on an iPhone using cellular data instead of Wi-Fi, you might prefer a faster download over high quality.

Follow these steps to change the streaming and download quality for the Apple TV app.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Settings app, scroll down, and tap TV.
2. At the top, set your Streaming Options for Cellular Data and Wi-Fi. Choose from High Quality, where the stream uses more data, or Data Saver, where it takes 1 GB to stream one hour of content. The Cellular option has Automatic instead of Data Saver, which decides the quality as per your cellular plan.
3. Next, set your Download Options. Again, you can set that for Cellular Data separate from Wi-Fi. Pick from High Quality for a slower download that uses more storage or Fast Downloads, which is just the opposite.

Related: Tips to save cellular data on iPhone

Mac

1. Open the TV app and click TV > Settings from the top menu bar.
2. Go to the Playback tab.
3. Use the drop-down to select your Streaming Options from High Quality (Up To 4K) or Data Saver. Choose the one that works best with your Mac.
4. Then use the drop-down to select your Download Options from High Quality (Up To 1080p), Fast Downloads, Most Compatible HD (1080p), or Most Compatible SD (480p). Choose the one that works best with your Mac’s storage space.
5. Finally, click OK to save your new changes.

Apple TV

1. Go to the Settings app on your TV and select Apps.
2. Select TV under the App Settings heading.
3. Scroll down to Streaming Video Quality to choose from Best, Better, or Good. Note that this video quality will also apply to bought or rented iTunes Movies and TV Shows you want inside the TV app.

You cannot download shows and movies in the TV app on Apple TV. So, you won’t see an option to manage this setting.

Vision Pro

1. Open the Settings app and go to Apps.
2. Select TV.
3. Now, set a streaming quality for Wi-Fi. You can choose between High Quality and Data Saver.
4. Next, pick High Quality or Fast Downloads as the download quality.

On a related note: How to control your TV volume with the Apple TV Remote