Netflix recommended internet connection speed

Last updated May 20, 2023

Netflix recommends the following internet connection speeds for optimal streaming quality:

Standard Definition (SD) quality: A minimum internet connection speed of 3 Mbps is recommended.
High Definition (HD) quality: A minimum internet connection speed of 5 Mbps is recommended.
Ultra High Definition (UHD or 4K) quality: For streaming content in 4K UHD, a minimum internet connection speed of 15 Mbps or higher is recommended.

It’s important to note that these are general recommendations, and the actual internet speed required may vary depending on various factors, such as the device you’re using, the quality of your home network, and any other internet activities happening simultaneously on your network.

To ensure a smooth streaming experience, it’s best to have a higher internet connection speed than the minimum recommended. Additionally, consider using a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi for more stable and consistent performance, especially for higher quality streaming.

Manage data and bandwidth usage

How to control how much data Netflix uses

To control how much data Netflix uses and manage your bandwidth usage, you can adjust the streaming quality settings on your Netflix account. Here’s how you can do it:

Sign in to your Netflix account: Visit the Netflix website (www.netflix.com) and sign in using your account credentials.
Access your account settings: Click on your profile icon in the top-right corner and select “Account” from the dropdown menu. This will take you to your account settings page.
Go to the “Profile & Parental Controls” section: Scroll down to the “Profile & Parental Controls” section and click on the profile for which you want to manage the streaming quality.
Open the playback settings: Under the selected profile, click on “Playback settings.” This will allow you to adjust the data usage options.
Choose your preferred data usage option: Netflix provides several options for data usage, including:
- Auto: This setting adjusts the streaming quality automatically based on your internet connection speed and available data. It aims to provide the best quality while avoiding buffering.
- Low: This uses the least amount of data and provides lower video quality. It uses up to 0.3 GB per hour of streaming.
- Medium: This provides a balance between data usage and video quality. It uses up to 0.7 GB per hour of streaming.
- High: This provides the best video quality but uses more data. It uses up to 3 GB per hour of streaming for HD content and up to 7 GB per hour for UHD/4K content.
- Custom: This allows you to set a specific data usage limit per hour of streaming. You can enter a value between the low and high settings.
Select your desired option: Choose the data usage option that suits your needs and click “Save” to apply the changes.

Keep in mind that the selected data usage option will apply to all devices and profiles associated with your Netflix account. If you want to set different data usage preferences for individual devices or profiles, you’ll need to adjust the settings for each one separately.

By adjusting the streaming quality settings, you can effectively manage your data usage while streaming content on Netflix.