Movies and TV series streaming platform, Netflix now lets users better control how much data they use when streaming on mobile networks.
The default setting will enable users to stream about three hours of TV shows and movies per gigabyte of data, which amounts to about 600 Kilobits per second, Netflix says.

“Our testing found that, on cellular networks, this setting balances good video quality with lower data usage to help avoid exceeding data caps and incurring overage fees. If you have a mobile data plan with a higher data cap, you can adjust this setting to stream at higher bitrates,’’ the company said in a blog post.[quote font=”georgia” font_size=”22″ font_style=”italic” align=”left” arrow=”yes”]The default setting will enable users to stream about three hours of TV shows and movies per gigabyte of data, which amounts to about 600 Kilobits per second, Netflix says.[/quote]
‘’Our goal is to give you more control and greater choice in managing your data usage whether you’re on an unlimited mobile plan or one that’s more restrictive.’’
Users can as well switch off the automatic default and select a higher or lower data usage setting that works with their mobile data plan, according to Netflix. This they can do by updating Netflix app on iOS or Android to the most recent version and selecting ‘’App Setting’’ from the menu to pick Cellular Data Usage.
The company also said that, as with all streaming, actual data usage can vary based on the user’s device capabilities and network conditions.
‘’Your mobile carrier also may impact the actual data usage even if you elect a higher setting in the Netflix app.’’
This setting only affects data usage while viewing on mobile device on cellular networks; streaming on Wi-Fi is not affected nor is streaming when tethered, according to Netflix.