- The company has limited the maximum video quality for streaming to standard definition (480p) in India after the countrywide lockdowns.
- The restriction is only being made to Android users in India.
- No official response on whether the restriction will be made to other regions or not.
The government of India imposed a nationwide lockdown for 21 days on March 24. YouTube has now restricted the maximum video quality for streaming on its Android app to standard definition after the countrywide lockdown. The restriction is imposed due to the increased traffic on the said platform during these days.
After the outbreak of the coronavirus, health officials have advised the masses to stay at home and practice social distancing. Many countries across the world have now imposed lockdowns to stop the spread of COVID-19. Due to lockdowns, an increased number of people are surfing through the internet. This increased usage has impacted the global internet infrastructure. Due to the increased usage of YouTube in India after the lockdowns, users will now be able to watch videos at a maximum of 480p video resolution on YouTube Android App, as spotted by XDA-developers.
During the last week, YouTube stated that the default video quality for streaming will be set to standard definition throughout the world. But users still could opt to watch videos on higher resolutions like 780p or High Definition. But the video hosting giant has now gone one step ahead in India by restricting the maximum video quality to 480p. The restriction is being made only for Android users right now. If you are using a desktop system, tablet, laptop, or an iOS device, you can still opt to watch videos on higher definitions. YouTube premium users will also go through the same restrictions, explained XDA-developers.
If you are thinking that you will be able to watch videos on higher definitions if you are using a strong Wi-Fi connection, then you may be wrong. YouTube for Android will only play videos maximum on standard definition either you use mobile data or a strong Wi-Fi connection. The platform had not announced to put a limit cap in India or any other county before. So, the reason for this drastic step taken by the company is still unknown. Although we are saying that this step might have been taken due to surged traffic on the said platform but a clear announcement from the company is still yet to be made.
The company has seen an overall rise in the number of people streaming through the platform from all over the world. So, the restrictions may also be applied to other regions as well but we are still not sure whether this will happen or not.
Users from India will probably be watching videos on standard definition till the ease of countrywide lockdowns. The said restrictions are applied to most populated areas of the country such as Mumbai and Delhi. Users from smaller cities have stated that they are still able to watch videos on higher definitions but there is a chance that these limitations will be imposed gradually in these smaller cities as well.
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