iPhone101: low data usage – Conserving Your Data Usage on Video and Streaming Services

Podcast Summary:

Blind Abilities presents another installment in its iPhone 101 series with this review of several popular video and audio streaming Apps, in which we explore ways to set up methods to reduce the amount of your cellular data you use while streaming or downloading their products. We already know that it is more cost effective to stream audio and video services while connected to your Home WiFi network as it’s cost is generally lower than that of your cellular data plan, but we may not be aware of howe to take advantage of the app settings that will actually use less data.

Pete Lane takes a look at the iOS Netflix app, as well as Amazon Prime Video, the native Apple Music and TV apps, Amazon music, Audible and the BARD Mobile app, and walks us through the specific settings which can be adjusted to take advantage of high efficiency streaming, lower video quality for streaming and downloading, and to set those processes to be active only while on WiFi.

These settings are not secrets nor are they hidden, but some of us may not have the time or the inclination to explore them.

Keep in mind that you will be sacrificing some video quality in order to save data, but for blind or visually impaired folks, this may not be a significant issue. For those listeners with some usable vision, you may notice the lower video quality when streaming over a cellular connection. To give you an example of the data savings, in low-data mode, Netflix will only use around 1 GB of data for an hour of streaming, which is a small amount when compared with the data consumed while streaming in the higher quality 4K format.

Settings demonstrated

Netflix

First, be sure your Netflix app is updated since your device may be running an old version. ` Ask Siri to open Netflix, or perform a single-finger double-tap on the Netflix app icon. Then single-finger double-tap on your profile.
Be sure the “Home” tab is selected among the five tabs at the bottom of the next screen. Then flick right from the top of the screen and single-finger double-tap on “settings.
Perform a single-finger double-tap to select “”Mobile Data Usage” located under the Video Playback section.
If this setting is set to “Automatic.” Use a single-finger double-tap to deactivate it, then flick to the right and perform a single-finger double-tap to activate “Save Data”.
Go back to the top of the screen and single-finger double-tap on the back button. On the previous screen. Flick right until you get to downloads, and single finger double tap. Flick right and be sure the button labeled ““Wi-Fi only,“” is selected. Flick right again and be sure the “video quality“ selection is set to “standard”.
Continue flicking to the right, and be sure your “Download Next Episode” is off. This decision may depend on how regularly you view each episode of a series.
Likewise, flick right and be sure your “Downloads for You” setting is in the off position.
To exit these settings, perform a single-finger double-tap on the “Back Arrow Left” button until you are back on the main Netflix screen.
You’re done. Your app settings will automatically be saved.

Amazon Prime

Open your Amazon prime video app.
Among the five tabs at the bottom of your screen, single finger double tap on “my stuff“.
Flick to the right and single finger double tap on “settings,“ then flick right and select “streaming and downloads“.
Be sure “streaming on Wi-Fi only“ is in the on position. Likewise, set ‘download on Wi-Fi only” to the on position.
for streaming and download quality, be sure your settings are set to “good“.
Go to the top of the screen and single finger double tap on the “back“ button.
Flick right and select “1“ under auto downloads.

* The next several streaming settings will be performed in the native iOS settings app, rather than an individual app such as Netflix or Amazon prime.

iOS Music app:

Open iOS settings, and flick right until you reach music. Perform a single finger double tap.
under the heading “allow Music to access“, do not select cellular data. Flick to the right until you reach audio streaming quality, and select “high-efficiency“.
go to the top of the screen and single finger double tap on the “back“ button. Flick to the right and turn “download using cellular data“ to the off position. Likewise, turn “automatic downloads“ off.
Under “Animated cover art“ select “on Wi-Fi only“.
flick left to the top of the screen and single finger double tap on the “back“ button.

* Flick right to the TV App*

Note: this will be the player app for any video streaming service you connect to it, such as Apple TV plus, CBS, ABC, etc. The connections are made in the Settings section of the separate TV app.

For streaming, Turn off “use cellular data. “For “video quality,” select “fast downloads, and for downloads, turn off cellular data”.
Flick left and single-finger double-tap on the “back” button.

* Flick right to the Podcast settings.

Under “allow podcasts to access,” turn off “cellular data,” and turn on “block download over cellular data”.
Under episode downloads, set to “ask if over 200 mb”, and for automatic downloads, set to “when following”.
Flick left and single-finger double-tap on the “back” button.

Note: perform the same adjustments to the same settings in the Amazon music, Audible and BARD Mobile settings.

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