Netflix now gives you control over video quality on iOS

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Netflix iPhone
Want HD over data? Now you can!
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

After throttling our video quality automatically to ensure we didn’t burn through our data in two episodes of Breaking Bad, Netflix is finally giving users control over the video quality they get when using a data connection.

The latest version of its iOS app adds four playback options — plus handy 3D Touch shortcuts that make it faster to access content from the home screen.

Back in March, Netflix admitted that it was throttling video speeds for viewers on AT&T and Verizon, so most were unable to enjoy high-definition video without a Wi-Fi connection. It claimed it was doing this to protect subscribers from overage charges.

However, we all know that Netflix simply wanted to prevent us from burning through out data so quickly that we could want even more Netflix content every month. But now, as promised, it’s up to you to decide how you want to watch.

If you’d rather watch HD regardless of how much data you burn, then, you now have that option. Inside the app’s settings menu, users can choose low, medium, high, and unlimited streams, turn streaming off completely when using mobile data.

Netflix also offers a “set automatically” option that’s enabled by default, which basically leaves things as they were.

This update also adds 3D Touch shortcuts. Netflix first embraced 3D Touch back in February, when it added the ability to use Peek and Pop gestures to preview content within its iOS app. But now you can use the feature on the home screen.

With just one press on the Netflix icon, you can “continue watching” whatever you were enjoying most recently, view what’s “trending now,” visit your list of favorite content, and jump directly into the search function.

The most useful one is obviously “continue watching,” which means you don’t have to faff around inside the Netflix app to enjoy the rest of that movie or TV show you were watching earlier. Your finger needs to touch your iPhone’s screen just once, and then you’re there.

You can download the latest version of the Netflix app now. It also brings improved VoiceOver navigation, and fixes an issue which prevented the app from recognizing an internet connection.

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