Watching videos on Facebook in high quality can greatly improve your viewing experience. With higher video resolution and bitrates, videos will be sharper, clearer, and more detailed. The good news is that Facebook provides ways to watch videos in HD and higher resolutions. Here are some tips on how to enable and watch high quality videos on Facebook.
Enable HD Video Setting
The first step is to make sure the HD video setting is enabled on Facebook. This allows videos to play in 720p HD or higher resolution if available. Here’s how to enable it:
- Open Facebook in your desktop web browser or mobile app
- Click on the down arrow in the top right corner and choose “Settings”
- Go to the “Videos and Photos” tab in your settings
- Under “Video Playback” check the box next to “HD Video”
Enabling this setting tells Facebook you want to view higher resolution videos when possible. Facebook will then optimize video playback for your device and connection speed.
Upgrade to High Speed Internet
To stream high quality video without buffering, an HD or higher internet plan is recommended. Faster broadband and fiber connections provide the bandwidth needed for smooth playback. Here are some internet speed guidelines:
- 720p HD – At least 5 Mbps internet speed
- 1080p Full HD – 10+ Mbps internet speed
- 4K – 25+ Mbps internet speed
Upgrading your home WiFi router can also help with faster WiFi speeds and range for mobile devices. When choosing an internet plan, get the fastest download speeds you can afford to fully maximize video quality.
Use Ethernet for Computers
For desktop PC and laptop users, use an Ethernet cable to connect directly to your home router. This will provide faster and more reliable speeds compared to WiFi. An Ethernet connection helps avoid choppy playback and buffering issues when streaming HD video from Facebook.
Adjust Video Quality Settings
Facebook includes video quality controls that let you manually adjust the resolution. This is available on both desktop and mobile apps. Here’s how to use video quality settings for higher resolution:
- Start playing a video on Facebook
- Tap or click on the HD icon in the video player
- Select your desired video quality from the options
Video quality options may include 480p, 720p, 1080p, and Auto. Selecting a higher resolution like 720p or 1080p will give you sharper video if available. The “Auto” setting will choose the best quality based on your device and connection.
Update to the Latest Device Software
Make sure your smartphone, tablet, computer, and streaming devices are updated to the latest OS version and Facebook app. Software updates often include performance improvements and optimizations for video playback. Updating to the latest releases ensures your devices can provide the best Facebook video experience.
Close Other Apps and Tabs
Running too many apps and browser tabs in the background can consume RAM, bandwidth, and slow down your device. For smoother video streaming, close any unnecessary apps and browser tabs. This frees up system resources so your device can dedicate more power to playing the Facebook video.
Consider Upgrading Your Viewing Device
Viewing HD and 4K videos requires sufficient hardware. Older smartphones, computers, and TVs may struggle with high resolution playback, causing choppy or buffered videos. Consider upgrading your device to take advantage of Facebook’s video quality enhancements. Faster processors, more RAM, better GPUs, and high-res displays are key for a premium viewing experience.
Use Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is a dedicated video platform inside Facebook for premium shows, sports, news, and more. Videos on Facebook Watch can stream in up to 1080p HD resolution. To access Watch:
- Open the Facebook app on mobile or navigate to Facebook on desktop
- Tap or click on the “Watch” tab at the bottom/side
- Browse or search for videos
- Tap a video to start watching in highest quality
Facebook Watch provides a lean-back viewing environment optimized for HD streaming. Give it a try for viewing full quality Facebook videos.
Adjust Video Cache Settings
Increasing Facebook’s cache storage on your device allows it to store more video data for smoother playback. Here’s how to adjust cache settings:
- Desktop: Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Caching and adjust slider to cache more data.
- iOS: Go to Settings > Facebook > Storage & Cache and increase storage amount.
- Android: Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Videos and adjust “Cache Size” to store more data.
More cache storage lets Facebook load more of the video ahead of time rather than relying solely on real-time streaming. The result is less stuttering and interruptions in quality.
Lower Video Resolution if Needed
If you are still experiencing buffering or quality issues, try lowering the video resolution under video settings. Video streaming requires significant bandwidth, so reducing quality can help if you have limited internet speeds. Set video quality to 480p or lower until you can upgrade your network connection.
Conclusion
Using these tips, you can troubleshoot and optimize Facebook video to play at the highest quality possible based on your device, internet speeds, and other factors. Enjoy sharp, smooth HD or 4K videos for an enhanced viewing experience. Just enable HD, increase internet speeds, choose video settings wisely, update software, manage device resources, and upgrade equipment if needed.
With Facebook Watch and more immersive video content, it’s worthwhile getting videos to run at maximum quality. Follow these steps to watch high quality Facebook videos and make the most of your viewing time.
| Resolution | Internet Speed Needed |
|---|---|
| 480p | 3+ Mbps |
| 720p (HD) | 5+ Mbps |
| 1080p (Full HD) | 10+ Mbps |
| 4K | 25+ Mbps |