Google updated its YouTube app for Android and iOS to allow users to choose the resolution of their videos according to their mobile data consumption and limitations This, however, had the side effect of making things more complicated

Previously, users could individually select specific resolutions of YouTube videos (240p, 280p, 720p, 1080p, etc) simply by tapping the settings icon And now, you must first select Automatic, High Quality, Data Saver, or Advanced Mode

All of this is to let you know how much your videos will load your mobile data; if you are familiar with YouTube, you know that a 4K video consumes more data than a 720p resolution

So these new settings can be confusing But don't worry Let me briefly explain how this works on mobile devices

When you watch a video on the YouTube app on your mobile device, you will see a three dotted line icon in the upper right corner of the screen

Tap this and you will see several options, but what we are looking for here is the "picture quality" setting You will then see four different options: "Auto" (recommended), "High Quality" (uses more data), "Data Saver" (lower quality), and "Advanced" (select a specific resolution)

In short, if you are going out using mobile data, choosing "Data Saver" will allow you to stream video in a lower resolution, but save on data usage

Alternatively, you can choose "Automatic (recommended) This will automatically adjust to your situation "to provide the best experience"

Alternatively, if you are less concerned about data consumption, simply select "High Quality," which will increase resolution and data usage

However, if none of the above applies to you, or if you simply want to select a specific resolution, the "Advanced" option is recommended: select "Advanced" and a new menu will appear with options ranging from 1440p to 4K (depending on the video) to choose from You can select from options ranging from 1440p to 4K (depending on the video)

If you don't like streaming YouTube videos, check out our guide on how to download YouTube videos

Google is clearly trying to make YouTube easier to use on the go, even for those who are less familiar with the various resolutions in which YouTube videos can now be played We feel, however, that the search giant may be oversimplifying things and, ironically, making the consumption of video data more complex to understand Time will tell if this adjustment will appeal to YouTube users