You might stumble upon a few YouTube videos where you can’t adjust the quality settings. Some show fixed display resolutions, while others say “Quality Unavailable.”
Beware: this seemingly simple issue is quite tricky. It could keep popping up even after you reinstall your YouTube app or log in and out of your account. To restore your quality settings quickly, check for these issues.
1. You Downloaded the YouTube Video in a Low Resolution
Although the “Quality Unavailable” bug appears on free and paid accounts, it’s more common among the latter.YouTube Premium’s Smart Downloads featuredownloads recommended videos automatically. Unfortunately, these videos have a fixed quality setting—low-resolution ones won’t just reload in HD.
How to Disable Smart Downloads on Youtube (Mobile)
To prevent this issue moving forward, turn off Smart Downloads.
How to Change YouTube’s Smart Downloads Video Quality
If you want to keep using Smart Downloads but in higher quality, adjust the download resolution manually.
How to Disable Smart Downloads on Youtube (Desktop)
A similar issue occurs on YouTube’s web version. Videos in your Smart Downloads folder will play the same resolution as when you downloaded them.
You can also resolve this issue by turning off Smart Downloads. ClickDownloadsin the sidebar menu, tap thegearicon, then turn offSmart Downloads. You’ll find theDownload Qualitysettings on this page too.
2. The YouTube Video Has Just Been Uploaded
Higher-quality video settings might not always appear on newly uploaded videos. You might see limited resolution options at first. Sadly, there’s no quick fix for this issue—just wait a few hours for YouTube to update the video you’re watching.
3. Your Internet Connection Is Spotty
Double-check your internet connection. It might be the culprit if you’ve already turned off Smart Downloads and erased all existing videos under it. Watch out forissues that can slow down your home Wi-Fi.
Maximize Your Viewing Experience on YouTube Mobile
Try these tips if you encounter the “Quality Unavailable” issue on YouTube. In all likelihood, turning off Smart Downloads will fix it. But if it doesn’t, wait for your internet connection to stabilize or for YouTube to add higher-quality resolutions to new videos.
Also, enhance your viewing experience by using other YouTube Premium features. While Smart Downloads is buggy, you’ll find several helpful functions, like 1080p Premium, cross-platform playback queues, and group co-watching sessions.
