If you've ever tried to watch videos on YouTube using Mobile Safari and wondered why the video quality maxes out at 720p, you're not alone. Many Apple device users have questioned this limitation, especially with the high-resolution displays found on iPhones and iPads. The reason behind this restriction lies in the way YouTube and Apple's Safari browser interact with each other.
YouTube, being one of the largest video-sharing platforms, uses a technology called VP9 for encoding high-quality videos beyond 720p. However, Apple devices, including iPhones and iPads, do not support VP9 natively. Instead, Apple prefers its own video codec, known as H.264, which offers good performance and compatibility with their devices.
When you access YouTube through Mobile Safari on your Apple device, YouTube detects that Safari doesn't support VP9, so it automatically switches to the H.264 codec for video playback. While H.264 is a reliable codec, it does have limitations compared to VP9, one of them being the maximum resolution of 720p when streaming from Safari on iOS devices.
The reason why YouTube limits the video quality to 720p in Mobile Safari is primarily due to the lack of support for VP9 in Apple's browser. YouTube wants to ensure a smooth viewing experience for all users, regardless of the device or browser they are using. By defaulting to H.264, YouTube guarantees that the videos will play without buffering or compatibility issues on Apple devices.
If you're looking to watch YouTube videos in higher resolutions on your Apple device, there are a couple of workarounds you can try. One option is to use the YouTube app, which is available on the App Store. The YouTube app bypasses the limitations of Mobile Safari and allows you to stream videos in resolutions higher than 720p, depending on the video's available quality settings.
Another workaround is to use a different browser that supports VP9 encoding, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. By using a browser that can handle VP9, you may be able to access higher-quality video streams on YouTube, including resolutions above 720p.
In conclusion, the reason YouTube videos are limited to 720p on Mobile Safari for Apple devices is due to the browser's lack of support for the VP9 codec used by YouTube for higher resolutions. While this limitation may be frustrating for users seeking higher video quality, there are alternative options available, such as using the YouTube app or a different browser, to access higher-resolution videos on your Apple device.