Can You Stream Netflix in 4K on Your iPad or iPhone?

Your simple guide to high-fidelity streaming on all your Apple mobile devices

Co-authored by Megaera Lorenz, PhD Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: September 18, 2024 Fact Checked

Have you noticed that Netflix shows and movies don’t look quite as crisp on your iPhone or iPad as you’d like? While no iPhone or iPad models are currently able to display full 4K, you can still stream 4K videos on newer Apple devices, and the quality will look noticeably better. Follow our tips to make sure you’re streaming Netflix at the best possible quality on your iOS device.

Watching Netflix in 4K on iPhone or iPad: Fast Facts

iPhones and iPads can play 4K videos, but they won’t display in full 4K resolution. However, streaming in 4K will still increase your video quality.
You need to be signed up for a Premium plan to view 4K content on Netflix.
Go to My Netflix > ☰ > App Settings > Cellular Data Usage and select Maximum Data to stream at the best quality.

Steps

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1
Make sure your Netflix plan includes 4K streaming. The Standard and Standard with ads plans include HD, but you need the Premium plan in order to watch 4K videos.^{[1]
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- You can check this article for some help on how to change your Netflix plan.
2
Check what your device supports. Most modern iPhones and iPads can stream 4K videos, even if they don’t display them at full 4K resolution. If you have an iPhone 8 or later or an iPad Pro, you’ll also be able to watch videos in HDR (High Dynamic Range). However, keep in mind that the highest resolution any iPhone or iPad will display is 1080p.^{[2]
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- For a list of supported resolutions by device, see this page from Netflix.
- While you’re at it, update your iPhone or iPad to the latest version of iOS, which will also help you get the best streaming quality.
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3
Open the Netflix app on your iPhone or iPad. The Netflix icon looks like a red "N" in a black square. You can find it on your home screen or in an app folder.
- If you haven’t already logged into your account, do so now.
This is the option at the bottom of the screen with your user icon.
This button looks like the "☰" icon on the menu bar at the top of your screen. It will open the menu.
This will open your Netflix app's settings on a new page.
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Tap Cellular Data Usage or Mobile Data Usage. You can find this button under the "Video Playback" heading at the top of the menu. Your options will pop up in a new window.
- By default, this option is set to Automatic, which means that Netflix will automatically select whichever setting gives the best balance between video quality and data usage.^{[3]
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This setting will give you the highest possible video quality, but it will also use up the most cellular data. You’ll need to toggle off Automatic to select it.
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Tap Video Quality and select Higher (optional). If you like to download Netflix videos to your device to watch offline, you can increase the quality of your downloads as well. Find this option in the "Downloads" section of App Settings. Tap Video Quality, then select Higher.
- This setting will affect the quality of videos that you download in the Netflix app, but it shouldn’t impact your streaming experience.
- You can download videos in up to 1080P or HD, but not in 4K.^{[4]
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Once you’ve adjusted your settings, look for a 4K video on Netflix. You should see the 4K symbol on the page for the movie, show, or episode if it’s available and your plan supports it.
Some users claim that they get the best streaming quality by watching Netflix in Safari rather than in the Netflix app. If you’ve checked your plan and adjusted all your settings but still aren’t getting the video quality you want, go to https://www.netflix.com/ in your Safari browser and sign in, then stream the 4K content you want to watch.