Are you familiar with the art of fast tracking? It’s when you watch a video at 1.25, 1.5, or even twice (2.0) the normal speed. Imagine completing an hour of TED Talks in 30 minutes. This saves you a lot of time and allows you to consume more content in the same amount of time. That’s where YouTube’s playback speed feature comes into play.
You can slowly increase the playback speed one step at a time, but you can also slow things down. For example, if you have trouble understanding the speaker’s accent, suddenly reduce the YouTube playback speed to less than one. Other useful examples would be research, transcription, or looking for easter eggs in caravans.
Let’s learn how you can control playback speed in YouTube apps on Android, iOS and web apps.
1. Check YouTube Playback Speed on the Web
Let’s start with the web application. Many of us like to watch YouTube on our smart TVs or computers. A larger screen is always welcome. Open YouTube and play your favorite video.
Stage 1: Click on the Universal gear-shaped Settings icon.
Step 2: Click on Playback speed in the small menu that opens. It says Normal (current speed) which means normal speed which is now 1.
Stage 3: Any value you choose above Normal or below 1 speed will slow down the video, and any value you choose below Normal or greater than 1 will increase the playback speed.
So 0.5 will cut the speed exactly in half. Notice the Custom button at the top? This option allows you to select a custom value using a slider. So instead of jumping from 0.5 to 0.25 playback speed, you can choose something in between, like 0.35.
No need to save anything. You can change the playback speed in real time without having to pause and replay the video. Just pick a speed and watch the frame rate drop/increase instantly.
2. Check YouTube Playback Speed on Android
The steps are slightly different as the smartphone comes with a touchscreen.
Stage 1: Play a video and tap the screen once to reveal the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
Step 2: Tap on the Playback speed option, which is set to Normal by default.
Stage 3: Now you can change the speed of the video to slower or faster.
There is no Custom button here as you get in the web app. So you will have to do with the available playback speed options.
3. Check YouTube Playback Speed on iOS
Open the YouTube app and play a video of your choice. The steps are similar to the Android counterpart.
Stage 1: Tap anywhere on the video to select the three-dot menu icon.
Step 2: Tap on Playback speed which is currently set to Normal.
Stage 3: You can now choose a slower or faster speed than the normal speed.
Again, there is no custom option as we get in the web app. It’s really sad to see so many YouTubers watching videos on their smartphones.
4. Other Playback Options on YouTube
Controlling the playback speed of videos is not the only thing you can do on YouTube. There are a few other options on the same menu that are worth exploring.
You can manually change the video quality or set it to Automatic; in this case, YouTube chooses a quality based on your internet speed and available options. YouTube supports very few videos in HD or 4K. A lot will also depend on your device’s display, as not all displays support HDR and HDR10.
You can enable or disable subtitles. Subtitles are not available for all videos, but if you can view the option, it’s there. Otherwise, the option won’t even appear.
Finally, if you have a VR headset, you can watch videos in VR mode on your smartphone.
Move Fast, Break Something
The ability to control playback speed on YouTube is appearing on more platforms as we speak. The latest app to join the fray is Netflix. The popular streaming platform recently released the feature. Imagine all the shows and movies you could watch excessively and save time as well. It’s even more useful when you watch it the second or tenth time because then, you already know all the plot twists and you don’t risk losing anything.
Controlling the playback speed is a useful feature that many people underestimate. It will take some time to relax. I recommend starting slow and increasing the speed by 0.25 at a time. Jumping to a higher number can ruin the experience. You have to let it sync, get used to the speed before you increase it again.
Next: Looking to improve your YouTube viewing experience? Click the link below to discover our detailed guide on customizing YouTube.
