How to Stream 4K on Mint, Metro, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Quick summary: Lots of phone plans limit video streaming quality, so 4K stutters (or won’t play at all) even when your 5G speed test looks amazing. Turning on a VPN got me smooth 4K playback on my Metro by T-Mobile plan.

The problem

I’m on Metro’s $40 plan, and my 5G speed tests are really good. YouTube played my video fine at 1080p60, but as soon as I switched it to 2160p (4K), it started stuttering. Some plans go further and cap you at around 480p.

The fix, step by step

1. Install a VPN app. I use PIA VPN (Private Internet Access). Other VPNs work too, there are free ones, and paid ones are generally very inexpensive.
2. Turn it on and set the server to Auto. Auto picks the fastest server. You can choose a specific country or city if you want.
3. Close YouTube completely and open it again.
4. Play a video and set the quality to 2160p. In my test it played at 4K with no stuttering at all.

About speed

Your speed test will usually be lower with the VPN on. Mine dropped from the hundreds to about 263 Mbps down and 67 up, and it bounced around. That’s still plenty for 4K video. If it feels slow, try a different server. A VPN also hides your information, which is a nice bonus.

Links

• PIA VPN: 83% off plus 4 months free (my sponsor link)
• Mint Mobile: $15 unlimited data, talk and text