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Home / News / Netflix app now lets you binge watch without the bill shock

Netflix app now lets you binge watch without the bill shock

Stream quality controls will keep you from going over your bandwidth cap

You can stop worrying your Daredevil addiction will send your smartphone bill into the stratosphere – Netflix is rolling out data caps to stop you going broke.

Originally promised back in march, the data-saving feature has finally started rolling out this week.

Anyone on Android and iOS will be able to set the amount of data Netflix can use, switching between low, medium, high and Unlimited – but that last one is reserved for anyone with a seriously big download cap.

By default, Netflix burns through a gigabit of data in three hours, but you could hit the same amount with just 20 minutes on the Unlimited quality setting.

You can drop quality manually through the “App Settings” screen, under “cellular data usage”, to eke even more viewing out of your monthly data limit.

If you pay the bills for someone else’s phone, you can still turn off mobile streaming completely and limit it to Wi-Fi instead.

Data caps and quality limits are the next best thing to offline downloads, something Netflix is rumoured to be working on but not yet available for customers.

Amazon Prime Video letts you cache TV shows ready for watching offline, so there’s still a chance Netflix will U-turn and do the same later down the line.

The update should be rolling out now, with the iOS version also getting 3D Touch quick shortcuts from the home screen, for picking up a half-finished show exactly where you left off.

Profile image of Tom Morgan-Freelander Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming