Will Netflix or YouTube quality be worse if you use a VPN? Here's what you need to know and some solutions
When we use a VPN, we should keep in mind that this can affect our connection. We may have difficulty continuing to use certain services or platforms properly. And yes, it can also affect when streaming videos on platforms like Netflix or YouTube. We’ll explain why this happens and what you can do to reduce the risk of this happening.
Keep in mind that speed will be a major factor when browsing the internet and using certain platforms. If you don’t have good speed, which can happen because you are too far away from the router, for example, the experience will be negative. This can happen when playing games, downloading files, or, as in this case, watching streaming content.
- Why VPN affects when watching Netflix or YouTube
But what makes Netflix or YouTube work worse when using a VPN? The reason is that the speed usually drops when we use a service of this type. And it is normal for this to happen. The connection between your device and the servers you are connected to is not made directly, but first passes through other intermediary servers.
What a VPN does is encrypt your connection. Everything happens in a kind of tunnel. This way, you can hide your real IP address, so you can access services that may be geo-restricted, access platforms that are censored in a country, or simply browse more securely on public Wi-Fi.
But of course all this will affect the performance of your connection. The speed will drop and there will be more latency. And yes, you may have problems continuing to watch Netflix or YouTube at maximum quality and without interruption. Keep in mind that, for example, for watching in 4K, you should have at least 25 Mbps. If the speed drops too much, you will have a problem.
- How to prevent this from happening
So, is there anything you can do to prevent this from happening or at least reduce the risk? If you have to use a VPN to browse, and you’re going to be using Netflix or YouTube, we recommend using a good one. We can recommend some VPNs, like NordVPN or Surfshark.
Ideally, you should use a service that is reliable, works well and has no speed issues. Avoid the free ones, as they are precisely the ones that cause the most problems. Find out in advance, and look for comments and ratings from other users who use them.
However, there is a useful option called split tunneling. This means that your entire connection will go through the VPN, except for the part you have configured for it. For example, you can prevent Netflix and YouTube from connecting through the VPN. Of course, you can use this as long as it is not necessary to connect to a server of this type, specifically to run it.
Finally, when using a VPN to watch Netflix or YouTube, you may notice some issues. The quality may drop as there may not be a suitable speed for playing in 4K. Using a good software can be a measure to mitigate these issues.