How-To

How to Save Data While Watching Disney+

By Brian Burgess

Published March 19, 2023

If you love Disney+ programming but you need to watch your data usage, there are a few ways you can save your data on the platform. This guide explains how.

Do you have favorite shows from the Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar universes that you can’t get enough of on Disney Plus? While watching those exclusive programs is easy from your couch, it’s a different story if you’re on the go.

Squeezing a few hours of Disney content on your phone with a limited data plan can be challenging. Even with an unlimited plan, you might find your shows buffer and freeze up because they stream in HD.

Luckily, you can save data while watching Disney+ on mobile. Just use the following tips and tricks to enjoy Disney+ wherever you are.

How to Manage Disney+ Cellular Data Usage

You can decrease Disney+ cellular usage if you want to save data. You won’t get the stunning images you see on your TV on your phone or tablet, but it’s passable and lets you catch your favorite shows using less data.

To manage Disney+ cellular data usage, use these steps:

1. Launch the Disney+ app on your phone or tablet and log in.
2. Tap your Profile icon in the lower right corner of the app.
3. Tap the App Settings option from the list under the Edit Profiles section.
4. Under the Video Playback section, tap the Cellular Data Usage option from the list.
5. Select the Save Data option on the following screen—a checkmark will appear next to it.

Your videos will now use less data but the quality will be lower. That’s a tradeoff, but if you can accept the lower video quality, you’ll save a lot of data compared to default settings.

How to Download Disney+ Content Over Wi-Fi First

Another option is downloading the content you want to watch over Wi-Fi before going out and about. In addition to saving mobile data, this option can help you watch Disney+ while traveling abroad.

To download Disney+ content over Wi-Fi:

1. Launch the Disney+ app while connected to a local Wi-Fi network.
2. Navigate to the movie that you want to save and click the Download icon from the film’s landing page.
3. To get an individual show or program, navigate to the episodes section and tap the Download icon next to the one(s) you want.

When you download videos from Disney Plus, you can watch your favorite movie or program while on the go, and no cellular data will be used.

How to Manage Wi-Fi Data Usage on Disney+

If you have a data cap on your Wi-Fi, you might want to reduce the data used to stream content to your phone or tablet.

To manage Wi-Fi data settings on Disney+:

1. Open the Disney+ app on your phone or tablet.
2. Tap your Profile icon in the lower-right corner of the menu.
3. Select App Settings from the following menu.
4. Under the Video Playback section, tap Wi-Fi Data Usage from the menu.
5. Choose the Save Data option to stream your video in standard definition to use the least amount of data.

How to Save Data Watching Disney+ on the Desktop

In addition to saving data while watching Disney+ on your mobile device, you can set the desktop and web app to save data. For example, lowering the data on the desktop can save you from overage issues if you have limited Wi-Fi data connectivity.

It can also help if you have a shoddy connection. The video quality will be lower, but it will help you to view your favorite content.

To save data on the web or desktop version of Disney+:

1. Launch a browser, head to the Disney+ website, and then sign in.
2. Click your Profile icon in the top right corner of the page.
3. Select App Settings from the menu.
4. Under the Data Usage section, select between Automatic, Moderate, or Save Data options and click the Save button.

How to Control Download Quality on Disney+

It’s also worth noting that you can manage the download quality of the content you download. So, if your Wi-Fi happens to have a data cap, you might want to lower the quality. On the other hand, if your Wi-Fi connection is open and unlimited, you can improve the quality of the downloaded content.

To manage download quality on Disney+:

1. Launch the Disney+ app on your mobile device.
2. Tap your Profile icon from the menu at the bottom right.
3. Select the App Settings option from the Edit Profiles menu.
4. Under the Download section, tap the Video Quality option from the menu.
5. Now, select the video quality level you want. You can choose between Standard (fastest and least storage), Medium (faster download and less storage), and High (slowest, most storage, and best quality).

Save Data Watching Disney Plus

If you are on a limited data network, the options above will help save data while watching Disney+ on mobile. The video quality will be lower, allowing you to watch your favorite content.

In addition, if you are having buffering issues, lowering the data usage will help view content when you have spotty connectivity. Once you’ve resolve that problem, you might need to update your parental controls on the service next.

Or, you might be interested in learning how to stream Disney+ on Discord, or perhaps you’d be interested in gifting a Disney+ subscription with a gift card. Or take a look at how to disable autoplay in the Disney+ app.

Not a current subscriber? A subscription to Disney Plus is just $7.99/per month for the basic ad-supported version and $10.99/per month to go ad-free. You can save a bit extra by getting the Disney+ bundle that includes Hulu and ESPN+, with the Duo bundle starting at $9.99/month.