YouTube videos might soon get a nice quality boost while using less data. Starting in early 2027, YouTube plans to bring a new video format called AV2 to its web player. The main goal? Better compression that keeps streams smooth and cuts down on buffering, especially if your internet speed is a bit slow.
On paper, AV2 compresses video about 30% more efficiently than AV1, the format YouTube uses today. While that doesn’t mean every single video will magically shrink by 30%, it should still mean less strain on your data plan.
So, what actually is AV2?
Basically, a video codec is just a tool that shrinks a video file without ruining how it looks. A better codec lets YouTube deliver crisp video using less data, or bump up the resolution without needing extra bandwidth. AV2 is the next step in this technology, developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a group that includes major tech players like Google, Apple, Amazon, Intel, and Netflix.
Don’t expect your phone or smart TV to get this right away, though.
While YouTube plans to roll out AV2 on the web as early as 2027, there’s no set timeline for mobile apps or smart TVs yet. Google has already shown AV2 working in Chrome, but rolling it out everywhere will take time. Most current devices don’t have built-in hardware support for AV2, which means playing these videos could force your device’s main processor to work much harder.
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