Okay, so I’ve been messing around with streaming lately, and I kept running into this question: Do you really need Wi-Fi to stream? I mean, we all kinda assume you do, right? But I wanted to see for myself, so I did a little experimenting.
My Little Experiment
First, I grabbed my phone and turned off the Wi-Fi. Just straight up disabled it. Then, I opened up a few of my go-to streaming apps – you know, the usual suspects for movies and music.
- Netflix: I tried to play a movie. No dice. Just got that spinning wheel of doom and an error message about no connection.
- Spotify: Same deal. Couldn’t even browse, let alone play a song.
- YouTube: Big surprise, it didn’t work either. Kept telling me to check my connection.
So, Wi-Fi was clearly a no-go. Next, I turned on my mobile data. I’ve got a pretty decent data plan, so I figured this might work.
- Netflix: Hey, it actually started playing! The quality wasn’t amazing at first, kinda blurry, but it buffered and got better after a minute or two.
- Spotify: Worked like a charm. Streamed music no problem.
- YouTube: This one was a little choppy, but it played. Definitely used up more data than the others, though.
Then I have connected my phone to my friend’s * everything worked perfect.
What I Figured Out
So, here’s the deal: Wi-Fi isn’t the only way to stream, but it’s usually the best way. You can stream using your mobile data, but it’s gonna eat up your data allowance pretty quick, especially with video. And the quality might not be as good, depending on your signal.
Also,I have learned the hard way,that a person always need some sort of internet connection to enjoy * can be a friend’s hotspot or the mobile * it will not work without any kind of internet connection.
Basically, if you’re at home, stick with Wi-Fi. If you’re out and about and really need to watch something, mobile data will work in a pinch, but keep an eye on your usage!