AV1 in 2026: The Codec Quietly Running Your Streams

There is a piece of technology doing enormous work behind every smooth 4K stream you watch, and most people have never heard its name. It is AV1, a royalty-free video codec that, by 2026, has quietly become the default way the biggest platforms deliver video. If your phone, TV, or streaming stick was made in the last few years, it is almost certainly decoding AV1 right now without telling you. Here is what the codec is, why it matters, and the one spec that decides whether your gear handles it well.

Key takeaways

• AV1 is a royalty-free video codec designed to deliver the same picture quality at a much lower bitrate than the older H.264 standard.
• Over 75% of YouTube playback now uses AV1, up from roughly 50% in 2024.
• Netflix delivers about 30% of all streaming hours in AV1 and expects it to overtake H.264 within 2026.
• The thing that matters for you is hardware decoding, software decoding drains battery and can stutter.
• Most smart TVs and devices made since 2022-2023 include AV1 hardware decode; older gear may not.

What AV1 actually does

A codec is the math that compresses video so it can travel over your internet connection, then decompresses it for your screen. The better the codec, the less data it needs to send the same quality, which means less buffering, lower bandwidth, and sharper images on a slow connection.

AV1 was built by the Alliance for Open Media, a consortium including Google, Netflix, Amazon, and others, specifically to be royalty-free. That matters because its predecessors carried patent licensing fees that made platforms wary. AV1 removed that friction, and the payoff is efficiency: it delivers comparable quality to H.264 while using significantly less data, and it improves on the more recent HEVC standard too.

Here is how AV1 stacks up against the codecs it is replacing:

Codec	Year	Licensing	Efficiency vs H.264	Where it shows up
H.264 (AVC)	2003	Royalty-bearing	Baseline	Universal fallback, older devices
HEVC (H.265)	2013	Complex royalties	About 30-50% less data	4K Blu-ray, Apple ecosystem
AV1	2018	Royalty-free	About 30-50% less data	YouTube, Netflix, modern devices
AV2	2025	Royalty-free	Further gains over AV1	Not yet mainstream

The combination of efficiency plus zero licensing fees is exactly why the largest platforms standardized on AV1 rather than HEVC. The picture-quality gain is similar, but AV1 does not come with a patent-pool bill attached.

Why 2026 is AV1's tipping point

AV1 has now crossed every threshold that defines a codec as "the new default":

• YouTube encodes over 75% of playback in AV1, and it is now the default codec across Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Android, smart TVs, and streaming devices.
• Netflix finished AV1-HDR10+ coverage of its HDR catalog in early 2026 and delivers roughly 30% of all streaming hours in AV1, prioritizing devices that can decode it in hardware.
• Every major browser, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari on recent Apple silicon, plays AV1 out of the box.

Netflix reports that 88% of large-screen devices submitted for certification between 2021 and 2025 support AV1, and virtually all certified devices since 2023 handle AV1 playback up to 4K at 60fps.

The one spec that matters: hardware decoding

Here is the practical part. A codec can be decoded two ways:

• Hardware decoding uses a dedicated chip in your device. It is fast, cool, and sips battery.
• Software decoding uses the main CPU. It works, but it runs hot, drains battery quickly, and on weaker hardware it stutters or drops to a lower resolution.

The rule of thumb: most smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Hisense made since 2022 include AV1 hardware decode, and the vast majority of active Android devices now support it. Apple added hardware AV1 decoding starting with its M3 and A17 Pro chips.

Here is a quick reference for which gear is safe:

Device	AV1 hardware decode	Notes
Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense)	Yes, since ~2022 models	Confirm on the spec sheet for budget lines
iPhone / iPad	Yes, A17 Pro and newer	Older A-series chips decode in software only
Mac	Yes, M3 and newer	M1 and M2 lack hardware AV1 decode
Android phones	Mostly yes since ~2022	Flagship and most mid-range chips support it
Streaming sticks	Varies a lot	Cheap or older sticks are the weak spot

If a device is missing from the "yes" column, it is not broken, it just gets served an older codec and works a bit harder doing it.

What about AV2?

The successor, AV2, has been finalized and promises further efficiency gains. But it faces the same slow climb AV1 did: it needs years of hardware rollout before platforms can rely on it at scale. AV1 will be the workhorse codec for streaming through the rest of the decade, so AV2 is not something to factor into a 2026 purchase.

How to check what you have

You do not need to take a spec sheet on faith. A couple of quick checks confirm whether AV1 is actually in play:

• On a TV or streaming device: search the model's specs for "AV1," or check the settings menu's playback or codec information if it has one.
• On YouTube in a browser: right-click a playing video, choose "Stats for nerds," and read the codec line. If it shows "av01," you are decoding AV1.
• On a phone: play a 4K YouTube clip and watch heat and battery. Smooth playback that stays cool points to hardware decode; a hot, draining phone that drops resolution suggests software fallback.

What to do right now

If you are shopping or just curious whether you are getting the efficient stream:

• Confirm "AV1 decode" on the spec sheet before buying any new TV or streaming device.
• Avoid the cheapest, oldest streaming sticks if smooth 4K matters; they are the most likely to lack hardware AV1.
• Run "Stats for nerds" on a YouTube 4K video to see whether your current setup already plays av01.
• Do not pay extra for AV2 in 2026; it is years from mainstream and AV1 covers you for the rest of the decade.

The bottom line

You do not need to think about AV1 day to day, that is rather the point of a good codec. But it explains why streaming quality has quietly improved even on the same internet plan, and it is one more reason to favor recent hardware. When shopping for a TV or streaming device, confirm AV1 hardware decode is present. For the broader buying picture, see our best streaming devices guide for 2026, and if you are weighing the network side of smooth 4K, our look at Wi-Fi 7 for streaming and home theater covers the bandwidth question.

Frequently asked questions

What is AV1 and why should I care?

AV1 is a royalty-free video codec that compresses streaming video more efficiently than older standards like H.264. You should care because it delivers the same quality using less data, which means less buffering and sharper picture on slower connections, and it is now the default on YouTube and a major part of Netflix.

How do I know if my device supports AV1?

Check whether your TV or streaming device lists "AV1 decode" in its specs. As a rough guide, most smart TVs made since 2022, recent Android phones, and Apple devices with M3 or A17 Pro chips and newer support AV1 hardware decoding.

Does AV1 use less data than other codecs?

Yes. AV1 delivers comparable picture quality to H.264 while using significantly less bandwidth, and it is more efficient than HEVC as well. That efficiency is the entire reason platforms adopted it.

Is AV1 better than HEVC?

For streaming, generally yes. AV1 is more bandwidth-efficient and, crucially, royalty-free, which removed the licensing friction that slowed HEVC adoption. That combination is why the largest platforms standardized on AV1.