I've had Visible for a month, and this is the one thing I wish someone had told me before I joined
Joe Maring / Android Authority
A little over a month ago, I made a big change in my cell phone world; after 10 years of being a T-Mobile customer, I jumped ship and joined Visible. Not entirely sure what to expect with such a dramatic transition, I've been very pleased with Visible so far. The sign-up process was easy, my service has been great, and I'm really happy with the price I'm paying.
As well as things have gone, there has been one hiccup that I wasn't expecting. It's far from a dealbreaker, but it's something I didn't realize until after my first month with Visible — and I wish someone had told me about it sooner.
Have a plan with HD video? You probably aren't using it
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Visible has three plans you can choose from: Visible, Visible Plus, and Visible Plus Pro. The last two plans are Visible's more premium options, offering features like faster 5G speeds, better hotspot performance, and more extensive international coverage. The plan you choose also dictates the kind of video streaming you can do on Visible's network.
If you sign up for the basic Visible plan, video streaming is capped at just 480p SD. However, if you have Visible Plus or Visible Plus Pro, video streaming quality increases to 1080p HD or 4K UHD, respectively. Simple enough, right? You'd think so, but that's not all there is to it.
While digging through the Visible app one day, near the end of my first month of service, I stumbled across something interesting. On the Account page under the Get the most out of Visible section, you can swipe through to see your various benefits, such as any Global Passes you have and your smartwatch service. At the end of the list is an option for HD Video.
I assumed this would just be an informational page about the 4K UHD max streaming quality that comes with my Visible Plus Pro plan, but lo and behold, there was more to it — specifically, an option to enable said streaming quality.
By default, Visible plans with HD/UHD video streaming quality apparently don't have this feature enabled by default. Instead, you have to manually enable it yourself … in a sub-menu buried deep in the Visible app … one that the company never tells you about.
I really wish Visible had informed me about this itself.
I started digging around online to see if I had somehow turned this off by mistake when setting up my account, but that's not what happened. As it turns out, a few users in the r/Visible subreddit have also reported needing to enable HD streaming for their accounts.
It seems like something Visible added fairly recently (within the last six months or so), and as thankful as I was to find that Reddit thread, I really wish Visible had informed me about this itself. One of the main reasons I chose the Visible Plus Pro plan is for its 4K UHD video streaming, and to have gone a month without that because I didn't tap a toggle Visible never told me about is just silly.
If you're a Visible customer, did you know about the HD Video setting?
0 votes
Yes
NaN %
No
NaN %
A silly, unnecessary hoop to jump through
Joe Maring / Android Authority
In Visible's defense, it isn't the first carrier or MVNO to pull something like this. T-Mobile had a similar setting for my old ONE Plus plan, and Verizon and AT&T do this, too. It's annoying and unnecessary, but from the carriers' perspective, that's why they do it. They're still providing you with the high-quality video streaming you signed up for; they just aren't turning it on for you, and they're banking on the fact that you'll forget to do it or won't know how — thus saving them network resources and money in the process.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Visible also does this (it is owned by Verizon, after all), but it feels at odds with Visible's otherwise consumer-friendly approach to almost everything else it does. I'd expect an annoying hoop like this from one of the big carriers, but part of me thought Visible would be better. But hey, maybe that's what its owner, Verizon, is banking on. If so, you got me.
Going a month without the best video streaming quality is ultimately just a small bump in the road, and once I realized what I had to do, it took all of five seconds to activate my plan's HD video capabilities. No harm, no foul.
Still, I would have liked to have known about this sooner. If you're thinking about joining Visible or have recently signed up, at least I can give you the heads up I wish I had gotten.
Visible - Plans starting at $25 a month for a limited time!
Visible - Plans starting at $25 a month for a limited time!
Aiming to simplify and reduce the costs of mobile connectivity, Visible by Verizon is a simplified carrier that offers limited plans, no hidden fees, and connectivity to the Verizon network.
See price at Visible
Save
$5.00
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk biographer says major Tesla merger could be imminent: 'I think it's going to happen'
Could Tesla eventually merge with another of Elon Musk's companies, xAI? A prominent insider thinks such a move is increasingly likely. Walter Isaacson, the prominent Musk biographer who has received unprecedented access to Tesla's CEO, recently said he expects the two companies to eventually merge, Not a Tesla App reported. During a CNBC interview, Isaacson said combining Tesla and xAI would ultimately better serve each company's mission. "I think it's going to happen," Isaacson said, per "Because Musk, even in my book when he's starting xAI, [was] talking about [how] these chatbots are fine, but what you need is real-world AI. You need to be able to not only take all the texts and tweets that have ever been written, but all the videos from Teslas and all the Optimus robot [is] seeing and hearing." Tesla was a pioneer in electric vehicles and still has the top-selling vehicles in the space — although its sales numbers have dipped this year. But Musk has repeatedly said that the future of the company is tied in more than just cars, including "vast numbers of autonomous humanoid robots." That makes xAI seem like a natural partner for Tesla. It is behind the artificial intelligence assistant Grok, which will reportedly power Tesla's upcoming smart assistant. Musk has also said he expects Grok to be incorporated into Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots, with hopes of sending them to Mars in the near future. In May, Musk said in a CNBC interview, per Business Insider, that "there are no plans" to merge the companies, but that "it's not out of the question." Tesla's sales may have had a bumpy start to the year, but there's no denying the role it has played in bringing millions of cleaner cars onto roads around the world. Studies have shown that driving an EV can reduce carbon pollution by two-thirds compared to gas-powered cars. EVs can be even greener when paired with a renewable energy source for charging, such as solar. In addition, if you have solar panels, that energy is considerably cheaper than relying on the grid or public charging stations. EnergySage allows homeowners to save thousands on solar-panel installation costs by comparing quotes from local, vetted installers. And if the upfront costs of solar are too daunting, Palmetto's LightReach program allows people to lease solar panels, providing locked-in, low energy rates, and a lower carbon footprint, with no down payment. Do you think electric vehicles are efficient enough to replace gas cars? Totally Definitely not They're almost there They need a lot more work Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
What Investors Should Know As Meta Gets (Back) Into Crypto
Meta (formerly Facebook) is getting back into crypto Markets and investment trends tend to move in cycles, and the cryptoasset sector is no exception to this rule of the marketplace. As TradFi institutions continue to deploy blockchain affiliated projects, including the launch of a stablecoin by SocGen running on the Ethereum blockchain, the adoption and acceleration of cryptoassets continues virtually unabated. Even as the sentiment toward crypto improves, prices of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies increase, and the policy landscape pivots toward a pro-growth outlook there remain significant obstacles to mainstream utilization. For example, the tax treatment of crypto is an inhibitor to retail utilization of crypto as a method of payment, and the lack of insurance available for crypto and crypto-adjacent products can make it difficult for institutions to allocate substantial funds to cryptoassets. Against this landscape, exemplified both the increasing adoption and understanding of cryptoassets and applications with the continued limitations to institutional usage, one company stands apart for several reasons. Meta (formerly Facebook) recently has been questioned by Senators Warren and Blumenthal related to its support for the GENIUS Act, and specifically whether or not the firm would block a prohibition on Big Tech firms from owning stablecoin issuers. The specifics of the questioning by the senators will most assuredly change over time, but the letter that has been made publicly available detail that the senators desire specifics as to what the stablecoin plans for Meta are. Let's take a look at why this letter and these questions are important, not only for Meta, but for the cryptoasset marketplace at large. Meta, then operating as Facebook, already attempted to launch of a native stablecoin in 2019 via the Libra project which was subsequently rebranded as Diem. This previous effort occurred during an entirely different economic and policy landscape, and occurred as the organization was still contending with intense scrutiny following the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Issues that were raised at the time dealt with the potential of a stablecoin issued by Facebook serving to weaken competition, compromise user privacy, and lead to continued fractionalization of which entity or organization sets policy for U.S. monetary and fiscal policy. While the cryptoasset landscape and policy outlook for crypto projects has definitively shifted to a more permissive stance the very same issues that were raised during 2019 loom large as Meta returns to the stablecoin marketplace. Specifically, the letter from the Senators cited the track record of privacy violations, scams, and fake news that continue to occur on the platform as risks that a native stablecoin could amplify. Even as stablecoins increasingly become more mainstream, and are approaching a market capitalization nearing $300 billion, Meta might find many of the same issues that stymied earlier efforts being dragged back to the surface. Since Meta is one of the few returning players to the stablecoin space this provides an opportunity for crypto native stablecoins such as Circle, which continues to ride high following its IPO in June. As Meta edges closer to launching its own stablecoin, the spotlight on Big Tech's role in digital money is about to get a lot brighter, especially as these same tech firms continue to invest billions in AI initiatives. For crypto-native firms like Circle, that's not a threat - it's an opportunity. Meta's sheer size and complicated history with data privacy all but guarantee it will draw intense regulatory scrutiny. And that scrutiny will set a new bar for how stablecoins are viewed and governed both in the U.S. and abroad. That's where Circle can shine. Unlike tech giants pivoting into payments, Circle was built in crypto — with regulatory engagement and transparency as core pillars. While Meta faces inevitable trust questions and regulatory hurdles, Circle can double down on its position as the safer, more compliant alternative. In the coming months, expect firms like Circle to lean into this advantage, especially as institutional partners and consumers alike grow more cautious about Big Tech controlling their money. Notably, the ongoing partnership between Circle and Coinbase – two of the largest crypto native firms that are publicly traded in the U.S. – can also serve to assuage concerns of policymakers. Regardless of this specific stablecoin project plays out the following reality is becoming increasingly clear, and some would say urgent, for the crypto marketplace. With tens of billions flowing into the sector, TradFi firms deploying blockchain based solutions and native stablecoins, and policymakers actively debating the GENIUS Act, the crypto audit and attestation narrative continues to seem stuck. While the AICPA continues to issue guidance and updates related to digital asset attestation, controls, and valuation, the authoritative standard setters remain behind the proverbial curve. As stablecoins become more important and integrated with payment, treasury, and lending systems the urgency for definitive and standardized auditing best practices will continue to elevate in importance.
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Will Washington Learn From Israel's Strikes?
Israel stunned the world last year with a sabotage operation targeting Hezbollah's pagers. On Friday it accomplished a similar feat as it struck the Islamic Republic's nuclear program ('Israel's Nuclear Good Deed,' Review & Outlook, June 14). Mossad agents reportedly prepositioned drones within Iran that eliminated its air defenses and missile launchers. While Americans are beneficiaries of these operations today, we could be vulnerable to such tactics from our adversaries tomorrow. Chinese Communist Party-controlled entities have infiltrated the U.S. and now enjoy multiple access points to critical infrastructure. Local law-enforcement agencies rely on drones designed and manufactured by DJI, a Chinese company with links to the People's Liberation Army. Washington has warned that DJI drones provide data about our infrastructure to Beijing. Chinese companies, like Huawei and Sungrow, account for a significant portion of U.S. solar inverters, which allow solar power to support the grid. This dependency allows Beijing to target towns and cities throughout America, as well as data centers powering AI. Our ports are also dominated by ZPMC cranes embedded with Communist Party-controlled software.
