How Much Cell Telephone Data Do I Need?

These days, about everything y'all do on your phone uses data. Sending a photo of your beautiful cat to your crush? Data. Navigating with Google Maps? Data. Watching countless TikTok videos? So much data. Data puts the smart in smartphone.

So you know yous demand information. But the question is, how much?

That really depends. The average North American used eleven.1 GB per month in 2020.one Only many people utilise a lot more than that. In this commodity, we'll help you figure out how much y'all need and how yous can become a practiced deal on a data plan that meets your needs.

How much data do I use?

Let's talk numbers. How much data do y'all actually use? If you accept an existing data programme and a smartphone, it'due south really pretty easy to figure out how much you've been using. Here'due south how.

How to bank check your data usage

If you're an iPhone user, but follow these unproblematic steps to check your data usage:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click on Cellular
  3. Look at Current Period to see how much information you've used since yous last reset your data statistics (this is not how much data you lot've used since your concluding nib)
  4. Look at the list of apps below to see how much information each individual app has used in the flow

If you're an Android user you tin can check your data usage like this:

  1. Open up Settings
  2. Go to Network & internet
  3. Under the Mobile tab you'll come across your full data utilise
  4. Click on Mobile data usage to run into more detailed information and graphs almost your information usage

Checking your past data usage should assist you determine how much y'all use each month. But information technology'due south not an exact science, and we would recommend overestimating your usage because people are using more than information than ever. And the trend is just going up.

Even if y'all don't take an existing smartphone and data plan, you can estimate what your data usage might look like by adding up how much time yous think you'll spend on the online activities.

How much data do different activities utilise?

Your exact data usage volition depend on how exactly you employ your apps. (If y'all're watching a video on Facebook it will apply more information than merely scrolling.) Just this list can requite yous a general idea of how much data many common activities utilize per hour.

How much data practice everyday cell phone activities utilize?*

Activity or app

Hourly data usage

Pokémon Become ~iii MB
Google Maps ~v MB
Spotify (normal quality) ~forty MB
PUBG Mobile ~40 MB
Safari (web browsing) ~threescore MB
Podcasts ~60 MB
Facebook ~80 MB
Fortnite Mobile ~100 MB
Watching Youtube (standard definition) ~300 MB
Instagram ~720 MB
TikTok ~840 MB

Yous tin can imagine how quickly data usage tin add up, especially when you consider that kids between the ages of iv and 15 are spending an average of 85 minutes a day on Youtube and 80 minutes per day on TikTok!two These are amidst the apps that utilize the most data.

Only you may desire to become an unlimited information plan, even if you're non a social media–addicted teenager. Even if you don't recollect you use a lot at present, data usage in North America is expected to spike from an average of 11.one GB of data a month to 48 GB past 2026!1

What's the difference between 4G LTE and 5G data?

You may have heard of the new mobile information engineering science chosen 5G. Most mobile networks are now incorporating 5G into their service, which will mean greatly increased information speeds for those with eligible devices.

Your overall data consumption shouldn't change with 5G, even if your information speeds are faster. Only many cell phone plans do have higher information caps on 5G data usage, which means you could do a lot more with a 5G connection for the aforementioned price.

Best information plans for dissimilar kinds of users

We spend all day researching and writing about cell telephone plans. While it'due south up to you lot to decide what kind of plan yous need, we've put together a list of our favorite mobile plans.  Here are our recommendations for different kinds of data users.

  • Best programme for data hogs: If you but want the nearly high-speed data, flow, then there's one plan that really stands out. T-Mobile's Magenta MAX program has no data cap, boasts the fastest data speeds in the industry, and connects y'all to a big 5G network. But it will cost you a pretty penny.
  • All-time plan for entertainment: If you desire data for gaming and streaming video, then Verizon'southward Play More unlimited information plan is an crawly option because it offers unlimited data and HD streaming.
  • Best inexpensive unlimited data plan: If yous don't listen having your data slowed down occasionally, then Visible Wireless'south unlimited information program is an incredible deal at just $forty a month (even cheaper if y'all add extra lines).
  • Best plan for 4–15 GB of information: Mint Mobile is a smaller cell phone company (yeah, it's the one endemic by Ryan Reynolds) that offers unbeatable deals on limited-information plans.
  • Best low-data plan: If you only need a few MB or GB of data for Google Maps and Pokémon Go, then we recommend checking out these prepaid plans.
  • All-time no-data plan: No data? How retro of you. Nosotros're impressed. And yeah, there are still enough of inexpensive talk and text plans only for you.

No matter what carrier you go with, retrieve that yous can salve bookoo coin by bundling in a family plan.

How to apply your data more efficiently

Have you ever looked at your bank statement and noticed that at that place are all kinds of random trivial charges on there that are haemorrhage your business relationship dry? Yes, well in that location'south probably something like happening with your phone information.

Background refresh, GPS navigation, non using Wi-Fi when you can—these are just some of the activities that may exist using up your data without you lot even noticing it. Check out our article about how to reduce your data usage for some useful tips.

Recap: How much cell telephone data do I need?

To recap: you need exactly eleven.vii GB of data every month ...  just kidding! We don't know exactly how much data you demand, but yous tin figure it out by checking your telephone settings or by calculation upward the data usage of common activities we listed above.

Honestly, given how many apps use data, most people will want an unlimited data plan. But even these plans take soft data caps, and if you become over that cap, your speeds will be reduced. So exist certain to read the fine print and observe a plan that gives you lot what you need.

If you're relying on your Wi-Fi to reduce your information usage, yous might want to consider our advice on How Much Cyberspace Speed Do I Demand?

Sources:

Easton Smith

Written by

Easton Smith

Easton has worked as a freelance author and researcher for several years, reviewing wellness, lifestyle, and technology products. He has probably read more than Terms of Use contracts than any human being alive. When he's not sitting in front end of a estimator, Easton spends his time camping, climbing, and volunteering with humanitarian aid organizations.

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