Cell phone how much data

That said, social media apps can use quite a lot more, with just 20 minutes of Facebook use a day potentially using up a 1GB data allowance, based on figures from Wirefly. View Deal. On Netflix for example, data use ranges from around 1GB of data every 6 hours for low quality to 3GB or more every 1 hour for high quality, and some services will use more. However, it is not suitable for those who stream lots of movies, or want to watch a lot of other videos.

Or you could cut the music and stream a few movies on low or medium video quality. Use all your data on that and you could stream up to around 32 hours of content on medium quality — more than the length of a series boxset, though of course turning the quality up substantially cuts that figure down. With that much monthly data you could on average stream around 4 hours of music, browse the web 2 hours and stream an episode of your favourite show every day, or potentially even a film.

Even with video streamed in high quality you could manage around 30 hours a month depending on the source. Realistically that means you can stream both audio and video for several hours each day, as well as browsing the web and using social networks exclusively on mobile data, and are still likely to have some going spare at the end of the month.

Need even more data? Then you'll want an unlimited data plan so you can browse without limits. We've created a helpful data calculator so you can find out exactly how much data you need. Simply use the sliders to select how much of each activity you undertake and your total monthly data use will be calculated automatically. Web browsing tends to be fairly light on your allowance, with each page you view averaging around 1MB of data.

That said, social media can use more, with Facebook for example often using around 2MB per minute. Netflix, Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer all allow you to download programmes over Wi—Fi, meaning that as long as you have enough storage space on your smartphone, you can stash whatever shows you want to watch without having to use data.

This is particularly handy for train journeys, where 4G network access can patchy. Likewise, Spotify and Apple Music allow you to download offline music, so you can listen to playlists, albums and podcasts without having to stream them. Remember, too, that Google Maps allows you to download entire towns, cities and regions, meaning you can use your phone in Airplane mode and still get from A to B. Find out how to use Google Maps offline.

The growth of data rollover has come at the same time as more networks offering data—free services. This means that users can access certain services without them eating into their data allowance, meaning they can either cut back on their package or use it for other services.

So you can watch your favourite shows and listen to music without using any data or having to download anything. Virgin Media customers on select plans can use WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Twitter without eating into their monthly data allowance.

Networks are increasingly wising up to users having data left at the end of their monthly billing cycle and allowing them to roll it over into the following four-week period. That data will be there whenever you want to use it for up to three years at no extra cost. But, just like iD Mobile, you use any rolled over data before your regular monthly allowance.

Vodafone customers on a pay as you go Big Value plan can rollover any unused data at the end of the month. O2 customers can rollover any unused data to use the following month. For more information, take a look at our guide to data rollover. If your data usage varies a lot month to month, a flexible contract might be the perfect solution.

Rather than tying yourself into a set monthly allowance for the next two years, you can now choose a tariff that lets you change it up every month. O2 , for example, offers a range of flexible contracts to help you manage your monthly allowances. For more data-saving tips, check out our guide on how to limit your data usage. But there are lots of ways you can use your mobile wherever you are in the world without it costing you a fortune.

Thanks to EU legislation passed in June , you can now use your mobile phone data anywhere in the European Union without it costing you any extra. Three lets you use your monthly allowance for no extra cost in 71 locations worldwide, including USA, Australia and New Zealand. O2 customers get inclusive roaming in 47 European destinations.

Vodafone customers can use their monthly allowance of calls, texts and data from 50 European countries at no extra cost. If you want to find out more before you fly, check out our complete guide to data roaming. SIM-only contracts make it easier to do this. Also, networks like Smarty and VOXI allow you to easily tweak your data allowance every month depending on your needs and usage. How much it's likely to cost you for going over your allotted mobile phone internet limit varies, depending on which tariff you have chosen and which network you are with.

However, in some cases it gets very expensive when you exceed your mobile data limit. Your phone is a natural extension of your daily routine. A 2GB plan will likely cover most of your usage, though, depending on pricing, a little more room might not hurt. Just be sure to keep an eye on your usage and you should be fine.

Your list of subscriptions on YouTube is extensive. You play games on your phone, communicate with friends, video chat and send pictures regularly. Your phone is your fix to all of your entertainment and communications needs. Depending on the speed of your connection and your Wi-Fi availability, you might even want a little more. Of course, the only true way to find the ideal plan is to keep track of your usage. While our estimates offer a good starting point, you always want to make sure you check back on your actual usage to ensure your plan is a good fit.

You could check your monthly statement. Or even average a few statements to get a more consistent result. Most carriers now have their own apps for monitoring usage. Android and iOS phones also include internal monitors in their operating system. For an Android phone, 3G Watchdog Pro is a leading choice and costs less than a latte. Apple users can check out Data Usage Pro which has all the bells and whistles you could ever need for a small fee.

Still sporting a BlackBerry? Data Monitor has you covered. And lastly, Windows phone as mentioned above has the built-in Sense app. As screen resolutions and network speeds increase, usage is going to continue trending upward. If you avoid streaming, you can cram a ton of phone time into only 1GB of data. Just take advantage of data monitoring apps and adjust your usage if you find yourself nearing your monthly limit.

If you plan to stream video at all, 2GB or more is highly recommended. You can click "Reset Statistics" to start tracking your usage from a specific date. More on that below. Most carriers also have a mobile app that will track your data usage. The My Verizon Mobile app, for example, calculates data usage for each line on your account. As you were checking your stats, you probably noticed that some apps are more greedy than others.

Streaming 30 minutes of video per day via apps such as Facebook, YouTube or Netflix uses more than 5GB of data in a month, for example. Those can be big variables, so understanding the difference is important. Spotify has four streaming settings. Google Play has three. YouTube has seven and will adjust yours based on your connection, unless you select a streaming quality.

Sound confusing? We broke down the data burned by some of your favorite apps so you can analyze your own usage. Normal: Listen to roughly 24 hours of music for 1GB of data. High: Listen to roughly 14 hours of music for 1GB of data. Extreme: Listen to roughly 7 hours of music for 1GB of data. Stream about 7 hours of music per gigabyte at the highest quality setting.

Normal and low-quality settings are also available. Listen to almost 35 hours of music for 1GB of data. Varies based on video quality, which ranges from p to p and can be adjusted manually. Verizon customers in the greater New York City metro area used an average of 24MB per minute while on YouTube in February , according to network usage statistics from the carrier.