How Much Phone Data Do You Actually Need?

Knowing how much data you actually use or intend to use can be quite important for saving money down the line. For example, mobile hotspots might not be as reliable as you think, so you may prefer to stick to your network. Others using less data may benefit from one of many cheaper plans. Most people are fine using only 15 to 20GB, which can cover a mix of video streaming, gaming, listening to music, and general browsing. 

If you're someone who regularly travels away from a trusted Wi-Fi source and uses one of many popular smartphone apps chewing up data, you'll probably need a larger plan. Homebodies who stay connected to Wi-Fi 24/7 might only require a handful of GB in edge cases. Since the right amount of data for you depends on your individual needs, you should check your phone's data usage and set restrictions or a cap if necessary. This planning can prevent surprise overages. 

Despite often being similar, the steps for checking your monthly data usage vary by brand and OS version, primarily Android and iOS. On iPhone, navigate to Settings > Cellular. Under Cellular Data, you will see it broken down into Current Period and Current Period Roaming (data used on other networks). If you want to see it broken down by app, simply scroll down. On Android, the specific UI will depend heavily on the model and branding, as some manufacturers install a custom skin that's very different from the near-stock one, such as One UI versus Pixel UI. But for a near-stock Android OS example, Pixel devices can find this data in Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > App data usage. In this menu, you can also select the date range to view the monthly billing cycle you want.

If you're feeling anxious about going over your data cap, you can always select a limit to help you keep on top of your usage. On iPhone, you can't do this directly. Still, you can restrict data usage for apps by going to Settings > Cellular Data and toggling them off. You can also reduce your background app data usage by going to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options, selecting Data Mode, and choosing Low Data Mode. Some versions have you go straight to Low Data Mode after selecting Cellular Data Options. On Android, it's more straightforward: on a Pixel, navigate to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, then choose Data warning & limit > Data limit, then select Set data limit to specify a value and choose Set to confirm.