Mobile how much data do i need

That said, social media can use more, with Facebook for example often using around 2MB per minute. That said, different social media services will use different amounts of data. But again, consider how much you actually do this.

And an hour each day is quite a long time. Streaming video, such as using YouTube and Netflix, will depend on the service and the video quality. And some streaming services likely use a lot more data than Netflix.

So if you plan to stream a lot of video over mobile data you will want a high data limit, of probably at least around 15GB per month. But, if you must download apps, be sure to check the file size. These can vary from a few dozen megabytes to multiple gigabytes — though the latter is usually only the case for games. This is another very small data drain. Tethering will typically use a lot of data.

As such, this is another kind of data use that demands a high allowance if you plan to do it a lot. Think 20GB minimum. So if you download a file over 5G it will be the same size as if you download it over 4G — it will just download faster with a 5G connection.

Some video streaming apps and the like may also default to higher quality if they detect a 5G connection, which will then use more data. Another easy way is to change some settings on your apps. This will quickly switch apps to only update when connected to Wi-Fi and will also lower video quality when streaming. Never miss your fave true crime podcast and save some money? We love that for you. Another excellent question. Knowing what you know about MB, GB, and so on, how do you choose between these plans?

Use our plan calculator , of course. Do you ask for the Wi-Fi password before you even ask for a menu? Do you have more networks saved in your phone than contacts? See this plan. Out with friends and need to find the closest sushi spot? Just left the theater and need to know what else the actor who played the villain is in?

Scrolling, liking, sharing and completing the latest TikTok challenge everywhere you go takes a lot of data. Broadband How much mobile phone data do I need? Available languages. Mark Whelan. With an increasing number of people relying on mobile phones for everything from directions to photography to entertainment, it's important to know how much data to purchase with a mobile phone plan. What is mobile data? How is mobile data consumed? Check out the following: 5G is becoming increasingly popular in Ireland.

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. Some mobile networks simply limit your internet usage rather than charge extra when you exceed the data you've paid for. This is called a 'fair use' policy. It means that you may not incur an extra charge when you use up your monthly allowance, but you may be penalised if you go over by what the network decides is 'fair'- often around MB.

But that's not all. Some networks that favour fair usage policies will reduce your internet speed until your monthly allowance renews, so you will not be able to stream long videos or download large applications. Luckily, some networks have changed their plans a bit to accommodate 5G. For instance Vodafone's Unlimited plans work more like a broadband plan - you get unlimited data as standard but the price plans are varied by speed.

Compare prices for the best-selling smartphones here: Compare contract phones. Our latest contract phones. Youth—oriented network that offers data—free social media ditches age restrictions. We use cookies and similar technologies. You can use the settings below to accept all cookies which we recommend to give you the best experience or to enable specific categories of cookies as explained below. Find out more by reading our Cookie Policy. Uswitch Mobiles All articles. Internet data allowances - how much is enough?

Joe Minihane - Last updated: 19 May What do you want to read about? How can I check how much data I'm using right now? We've got a very easy way. And it'll only take you a matter of minutes.

How do I work out how much data I'll really need?