Internet data allowances - how much is enough?

How much data do I need?

With more and more apps requiring access to data services, it can be hard to work out what apps use how much data.

You can check the exact usage on your phone. If you have an iPhone, fire up Settings, tap Mobile Data and scroll down to see which apps are using the most data. The one that’s eating up the most will appear at the top of the list.

Android users simply need to tap into the Data Usage menu in Settings to see a detailed graph of how their data usage has changed over the previous months, as well as a list of apps that are hoovering up the most data.

While these tools are great for giving you an overall picture of how much data you’re using, it’s good to know how specific services and usage break down too. The following is a good guide:

• Streaming one hour of video on Netflix, iPlayer or Amazon Prime – 644MB

• Streaming a two-hour movie in high definition – 4.2GB

• Gaming online for an hour – 43MB

• Streaming an hour of music via Spotify or Apple Music – 80MB

• Browsing through 60 web pages – 140MB

• Download one song – 4–8MB

• Download a film trailer – 60–100MB

• One hour of driving while using Google Maps – 5MB

With this information and an honest assessment of how you use your phone (for instance, how often do you stream music?), you should be able to make a pretty good guess at how much data you'll get through.

So, if you love watching movies via Netflix over 4G or 5G, you’re going to need bigger data allowance. If you only access the web or open email on your phone, then a smaller allowance should suit your needs.

How can I save data?

Running low on data is a familiar problem for many of us. And when the alternative is forking out for a costly add-on on top of your monthly phone bill, lots of users opt to struggle with the allowance they’ve got rather than buy more.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Below we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you get more out of your monthly data allowance without costing you more money.

Download services over Wi-Fi so you can use apps offline

Wi–Fi is your friend when it comes to saving data. Regular home broadband or public Wi–Fi hotspots mean you can download whatever you need before you head out and shift to 3G or 4G networks.

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. This will save data and also keep your battery kicking for longer, as it doesn’t have to work as hard by pulling information across the network.

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. This is particularly handy when travelling abroad and you’re concerned about using data.

What are data–free services? And how do different networks’ offers vary?

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.

Three’s Go Binge lets you stream Netflix, TVPlayer, SoundCloud and Deezer without eating into your monthly data allowance. 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.

VOXI lets you use social media sites like Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter and Viber without eating into your data allowance.

Data rollover plans

Networks are increasingly aware of 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.

Sky Mobile is the best example of this, as it allows you to roll over any unused data at the end of each month and store it in an online ‘piggybank’. That data will be there whenever you want to use it for up to three years at no extra cost.

iD Mobile lets you roll on one month’s worth of unused data, which stops you from building up a huge trove of unused data. But because any rolled-over data from the previous month is used first, any data that’s left at the end of the month can then be rolled over again.

Virgin Media also lets customers rollover one month’s worth of data at a time. 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 roll over any unused data at the end of the month. But you can only roll over one month’s leftovers at a time, so you can’t stockpile endless data.

O2 customers can roll over any unused data to use the following month. But this only applies to additional data purchased on one of O2’s bolt-ons.

For more information, take a look at our guide to data rollover.

Flexible contracts

If your data usage varies a lot from 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.

So if you know you’re going to be using your phone a lot over the next month, you can choose to up your data allowance. Or if you’re paying for more data than you’re using, you can downgrade your monthly contract to a cheaper one with a smaller allowance.

O2, for example, offers a range of flexible contracts to help you manage your monthly allowances.

Sky Mobile also lets you increase or decrease your data allowance whenever you want, so you’ll always have the amount that suits your needs.

For more data-saving tips, check out our guide on how to limit your data usage.

How can I use my phone abroad without running up a huge bill?

With horror stories of holiday-makers receiving huge bills for using their phones abroad, it’s easy to see why people are wary of switching on their devices when they’re out of the country.

But there are lots of ways you can use your mobile wherever you are in the world without it costing you a fortune.

Following Brexit, many networks have reintroduced roaming charges within the EU. This means that you may now need to pay an additional fee when travelling in Europe.

Still, customers on O2, iD Mobile, Sky Mobile or Virgin Mobile still get inclusive roaming in EU destinations.

If you’re travelling further afield, most networks allow you to buy a travel add-on, so you can use your phone without worrying about running up a huge bill.

If you want to find out more before you fly, check out our complete guide to data roaming.

How much does it cost if you go over your data limit?

Most networks will now warn you when you’re about to go over your data limit, allowing you to purchase add–ons rather than paying per MB. If this keeps happening, be sure you upgrade your deal, as it’s cheaper than constantly paying out.

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 to go 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. So it’s important to find a tariff that matches your needs.

What is a fair use policy?

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 500MB.

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.

It’s worth contacting your network and asking them to explain this policy fully. That way you can either change deals or at least get to grips with how much data you’re using each month and work out how to moderate it.

What about 5G data services?

5G is the next big thing in mobile, delivering speeds that exceed home broadband.

5G is considerably faster than 4G, and while this means that you'll be able to download entire HD movies in seconds, be aware that this will use up a lot of data.

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.

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