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How to check data usage on iPhone: Manage your data
Check the data usage on your iPhone in a few steps. Learn how to check the data with different carriers and save money
If you have an iPhone, chances are you need to check the cellular data usage every once in a while. But one common question is: “How to check data usage on iPhone?”. The overall process is simple, but it’s better to have some guidance here!
That’s why we have prepared a guide to help you check the data usage on your iPhone. We also have some recommendations to save more mobile data, so keep reading if you are an iOS user!
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How to see data usage on iPhone
To check the data usage on your iPhone, there are some simple steps to complete. Go to your “Settings” and then press on the “Cellular Option,” chances are the name is “Mobile Data or Cellular Data” depending on the region of your device. Once there, go to the section “Cellular Data,” and you will see a resume of everything you have used during a certain period of time.
Step by step to check iPhone data usage
The idea of checking the data usage on your iPhone is important to avoid unnecessary charges. For travelers, it’s even more important to avoid extra fees while using roaming or something similar.
While there are different tools to stay connected to the internet while abroad, it’s important to check the iPhone’s data usage. Here’s how to do it in a step-by-step way.
- While on your iPhone, go to “Settings.”
- Press on the “Cellular Option.” Depending on the region of your device, the name might be “Mobile Data or Cellular Data.”
- Scroll down to find the “Cellular Data” section, which contains information about the apps you have used and how much data they spent. These data usage statistics can show you daily or monthly usage.
How to see how much data you have left on iPhone
While checking exactly how much data you have left on your data plan seems easy, not all mobile carriers work in the same way.
Some carriers have a monthly limit, while others have unlimited data packages that allow people to remain calm. But each one will have a different way of checking how much cellular data someone has left.
That’s why we will tell you how to check the cellular data you have left on some of the main mobile carriers in the world.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has a complicated process to check data usage on people’s devices. Rather than simply going to the settings, the carrier requested a different process.
While T-Mobile notifies when someone has allotted their data plan, it’s different when it comes to checking the daily or monthly usage.
To check the mobile data usage from T-Mobile, people either need to check their app to check the “Data Usage Meter” while the other alternative is to sign in to “My T-Mobile” and check the cellular data spent there.
AT&T
Compared to T-Mobile, the process to check your cellular data with AT&T is way easier. AT&T currently doesn’t require users to download an app to check how much data usage they have for a certain period, which is great.
To check the current cellular data usage for monthly data allotment, it’s required to visit the AT&T site and log in to your account.
Once there, people can go to “My Internet” and press on the “See Usage Details.” That way, people can check the total data usage in seconds.
Three
If you want to check the amount of data you consumed during a billing period with Three, there are two ways to do it.
People can do it through the Three App, as it will show the cellular or mobile data usage during the billing period.
Another way is to check through the Three sites by logging into the My3 account. People can check data usage on the site, as well as manage other features of their plan.
Telstra
To check the data usage statistics on Telstra, the company also has two different ways for people to do it.
The first option is to visit “My Telstra App.” Once there, to check the data usage on an iPhone, users have to go to “Services,” and all the information about the available services will be there. To check additional details, users simply need to press on the service they want to check deeper.
The other way to check the mobile data usage for Telstra users is through their website. Users have to log in to their Telstra account, and on the “Account Overview” section, all the details about the mobile data will be shown.
In case people want to see detailed information about their usage, by clicking on the “Manage” link and scrolling down, all the information about the usage of the current period.
Average daily app data usage on iPhones
While it’s hard to tell how much data someone uses, we can have some ideas on how much data some apps use! So, if you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection, here’s what you can expect to spend on daily apps:
- Google Maps: This app is extremely useful when traveling, and even with data roaming, the consumption is high as expected. Google Maps consumes around 87 MB to 1000 MB per hour, which is great.
- Netflix is the most popular option for travelers due to its wide catalog. Depending on the image quality, an iPhone’s data usage will vary from 0.64 GB to up to 7GB per hour.
- YouTube: This case is quite similar to Netflix. Depending on the video quality, people will spend from 190MB to up to 22.5GB per hour, which can be a lot, especially for a limited data plan.
- WhatsApp: When it comes to economizing mobile data, WhatsApp knows how to do it. A single message on your iPhone takes about 5KBs, but when it comes to photos and videos, you can check how much these weigh before sending them, which is great for having an idea of how much data you’ve used on a single day.
- TikTok: Certain apps, like TikTok, can provide lots of fun, similar to Netflix and YouTube, and spend less data per hour. If people use TikTok for a whole hour, the app will consume up to 948 MB.
- Instagram: While Instagram consumes 2 MB or 14 MB per minute, this will vary depending on what you are watching on the app. For stories, videos, and high-quality photos on Instagram, the data consumption is a lot higher, around 100MB per hour, which can be a lot during the day.
Many of these average consumptions are detailed in Holafly’s research on the apps that use the most mobile data.
How do I manage data usage on my iPhone settings?
Up to this point, you surely know how to check how much data you’ve used, but there are some tips we can give you to manage your mobile data in a better way.
This will help you manage your iPhone data better, especially when traveling, as a Wi-Fi network becomes your best ally.
1. Set data usage limits
When it comes to establishing data usage limits, there’s an issue with iOS. The thing is, people can’t set the usage limits of their data plans.
Even though there are different cellular data options available, there’s no way to activate a limit on your iPhone. The only “limit” you can put is to be more reasonable on the way you use certain apps, like YouTube or Netflix, for example.
Or, you can set usage limits on your device until you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, which is also great.
2. Disable mobile data for specific apps
One feature of iOS is the ability to modify settings to reduce the data you consume daily. For example, people can disable mobile data for specific apps, which helps to avoid roaming charges or unexpected fees on monthly plans.
To do this, go to settings and press the “Mobile data or Cellular Data” option. There, you can scroll down and see how much data each app has spent. Next to it, there’s a green button people need to press to disable the data for that app.
3. Use secure Wi-Fi connections
If you don’t want to get into the “low data mode” by limiting what you do on a daily basis, then you better rely on WiFi connections.
As connecting a phone to a WiFi network is easy, there’s no need to worry when it comes to using any app on their iPhone. But beware to connect only to safe networks.
When traveling, people have access to open networks, but it’s better to avoid these as they aren’t as safe as a provided WiFi connection from your house or hotel.
4. Use Low Data Mode
One option to reduce the data usage on your iPhone is to access the “Low Data Mode” on your device settings.
To do this, go to “Settings” and then to “Cellular” to continue the process. In this case, you must either press “Turn on Low Data Mode” or press “Data Mode” and then press “Low Data Mode.” These settings will stay active until you turn them off.
5. Use operators that offer unlimited data plans
Rather than reducing the amount of data someone spends on an iPhone, it’s better to choose a mobile carrier that provides you with unlimited data plans.
For example, with the Holafly eSIM, people can get unlimited data packages. People can buy one through the company’s website or the app for Android and iOS devices.
Currently, the company offers data plans in over 170 destinations, most of them which include unlimited data; some have customizable days to make it easier to choose how many days you need it; people can share data and connect to an important cellular network while abroad!
Prices for this eSIM vary from $6 to $139 depending on how many days people are traveling. That way, people won’t have to enable low data mode or anything similar!
FAQ about Data usage on iPhone
Cellular data is basically what people use to connect to apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok and even make phone calls on Skype, Telegram, Meet, and much more. All smartphones have this feature available.
In case people want to check the data usage for a month on an iPhone, it’s necessary to go to the “Cellular or Mobile Data” menu, scroll down, and change the time period to see how much data was spent.
To check the daily use of data on your iPhone, the process is quite simple. Go to the “Cellular or Mobile Data” menu, scroll down, and rather than changing the time period to a month, the displayed data will show how much data was spent on each app.
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I first started my content creation journey as a freelancer in 2019, before connecting with Holafly in 2021. At Holafly, my travel and tech interests come together in one place as I craft high-quality articles about the eSIM and related markets. My content aims to help travelers stay connected, wherever they are.
