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Data and hotspot

How much data do I need

Realistic daily numbers and the three things that eat data fastest.

Updated

Consumption depends on what you do, not on where you are. These figures are for estimating, not a promise.

A typical day

What you are doingRoughly per day
Maps, messaging, email100 to 200 MB
Plus Instagram and scrolling300 to 500 MB
Plus video calls and short clips700 MB to 1.2 GB
Laptop tethered for work1.5 GB and up

By trip length

  • A weekend, two or three days: 1 GB.
  • A week of holiday: 3 to 5 GB.
  • Two weeks or sharing the connection: 10 GB.
  • Remote work: 20 GB or an unlimited plan.

The three biggest consumers

  1. Video autoplay inside apps. Turn it off in the app settings and usage drops immediately.
  2. Photo backup to the cloud. Leave it for Wi-Fi.
  3. Tethering a laptop. A laptop runs updates and sync in the background and burns data several times faster than a phone.

How to track usage

Your account shows what has been used and what is left, day by day. The phone also counts per line, though its number can differ because it measures differently.

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How much data do you need when travelling | Born to Roam