How Much Mobile Data Do I Need? Work It Out From Your Own Phone

You need a little more data than you already use in a normal month. Your phone records that figure: look at the last two or three months, take the highest, and choose an allowance just above it. Paying for much more than that is the most common way a mobile bill ends up higher than it needs to be.

Find your own figure

• iPhone: Settings, then Mobile Service (or Mobile Data). The figure covers the period since it was last reset, so note the date it shows.
• Android: Settings, then Network and internet (or Connections), then Data usage. Most phones show the figure month by month.
• Your network’s app or online account shows the data you used in each billing month, which is the most reliable figure.

What uses the most data

Video uses far more than anything else. Netflix states that streaming uses about 1GB an hour in standard definition and up to 3GB an hour in HD. Video calls, video on social media and downloading apps or updates over mobile data add up quickly too. Messaging, email, maps and music use much less.

Ways to need less

• Use Wi-Fi at home and at work, and set app updates and photo backups to Wi-Fi only.
• Lower the video quality in streaming and social apps when you are on mobile data.
• Download music, films and maps over Wi-Fi before you travel.

When unlimited is worth it

Unlimited is worth paying for if you regularly come close to a large allowance, use your phone as a hotspot for a laptop, or have no home broadband. Most unlimited plans have a fair use policy, and some limit speed or hotspot use, so check the terms. If you use only a few gigabytes a month, a small allowance usually costs much less.

Choosing the plan

• Choose the allowance just above your highest recent month.
• A 30-day plan lets you change the allowance with 30 days’ notice if you got it wrong.
• Check what happens when you run out: some plans stop data, others charge or slow it down.
• If you travel, check how much of the allowance can be used abroad.

Once you have chosen, add the plan to Wisemium with its price and any end date, so you know when you are free to change it again.