How much data do I need on my phone plan? A simple way to pick

Data plans are priced in a way that pushes you up: the next tier is just a few dollars more, so it feels safe to pay for more. But if you use Wi-Fi at home and at work, much of that mobile data goes unused. On the other side, a plan that is too small leads to slow speeds or overage fees. The fix is to measure, not guess. This guide shows how to check your use, gives rough numbers for common activities and explains how to match a plan to your life.

Step 1: check how much data you actually use

For the iPhone steps and how to line the counter up with your bill, read how to check data usage on iPhone. You can also see usage in your carrier app, which is more accurate for billing. Look at three months, not one, because a single trip or a movie night can skew the picture.

Rough numbers for common activities

These are rules of thumb. The real figures depend on the app, the quality setting and the length of use.

• Messaging and email: very little, usually a small fraction of a gigabyte a month, unless you send many photos and videos.
• Maps and navigation: light, often tens of megabytes an hour.
• Music streaming: tens to a couple of hundred megabytes an hour, depending on quality.
• Social media scrolling: can be a few hundred megabytes an hour, more with auto-playing video.
• Video calls: often several hundred megabytes to over a gigabyte an hour.
• Video streaming: from about one gigabyte an hour in standard quality to several gigabytes an hour in HD or 4K.
• Hotspot to a laptop: depends on what you do, but it can use many gigabytes in a day.

Which data tier fits you?

Limited or unlimited?

Unlimited plans are not always unlimited. Many slow your speed after a set amount, called deprioritization, limit video quality and cap the hotspot. Even so, they remove the fear of overage fees. A limited plan is cheaper if you use little and can also be safer for a child. Compare the price difference with the extra data you would use. If the unlimited plan costs a few dollars more and you regularly come near your limit, unlimited is often the better deal. If you use under five gigabytes a month, you are paying for something you do not use.

Planning for a family

Check each person's use, not just the bill total. Parents often use little, and teenagers use a lot, so a shared plan can be cheaper than the same plan on every line. Some carriers share a data pool among lines, while others give each line its own limit. A child on a limited plan with controls can save money, and a heavy user can be on unlimited. If you are adding someone, see how to add a line to your phone plan.

How to use less mobile data

When you run out of data

• Check your carrier app for your balance and the date it renews.
• Turn on Wi-Fi and Low Data Mode, and turn off heavy apps.
• Buy a small data add-on if you need it before the reset, and compare it with moving to a bigger plan.
• If it keeps happening, move to a bigger plan, or a cheaper one with Wi-Fi habits.

If the bill is the problem, these ways to lower your phone bill can save more than a plan change. To choose between plan types, see prepaid vs postpaid and how to choose a cell phone plan.