Consider 2 GB
Wi-Fi does most of the work
You mainly use cellular data for messages, email, directions and occasional browsing. You connect to trusted Wi-Fi at home or work for updates, video and downloads.
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2 GB or 5 GB?
How much mobile data do I need?
Choose the included data that matches how you use your phone away from Wi-Fi. Video, large downloads and cloud backups are what use it fastest.
Find your fit
Think about where the heavy lifting happens.
Standard voice calls and SMS text messages do not come out of your included high-speed data. App-based calls and messages, websites, streaming, downloads and background activity do.
Consider 5 GB
Your use is mixed
You listen to some music, scroll video-heavy social feeds or join an occasional video call away from Wi-Fi. The 5 GB plan gives those activities more room.
Watch heavier use
Cellular video is routine
You regularly stream shows, watch high-quality video, use your phone as a hotspot or upload lots of photos away from Wi-Fi. Those activities can use even 5 GB quickly.
Additional high-speed data: $5/GB. If you need more in a busy month, it is added in simple 1 GB increments.
Quick estimate
What happens away from Wi-Fi?
Choose roughly how much time you spend on these activities using cellular data in a typical week. We’ll turn it into a simple monthly estimate.
This tool is for general planning only. It cannot predict background use, app updates, large attachments or the exact settings used by each app.
Where data goes
A little video can outweigh a lot of email.
These broad estimates help show the difference between activities. They are examples—not usage guarantees.
Lower useHigher use
Email, messaging and light web browsing
Mostly text, with occasional photos or attachments
Music or podcast streaming
Quality settings make a noticeable difference
Social media
Image-heavy feeds use less than feeds with constant autoplay video
Video calls
Group calls and higher resolution can use more
Streaming video
Data-saver settings can help; HD and 4K use much more
All figures are rough estimates. Actual use varies by app, device, content, quality setting, network conditions and background activity. App updates, operating-system updates, cloud backups and large file transfers can each use hundreds of megabytes or several gigabytes.
The most useful check
Look at a real month on your phone.
Your own history is more useful than any online calculator. Look for total cellular or mobile data, then note which apps used the most.
Compare the same length of time.
A “current period” shown by your phone may not line up with your billing month. Check its date range before comparing it with the 2 GB and 5 GB plans.
On iPhone
- Open Settings.
- Tap Cellular or Mobile Service.
- Review the current period and the app-by-app list.
You can reset the statistics at the beginning of a month if you want to track a clean period.
On Android
- Open Settings.
- Look for Network & internet, Connections or Data usage.
- Choose mobile data usage and set the date range to a typical month.
Menu names vary by phone maker and Android version. Settings search can help you find “data usage.”
Make your data go farther
Save cellular data without putting your phone away.
A few one-time settings can keep background activity and high-quality media from using data when you are not expecting it.
Use trusted Wi-Fi for the big stuff
If you have Quad State Internet at home, let that Wi-Fi handle phone and app updates, cloud backups, photo uploads and large file downloads.
Download before you leave
Save playlists, podcasts, shows and offline maps while connected to Wi-Fi, then use the downloaded copy on the road.
Turn off cellular backups
Set photo libraries, file-sync tools and device backups to wait for Wi-Fi. Check individual apps, too.
Stop surprise autoplay
Disable cellular video autoplay in social apps and choose a lower streaming quality when you are away from Wi-Fi.
Watch hotspot use
A connected laptop or tablet may download updates and sync files in the background, using mobile data much faster than expected.
Check halfway through the month
Review your usage early enough to adjust. If one app stands out, restrict its cellular access or change its in-app settings.
Choose the data you actually need.
Start with 2 GB or 5 GB, keep the big downloads on Wi-Fi and add high-speed data for $5/GB only when you need it.