How to check and reduce data usage on your iPhone

Mobile (also called cellular) Data usage is how much data your iPhone transmits using cellular data. Cellular data is used to download and upload information when you are not connected to Wi-Fi or a hotspot. In other words, data usage is your Internet connectivity provided by your cell service provider, such as AT&T, T Mobile, Verizon, etc. If you are not on Wi-Fi or a hotspot, any app that requires an Internet connection, like FaceTime, iMessage, Mail, or Safari, won’t work unless you are connected to a cellular network.

Although unlimited data plans are common, many people still prefer to use plans with limited data because of the cost. Even most unlimited plans are not really unlimited. Your speed may be greatly reduced after reaching a certain threshold. This is why you may want to make sure that you are not using too much cellular data so that you stay within your data plan’s quota. If you are using a limited plan, you may want to stay within your data plan to avoid extra fees. In this article, I will show what you can do to reduce data usage on your iPhone.

Find out what is draining data on your iPhone

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select Cellular or Mobile Data, depending on your carrier.
3. Scroll down. Under CELLULAR DATA section, you’ll see your overall cellular data usage.
4. Scroll down, and you will also see which apps are using cellular data.

To see the cellular data usage for individual System Services, go to Settings > Cellular or Settings > Mobile Data. Then tap System Services, in the list under Cellular Data.

13 ways to reduce data usage on iPhone

Enable Low Data Mode

Low Data Mode feature is a one-stop solution to significantly reduce data usage on an iPhone. You can turn on Low Data mode separately for cellular and Wi-Fi. Your Low Data Mode settings might vary depending on your carrier. Select the type of plan you have below and follow the steps.

LTE/4G Cellular

1. Open the Settings app and tap Cellular
2. Tap Cellular Data Options, then turn on Low Data Mode.

5G Cellular

1. Open the Settings app and tap Cellular.
2. Tap Cellular Data Options, select Data Mode, then turn on Low Data Mode.

Dual SIM

1. Open the Settings app and tap Cellular or Mobile Data.
2. Tap one of your numbers.
3. Turn on Low Data Mode.

Wi-Fi

1. Open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the Info buttonInfo button next to the Wi-Fi network that you’re connected to.
3. Turn on Low Data Mode.

Turn Off Mobile Data for Unnecessary Apps and services

You can restrict an app or service from using cellular data if you think it is using too much data. For example, you may want to prevent Netflix or iCloud backup from using cellular data. When an app’s access to cellular data is restricted, it can still use your Wi-Fi data when you have a Wi-Fi connection. You will not be able to use the app over cellular again.

1. Open the Settings app, and tap Cellular or tap Mobile Data.
2. Scroll down and find the Cellular Data section.
3. You will see a list of your apps. You will also see how much data each app has used for this or the last billing period (T-Mobile). You may also just see the usage for the Current Period (Verizon), which might be quite a long time — scroll to the bottom to find out when the current period started.
4. Each app also has a switch. Toggle the switch off to prevent cellular data access. When an app is set to off, this app won’t work without Wi-Fi. For example, if you turn off FaceTime, you won’t be able to make or receive calls over cellular.
5. If you scroll down, you will see that you can also restrict iCloud Drive and iCloud Backups from using cellular data. You should note that they may tend to use a lot of data.

Optimize your apps

Some apps may have additional cellular settings you can use to reduce their cellular data usage instead of completely disabling cellular data access. For example, most streaming apps may offer this type of setting. For example:

App Store

1. Go to Settings > Apps > App Store.
2. Below Cellular Data section, turn off Automatic Downloads.
3. Tap App Downloads and choose Always Ask or Ask If Over 200 MB.
4. You can also turn on or off cellular data for Video Autoplay.

Apple TV app

1. Go to Settings > Apps > TV.
2. Under Streaming Options and Download options, turn off Use Cellular Data to save data on your iPhone.

Please note that some apps offer these settings within the iPhone’s Settings app, while others have these within the apps’ settings.

Limit background data usage

Background App Refresh may also use a lot of data. You can turn off or on Background App Refresh for individual or all apps. You can also ensure that Background App Refresh does not use mobile data. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Background App Refresh. You will see three options: Off, _Wi-Fi_and Wi-Fi & Cellular. To turn off cellular data while keeping Background App Refresh on, select Wi-Fi.

Turn off Wi-Fi Assist

Wi-Fi Assist is a great feature where your iPhone hands off a weak Wi-Fi signal to your cellular network to prevent pages from loading slowly (or not at all) as it clings to the last remnants of a Wi-Fi signal. Because you’ll stay connected to the Internet over cellular when you have a poor Wi-Fi connection, you might use more cellular data.

Wi-Fi Assist is on by default. If you want to reduce data usage on your iPhone, you should disable Wi-Fi Assist. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular or Settings > Mobile Data.
2. Scroll down and turn off the switch next to Wi-Fi Assist.

Fetch mail less frequently

Check to see how frequently your email account is set to fetch new mail — the less frequently it fetches, the less data (and battery) you’ll use. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts.
2. Tap Fetch New Data.
3. Make sure Push is turned off if you want to save data and don’t need new emails pushed to you constantly.
4. See what the schedule is for Fetch at the bottom of the screen. If you choose Manually, then the Mail app will check for new email only when you open the app.

Turn Off Personal Hotspot

Your other Apple devices (like a MacBook or iPad) with the same Apple account may connect automatically to your iPhone’s hotspot if it’s left enabled. To fix this, open Settings > Personal Hotspot and turn off the toggle next to Allow Others to Join. If you don’t find Personal Hotspot on the first Settings page, look inside Cellular.

Download Your Favorite Songs Instead of Streaming Them

If you subscribe to the paid plan of music streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music, you have the option to download songs for offline use. To minimize cellular data usage, you should download your favorites over Wi-Fi and limit streaming over cellular.

Cut Down Your Usage of Data-Hogging Apps

Apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat eat up a lot of data. To keep data usage under control, consider using these apps less while on mobile data. Plus, try to find in-app settings that let you limit data usages.

For example, go to your Instagram profile, tap the hamburger icon > Settings > Media quality and enable Use Less Cellular Data.

Compress Your Text Message Attachments

Some people send a lot more pictures over text to their friends than others. If you can’t help but send your newest selfie to everyone on your contacts while out and about, consider compressing those images before you send them. It costs data to send text messages, and that cost increases when you send attachments.

You can set your iPhone to compress image attachments automatically. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages.
2. Scroll down until you see "Low Quality Image Mode." Enable that, and any images you send over iMessage will be a smaller size, and thus take less data to send.

Turn Off Unnecessary Location Services

Disabling location services for irrelevant apps helps to keep data usage under control. Plus, it’s also great for battery life and privacy. Here’s how to do this:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
2. Tap the app you want to disable location access.
3. Choose Never.

Repeat this with other unnecessary apps as well.

Take Advantage of Wi-Fi Whenever It’s Available

The last tip to reduce data usage on an iPhone is to take advantage of Wi-Fi as much as possible. Plan where you’re going and how to get online there, and when you are on Wi-Fi, download the TV shows, movies, songs, books, podcasts, and Safari reading lists you want to use. This will significantly reduce the burden and dependence on cellular data, thus helping you save it.

Implement Data Saving Practices in Third-Party Apps

Many chat, call, and streaming apps offer a way to use less cellular data or block automatic media downloads when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi. If you are on a lower data plan, consider making use of these.

For example, in WhatsApp, open its Settings > Storage and Data option and enable Use Less Data for Calls. You may also turn off media auto-download over cellular connection.

Save Data and Money on Your iPhone!

These are the best ways to reduce iPhone data usage. Once you implement the above recommendations, getting through your data cycle becomes easier without buying add-ons or paying extra.