If you don’t have an unlimited data plan, it’s essential to monitor your monthly usage closely. Purchasing additional data can be costly, and running out can mean losing access to important services like WhatsApp, Google Maps, or email without Wi-Fi.
The average phone user now consumes over 11GB of data per month, a 40% increase from two years ago, according to TRG Datacenters. Apps, especially those with video content, are the primary data consumers.
TRG Datacenters has identified the top 10 apps that quickly deplete monthly data allowances, with YouTube leading the list. Streaming on YouTube can use around 360MB to 720MB per hour, depending on the video quality.
Following YouTube, the list includes Twitch, Snapchat, TikTok, Threads, Netflix, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and Pinterest. TRG Datacenters highlights that many apps, like YouTube, consume data in the background even when not actively in use.
To prevent excessive data usage, users can disable background data usage in app settings. With a 1GB data plan, less than 2 hours of high-quality YouTube streaming can exhaust the data allowance.
TRG Datacenters emphasizes that apps consuming data in the background can unknowingly lead to exceeding data caps, causing frustration for users. Both Android and iPhone devices allow users to monitor data usage and identify data-intensive apps to better manage data consumption.