Understanding your data usage can help you save money on a low-limit data plan or can help you realize that you really do need more data than you thought.
You're using your mobile data whenever you're not connected to Wi-Fi and doing things like browsing the web, checking social media, sending iMessages, and streaming videos.
When it comes to how we use our phones, it's especially important to understand data usage. After all, with no-strings-attached unlimited talk and text being relatively standard offerings on cell phones plans, what most of us are really paying for when we pay our phone bills is the data.
If you want to make sure that you get the best service possible when you are using your phone to browse the internet, download apps, or stream video, you'll need to understand your data usage.
What is data usage?
When it comes to cell phone plans, data usage is basically the amount of data you use in a billing cycle (usually a month). Your cell phone plan's data is used whenever you use your phone's internet connection to perform any task.
Some common ways data is used on smartphones include:
- Browsing the internet
- Downloading and running apps
- Checking email
- Posting on social media
- Playing games
- iMessaging (on iPhones)
- Watching streaming video
- Listening to streaming audio
As far as your cell phone plan goes, using data while connected to a WiFi network does not count against your data usage.
Why should I care about data Uusage?
With data overage charges becoming nearly extinct and unlimited data plans becoming more and more common, you might find yourself wondering why you should even care about your data usage at all. Really, it's all about getting the best service for the cost.
When a cell phone plan has a designated monthly allotment of data, it generally means that you'll get optimal data speeds up until you have used all of the monthly allotment. So, if your plan has a 5GB data limit, you can use up to 5GB of data at full speed. Once you go over that 5GB of data usage, you can expect to encounter sub-optimal data speeds.
With that in mind, you might expect unlimited data plans to provide you with all of the best data you can possibly use in your billing cycle. This, however, is not true. Most cell phone plans that include unlimited data have what is often referred to as a deprioritization threshold. This threshold is kind of a soft cap on your data. If you reach the threshold you may be subject to slower data during times of heavy network congestion. Generally (but not always), the higher-tiered (more expensive) the cell plan is, the higher the deprioritization threshold will be. Deprioritization thresholds tend to range between 20GB to 50GB of data usage per month.
Always be sure to read the fine print before you sign up for a new cell phone plan.
No really, I don't use a ton of data
Fair enough. We get it, data usage might not really mean all that much to you. But knowing that you don't really use a lot of data can greatly benefit you. After all, it means you don't necessarily have to spend big bucks on an unlimited data plan. Check out some of the great low-limit data plans and see if one is right for you.
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#1
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XFINITY Mobile
Mobile Select Plan
$0.00/mo
(for the first year of service) <br>Regular rate of $30/mo. thereafter
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#2
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Astound Mobile
Unlimited Data Plan
$0.00/mo
+ $14.99 Upfront
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#3
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MobileX
3GB 3-month Plan
$6.99/mo
$20.97 upfront payment for 3 months <br> (equals to $6.99/month)
+ $9.88 Upfront
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#4
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Lyca Mobile
$33 High Data Plan
$7.50/mo
Pay $7.50/month for the first 6 months<br>Regular rate is $33/month
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#5
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Boost Mobile
Unlimited Plan
$10.00/mo
with AutoPay
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#6
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Mint Mobile
5GB Data Plan
$10.00/mo
$30.00 upfront payment for 3 months (equals to $10.00/month). Intro pricing for new customers only.
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#7
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Twigby Mobile
Unlimited Talk, Text and 5GB Data
$10.00/mo
for the first 3 months then $20.00/month
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#8
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Red Pocket
Essentials Monthly Plan (CDMA)
$10.00/mo
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#9
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Ultra Mobile
4GB 3-Month Plan
$10.67/mo
Pay $32 for 3 months or $10.67/month<br> Regular rate at $48 for 3 months or $16/month
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#10
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Good2Go Mobile
5GB Data 6-Month Plan Unlimited Talk & Text
$11.00/mo
Pay $66 for 6 months (or $11/mo.)<br>regular rate is $132 for 6 months (or $22/mo.)
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How to check and track data usage
The best way to track data usage is through your cell phone carrier. Most cell phone carriers have account management systems that you can log into (through a web browser or device app) in order to get all the details you need about your cell phone plan as well as complete important tasks like paying your bill. You should be able to find your up-to-date monthly data usage through your cell phone carrier's account management system.
If your carrier is one of the big four U.S. carriers you can check your data usage online via:
Your phone may also track data usage; however, this isn't the best source of understanding how much data you use in a billing cycle. iPhones, for instance, continuously track your data usage with no regard to your billing cycle. You would have to manually reset your phone's data tracking at the beginning/end of each cycle in order to get an accurate idea of your data usage in the month.
Managing your data usage
The first step in managing your data usage is being realistic about how much data you really need. If you are a light data user, you can probably get away with purchasing a low-cap data plan and not give it a second thought. On the other hand, if you are a heavy data user, you might need to purchase a fairly robust unlimited plan and keep track of your data usage.
If you watch a lot of streaming videos or listen to a streaming music, look into a plan that doesn't count this data usage against your full-speed data. If your plan doesn't include data-free streaming you can try lowering the audio and video quality to help lessen the data usage load.
One big way to minimize your mobile data usage is by hopping onto trusted wireless networks whenever possible. This is a great opportunity to download songs and video to listen to or watch later without the need for mobile data.
Cell phone plans for heavy data usage
If you are a mobile data power user there probably isn't a way around it, you need an unlimited plan. There are a ton of great options out there. When comparing the different plans look for the following:
- 4G LTE speeds
- High deprioritization thresholds
- Data-free streaming (if possible)
- A reliable network
Here's just a sampling of some of the unlimited data cell phone plans available right now:
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#1
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XFINITY Mobile
Mobile Select Plan
$0.00/mo
(for the first year of service) <br>Regular rate of $30/mo. thereafter
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#2
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Astound Mobile
Unlimited Data Plan
$0.00/mo
+ $14.99 Upfront
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#3
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Boost Mobile
Unlimited Plan
$10.00/mo
with AutoPay
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#4
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Lyca Mobile
Unlimited Plus Plan
$12.50/mo
Pay $12.50/month for the first 9 months<br>Regular rate is $49/month
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#5
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Cricket
3-Month Unlimited Plan
$15.00/mo
$45 advance payment for 3 months (equals to $15/month)<br>regular rate for 3 months is $120 (equals to $40/month)
+ $9.99 Upfront
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#6
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Google Fi Wireless
Unlimited Essentials for 1
$17.50/mo
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#7
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Metro by T-Mobile (MetroPCS)
Unlimited 6-Month Plan (BYOD)
$20.00/mo
Upfront payment of $120 for 6 months <br>(equivalent to $20/month)<br>Taxes and regulatory fees included.
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#8
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Good2Go Mobile
Unlimited Data, Talk & Text 6-Month Plan
$23.50/mo
Pay $141 for 6 months (or $23.50/mo.)<br>regular rate is $282 for 6 months (or $47/mo.)
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#9
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Tello
Unlimited Text, Talk, and Data Plan
$25.00/mo
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#10
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Ting
Unlimited 25 Plan
$25.00/mo
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Angelo Ilumba
Senior Writer
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