How much data do you need?
Knowing how much data you need each month helps you choose the right mobile plan and avoid extra charges. Different activities use different amounts of data. For example:
- Low data usage: Browsing the web, checking emails, and sending texts.
- High data usage: Downloading files and watching videos, especially in high quality.
This article provides tips and information to help you understand your online habits and data needs.
Light, moderate and heavy users:
Your data usage depends on your online activities and how much time you spend online when you're not connected to Wi-Fi. Here are some examples of typical data usage per month:
- Light user: 1GB to 10GB
- Moderate user: 10GB to 40GB
- Heavy user: 50GB or more
To help you decide what type of user you are, check out these resources:
- What is data? (A short video about what uses the most data)
- How much data do I need? (Includes info on MB/GB and how much data Netflix, Facebook, music streaming, and online gaming use)
- Mobile data: What is it and how much do you need? (Includes information about light, moderate and heavy data usage)
Tips for managing data usage:
- Use Wi-Fi when available: Connect to Wi-Fi at home, work, or library to save your mobile data.
- Choosing the right plan: Choose a plan that fits your data needs. You can use the Canstar Blue website to compare mobile plans in Australia.
- Adjust app settings: You can change your mobile settings to reduce data use by following these steps:
- Track Your Usage: Many network providers have apps that let you track how much data you use. For example, Donate Your Data™ participants can download the My Optus app.
Understanding how much data you use helps you pick the best mobile plan. Make sure to check your data usage regularly to avoid extra costs. To learn more about how to manage your data, you can complete this self-paced tutorial from Be Connected: Managing Your Data.
Resources
Do you want to learn about managing data in another language? Be Connected provides factsheets in:
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