How Much Data a Hotspot Uses

Mobile hotspots are the energy bars of internet service, giving you quick and easy Wi-Fi while on the go. To figure out how much you need for various activities,  calculate the amount of data each task requires and then add a buffer to make up for things like background data.

Mobile data burns through about 30MB per hour, per tethered device, for streaming audio, browsing the web, gaming, or checking email. However, you’ll use up to 2GB per hour if you’re streaming video or making video calls in HD. Multiply that by up to five times to account for desktop version of sites and adaptive bitrate streaming, and you could be looking at data usage of 10GB per hour for each connected device.

Most hotspot data plans come with far less data than what you get on a home internet plan, so it’s important to keep track of your personal hotspot’s mobile data usage. Here’s a quick guide to how much data hotspots use and how much you should get depending on your hotspot usage.

How much hotspot data do you need?

You need at least 2GB of data per month for a standalone hotspot device or smartphone hotspot. That’s enough to cover a day or two of intermittent video streaming, online gaming, and web browsing.

You likely need at least 10GB of hotspot data per month, though, if you plan to use a hotspot regularly. You also need more data if you plan to use your personal hotspot for multiple users and devices. 

Data from the Armstrong data calculator.

How much hotspot data can you get?

Hotspot allowances with popular mobile phone plans

If you’re using your mobile phone as a hotspot, you can get up to 250GB of high-speed hotspot data per month if you go with T-Mobile. Verizon offers mobile phone plans with up to 200GB of high-speed hotspot data, and AT&T offers plans with up to 60GB of hotspot data with the option to pay more for monthly add-ons if you run out. Visible technically offers unlimited hotspot data on all its mobile phone plans, but you’ll be limited to 5–15Mbps speeds on just one tethered device at a time.

Here’s a look at ho mobile phone hotspot plans compare.

Hotspot allowances with popular mobile phone plans

You can also get data-only plans for standalone hotspot devices. You won’t get as much data, but you’ll pay less. Plus, you may be eligible for savings up to $20 per month if you bundle with a premium mobile phone plan from the carrier.

Standalone hotspot devices also let you connect more devices at once, save battery life on your smartphone, and may offer faster speeds because of their dedicated hardware and antennas.

Here’s a look at how hotspot device plans compare.

How much hotspot data do you use? A task-by-task breakdown

To give you a better idea of how much data a mobile hotspot uses, we broke things down according to specific tasks.

Before we jump into the deets, here are a few important things to keep in mind when you’re using a personal hotspot.

• You use more data when you connect more devices.
• Streaming video uses up a lot of data.
• Downloading files can add up to big data usage.

Browsing and streaming music only uses a tiny amount of data

You don’t use very much mobile hotspot data when you send emails, read the news, scroll social media, shop online, or stream music and podcasts. Even online gaming has a relatively modest impact on your hotspot data.

If this constitutes the bulk of what you do on a hotspot, then you don’t need to worry about investing in a pricey hotspot data plan. You also don’t need to count your gigabytes as closely for fear of exceeding your data limit.

Hotspot data consumption by activity

Streaming video takes up the most hotspot data

Try your best to avoid streaming video in HD when you’re on a Wi-Fi hotspot—you’re going to zap your data cap in a jiffy when you’re using  up to 10GB per hour. And don’t even think about streaming a movie in 4K; save that for your home internet connection. Instead, when you sign on using a hotspot, change the video settings on YouTube and Netflix so that videos automatically stream in SD.

Every file you download counts toward your data

The size of a file you download roughly equals the amount of cellular data you use to download it. You’re fine downloading a PDF from a client, but stay away from the big stuff like video files or hard-drive backups. Save those downloads for when you’re back home on your regular Wi-Fi.

Why your hotspot might burn through data quickly

If you’re not getting as much out of your hotspot data as you expect, there may be a few reasons why. First, account for higher bitrates. Since speeds have improved across the board, streaming services have increased the “depth” of their video. This makes it look sharper and uses more data, even if the resolution (1080p) stays the same.

Next, account for three ways data can disappear in the background:

• Auto-play video
• Operating system updates
• Cloud syncing

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