In case you don’t have an unlimited data plan, monitoring your monthly data usage is crucial. Purchasing additional one-time data packages can be quite costly, and running out of data means losing access to essential services like WhatsApp, Google Maps, or email when not connected to Wi-Fi.
If you often find yourself with no data left at the end of the month, there might be a simple explanation. According to findings by TRG Datacenters, people are consuming more data than ever, with the average mobile phone user now using over 11GB per month – a 40% increase from just two years ago.
Unsurprisingly, apps, particularly those featuring video content, are the primary data consumers. TRG Datacenters has identified the top 10 apps that can quickly deplete your monthly data allowance, with YouTube ranking at the top of the list.
The list continues with Twitch, Snapchat, TikTok, Threads, and Netflix following suit. Streaming platforms are notorious for their data consumption, but TRG Datacenters also notes that many apps, including YouTube, continue to use data in the background even when not actively in use.
TRG Datacenters highlighted that YouTube is the most data-intensive app, with over 90% of its data usage attributed to background activities. Disabling background data usage for any app in the settings can help conserve data and is advisable if you frequently run out of data.
Here is the ranking of the top 10 data-consuming apps based on average user usage:
1. YouTube
2. Twitch
3. Snapchat
4. TikTok
5. Threads
6. Netflix
7. Instagram
8. Facebook
9. Telegram
10. Pinterest
For instance, with a 1GB data plan, less than 2 hours of high-definition YouTube streaming could exhaust your data allowance. A spokesperson from TRG Datacenters emphasized that background data consumption from apps can unknowingly drain mobile data plans, causing users to reach their monthly limits sooner.
Both Android and iPhone devices offer tools to monitor data usage and identify apps consuming the most data. Checking these statistics can help you understand where your data is going and potentially save you from needing to purchase additional data.