Netflix is the world's most subscribed streaming service, with over 275 million paying customers. Almost half of those watch it on their phone or tablets as well. Netflix-on-the-go is now an increasingly common thing to see on buses, trains and planes around the world.
While the ability to hold thousands of shows and films in the palm of your hand is a tantalising prospect, it comes with an important caveat: video streaming is one of the most data-intensive tasks you can subject a phone contract to. If you don’t pay attention it can be easy to overshoot a monthly mobile data allowance and incur hefty charges - while this is great news for network providers, it's less good for customers’ wallets. Fortunately, keeping an eye on monthly mobile data consumption is relatively straightforward. Discover how much data Netflix uses, how to measure your personal data use, and how to save data on Netflix while streaming.
How Much Data Does Netflix Use?
Netflix, like YouTube, offers its users a choice of image quality. Higher resolutions require more digital information to be transferred and will therefore consume mobile data faster (similar to high-fidelity audio on a music-streaming service like Spotify).
How Many GB does Netflix use?
Streaming Netflix in HD (720p) will use around 1GB/hour
Streaming Netflix in SD (Standard Definition 480p) will use around 850GB/hour
To give an idea of approximate Netflix internet consumption, the average hourly data usage for video streaming at every one of Netflix’s quality options is shown below:
Netflix Mobile Data Use at Every Resolution Setting
Low
Data Usage: up to 350MB/hour
Medium
Data Usage: up to 850MB/hour
HD 720p
Data Usage: up to 1GB/hour
HD 1080p
Data Usage: up to 3GB/hour
Ultra-HD (4K)
Data Usage: up to 7GB/hour
How to Check Your Netflix Data Usage
The Netflix mobile app makes it easy to see an overview of your streaming habits and check your data expenditure over time.
On an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings menu and select Mobile Data/Cellular. Then tap on the Netflix app to view individual data statistics.
On an Android device, open the Settings menu and select Network and Internet > Internet. Then tap on the Netflix app icon.
For Google Pixel users, select Network & Internet > SIMs > App data usage and tap on the Netflix app icon.
On a web browser, go to www.netflix.com and sign in if you haven't already done so. Then open the main menu and select Account > Playback Settings > Data Usage Per Screen to see an overview of Netflix data consumption across all connected devices.
6 Ways to Reduce Netflix Data Usage
- 1
Reduce Video Quality
So why does Netflix use so much data? Video streaming apps, from TikTok to live TV, require larger-than-average data volumes to function. Secondly, Netflix automatically streams in HD quality, which requires more data that standard-resolution video.
The fastest and most effective way to save data on Netflix, short of deleting your account, is to reduce the video quality. Being mindful of video quality adds up in the long run. For many TV shows, documentaries and lower-budget films, HD streaming offers no real benefit. There's a difference between choosing 4K sharpness for a sci-fi blockbuster and, say, an episode of Antiques Roadshow (unless you're really, really into studying the grain structure of 18th-century wooden cupboards). Switching to SD playback for more workaday programming can save you gigabytes of data with no noticeable drop-off in viewing pleasure.
- 2
Use the Netflix Save Data or Wi-Fi Only settings
The Netflix app has an in-built data saver setting, which makes it easier to estimate and manage your data usage by capping all streams at a certain resolution. Unlike manually adjusting the video resolution, this allows users to control their data usage by choosing one of four different blanket settings on the app. These are:
Automatic
In Automatic mode (the default setting), Netflix will stream with moderate picture quality and data consumption. The app claims to use around 250MB per hour in Automatic mode.
Wi-Fi Only
Wi-Fi Only mode will prevent the app from streaming anything unless connected to Wi-Fi. This is particularly useful in situations where mobile data is limited.
Save Data
Save Data mode will stream video in reduced image quality, using approximately 170MB of data per hour (compared to the default setting of 250MB per hour).
Maximum Data
The Maximum Data setting will stream all shows in their highest available picture quality, resulting in very high data consumption. This setting is only recommended for users with unlimited data plans.
- 3
Decide What to Watch Beforehand
As streaming services compete to provide the most, best and most relevant content, choosing what to watch on Netflix can sometimes be overwhelming. Studies have shown that the average viewer spends 17 minutes browsing on Netflix before deciding on a show - that's a lot of wasted data.
If you're looking to save time and money, choose first, then open that app and focus on using your data where it matters.
- 4
Avoid Live Streaming
Last year, Netflix extended its service to include live TV coverage, initially for sporting events like the Netflix Cup. While this may be an exciting new draw for customers, live coverage drains far more mobile data than on-demand video – expect to use around 3.5GB of data per hour of live Netflix coverage.
- 5
Download an eSIM
While an eSIM data plan won’t reduce the volume of mobile data used with Netflix, it will make sure that the data costs less, especially when travelling to other countries. This is because a travel eSIM connects your device to the local mobile network, ensuring any data used is charged at local rates, and doesn’t incur international roaming charges. International travel, while thrilling, is often interspersed with long waiting times. Having a reliable, low-cost method of watching a movie, or keeping kids entertained with their favourite shows, can be a blessing.
eSIM data plans
Which Streaming Service Uses the Most Data?
Compared to other streamers, does Netflix consume alot of data? The streaming market is notoriously crowded, as services compete to provide the best possible playback options, choice of programming and ease of use. As a result, almost every major streaming platform offers the option to stream in HD and 4K. Mobile data usage tends to be comparable between the major streaming services – generally, 1080p (HD) video uses around 1-3GB/hour, and 4K uses 7-8GB/hour.
Disney+
Disney’s first foray into on-demand video, Disney+ is a huge platform that provides access to the corporation's entire back catalogue as well as thousands of non-Disney productions. It’s a favourite among families with kids. While the overall user experience is very similar to Netflix, Disney+ uses nearly twice as much mobile data while streaming, at around 800MB of data per hour at standard definition and 2GB per hour at the default HD setting.
Hulu
The American streaming service Hulu is one of the earliest success stories of on-demand television. Now owned by Disney, the service maintains a growing subscriber base of over 50 million customers. Like most streaming services, including its sister platform Disney+, Hulu videos use around 1-2GB per hour at the default HD setting, 7GB per hour in 4K resolution, and around 700MB per hour in standard definition. Unlike some other platforms, however, Hulu provides access to live TV coverage. Streaming a live show or sports event is far more data-heavy than a pre-recorded one, consuming roughly 3.5GB per hour.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon’s on-demand service Prime Video is one of the thriftiest standard-definition streamers on the market, with a data use of just 200MB per hour. At higher settings, however, Prime Video’s mobile data matches or exceeds the rest of the field. ‘Good’ (SD) streams use 200MB per hour, Better (HD) streams use 1.1GB per hour, and Best (UHD) ones use 5.8GB per hour. The Prime Video app has a handy function where estimated data usages are displayed onscreen when selecting a video playback setting, helping to estimate and control your data outlay.
Tencent Video/WeTV
The Chinese company Tencent (known as WeTV outside of China) is the 4th largest video streaming service in the world. In terms of mobile data usage, Tencent is roughly on par with other major platforms like Netflix and Hulu: SD streaming consumes around 500MB per hour, HD 1-2GB per hour, and UHD 2-3GB per hour. It also offers 4K streaming, at roughly 7+GB per hour.
Using Netflix on an iPad
The Netflix app looks and functions identically on an iPhone, Android phone or tablet. What many people don’t realise is that modern iPads (7th-gen and later) support eSIM data plans, meaning travellers can take their tablets with them and get online anywhere. For TV and movies, the bigger the screen the better. A data-enabled iPad with a Netflix account can make long journeys fly by and keep kids entertained for hours.
