WhatsApp Data Usage: How Much? (+ How to Reduce) (2023)

Here’s how much data WhatsApp uses:

Text messaging and group messaging use very little data, unless you receive or send lots of pictures.

Voice calls over WhatsApp use about 400 KB or 0.4 MB per minute on average, regardless of the network generation.

WhatsApp’s video calls, however, consume about 5 MB per minute.

So if you want to learn all about how much data WhatsApp uses, then you’re in the right place.

Let’s dig right in!

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WhatsApp Data Usage: How Much? (+ How to Reduce) (1)

Contents: show

How Much Data Does WhatsApp Use?

Texting and group messaging use almost no data. The only thing that adds up is receiving or sending lots of photos.

In addition to texting and group messaging, WhatsApp allows us to video or voice call individuals and groups. There is a difference between data usage in these two instances.

WhatsApp voice callsuse 400 KB or 0.4 MB per minute on average when connected to any generation of network.

WhatsApp Data Usage: How Much? (+ How to Reduce) (2)

Now, when it’s connected through a 2G network, it uses 200 KB per minute.

In 3G data, it uses around 300 KB per minute, and with 4G, it uses around 500 KB per minute.

WhatsApp is not very data efficient compared with other apps.

However, avideo callon the WhatsApp app will consume about5 MB a minute. Now, this can be a troublesome situation.

Not to worry, there is a very simple way to reduce data consumption on WhatsApp.

Go to your WhatsApp app, tap on thethree vertical dots, tap onSettings>Data and storage usage.

Once there, we can see theCall settingssection, and we can turn on theLow data usage.

(Video) How to reduce WhatsApp data usage on mobile phone

By the way, learn all about what it means when you call someone on WhatsApp, your phone rings and then says unavailable here.

How Much Data Does Snapchat Use?

Do you wonder how much data Snapchat uses in comparison?

You will consume 160 MB if you send snaps continuously for an hour. Each snap consumes approximately 1 MB of traffic.

Text messages take around 20 KB (1000 KB are 1 MB) per message, but sending about 10 stories takes about 20-25 MB.

Learn all about Snapchat’s data usage here.

What About Data Usage, WhatsApp, and Other Apps?

When looking for a good Internet service provider and an economic data plan for our mobile devices, we look for the best possible solution. It’s a price/quality balance.

A decent plan should include unlimited calls (international excluded), text messaging, and some data available for surfing the Internet and using social media apps.

When we speak about data, we are talking about gigabytes (GBs).

We need those GBs in lots of situations:

  • When we are commuting
  • When we’re in an area that doesn’t provide Wi-Fi access
  • When there are some issues with our regular Internet connection

There’s nothing simpler than turning on our Wi-Fi hotspot on an Android device when our ISP (Internet Service Provider) fails.

Think of working from home. When there’s work on the physical network or problems with our ISP, we lose track of work. So, our data plan is a good temporary solution.

Another important issue can be how much data our work or entertainment consumes. To understand that, we need an explanation of what data consumption is.

What is Data Consumption?

All the things we do on the Internet consume data.

With our providers, whether they are an ISP or an MNO (Mobile Network Operator), we usually get a limited data plan.

If we cross the specified data limit, the bills come down hard on us like a hammer. This is why we need to be careful.

We need to know the amount of data allowed per month.

More importantly, we need to know which programs and apps use the most data and which ones use the least.

Large Data Consumption

It’s fair to assume that some things we do online consume more data. Everything that has anything to do with a download will consume some data.

Usually, an enormousamount of datais consumed when weupgrade or updateour systems.

The download can consume anywhere from a few measly megabytes (MBs) to a massive 4 GBs to upgrade an operating system.

Any software used can take a sizable chunk out of our data plan. We have to pay attention to what you’re downloading from the app stores.

(Video) Lower Data Usage Whatsapp on Mobile Data

Not only downloading but alsouploading extensive filessuch as high-quality videos or photos results inquick data consumption.

It’s only logical that we should upload/download things when we connect to our ISP’s Wi-Fi network rather than through our MNO.

Streaming videos can be equally worrisome, especially if you’re a fan of hi-res visuals.

Imaginestreaming a movie online.

Depending on the movie’s length and the quality of the video, it canconsume anywhere from 1 GB to 10 GBs.

The result—pulling our hair out in disbelief when the monthly bill comes.

Low Data Usage

Believe it or not,playing gameson our mobile devices online requires a lotless datathan downloading them.This is because no Android or iOS game developing company wants to prevent us from playing.

They want us to keep playing games for several reasons, such as watching ads or encourage in-game purchases. That’s why dataconsumption is very light.

Next, we haveemails, social media, and browsing.

Of course, when we try to send huge attachments such as wedding videos or photo albums, we drive the data consumption insanely upward.

However, when we sendtextsor simply read them and view pictures online, we’re dealing in alow consumptionzone.

Surprisingly,video conferencing and phonecalls using various apps can take up to 400 KBs a minute. This is nothing compared to video streaming or software downloads.

Video conferencing consumes a little more, but it’s nothing to worry about.

Let’s discuss mobile networks and their varieties to understand how they work before continuing onto how much data each app consumes.

Keep reading!

What Are the Types of Mobile Networks (EDGE, 3G, 4G, and 5G)?

Speaking about network speeds or a mobile network, we often hear the terms 3G, 4G, or 5G. These are the various network speeds supported by smartphones.

WhatsApp Data Usage: How Much? (+ How to Reduce) (3)

You’re probably wondering what the “G” stands for. It’snot GigaHertz(GHz), as some would believe. It’s actually “generation.”

So, the first mobile network connected to smartphones was the 3G network, i.e., the3rd generationnetwork.

The predecessor of the 3G network was the EDGE network. EDGE stands for Enhanced Data rates for GSM (Global System for Mobile) Evolution.

You probably remember when we had that “E” sign next to the bars on our phone.

Well, that’s the EDGE sign we could notice in the notification bar of our Android phones.

(Video) How to Reduce WhatsApp Data consumption while using Whatsapp call,video call & more

Themajor differencebetween the three generations is their latency.Latencyis the reaction time between the sending and the reception of data.

For example, when you press a button on your TV remote, you almost immediately change the channel or volume. Internet connections—especially the older ones—don’t react so quickly.

5G promises significant changes in this department, so people can almost instantlycontrol very remote devices.

So, when we click a button or touch something on our smartphone in Japan, the air conditioning at our apartment in Germany will turn onimmediately.

Also, the speed between these network generations varies. The4G networkallows us tostream videos and movies.

The 3G network is good for browsing, although it is significantly slower than 4G, and5G can be up to 10 times fasterthan 4G.

Imagine the possibilities!

How Much Data Do Other Apps Use Compared to WhatsApp?

The question we’re trying to answer now is how much data does each, now famous and frequently used, app consumes. This is no simple task because there are a lot of sources that vary in information.

There are also a lot of factors that affect data consumption of any app. For example, for phone calls and videoconferencing, it’s the talking time. For social media apps and text messages that go through, it’s media type and the length of the involved message.

So, let’s take a look at each app and its data consumption. Remember that your smartphone might use data for updates unless you restrict it.

Facebook Data Usage

As the largest social network, Facebook can be very useful and entertaining.

We use it to keep in touch with our friends and family or to read useful/useless information.

Plus, we sometimes surf social networks for funny videos.

Unfortunately, because of all that content and the improvements to the app that come almost daily, theFacebook app consumes more data.

The average use isapproximately 1.5 MB per minute.

If we involvevideo content, it goes up to2.6 MB per minute. Of course, video quality largely affects data consumption.

So, we can easily spend over 2 GB of data just using the Facebook app.

Luckily for our monthly bills, there’s aFacebook Lite app, a great data-saving solution. It uses less data because there are no fancy animations and fine details. It can consume about50% less datathan the regular app.

The other factor that goes in favor of the Facebook Lite app is that it works smoothly in areas with poor signals.

Messenger Data Usage

Messenger can consume data in a lot of ways, so it’s a little more difficult to get to an exact number.

When we send text messages, we don’t use that much data.

(Video) How to Clear WhatsApp Storage Space in 2022 | Free Up Space on your iPhone or Android

Photos, emojis, and animations use a little more than text messages.

Of course, voice calls and video calls use a lot more.

For example, a FacebookMessenger voice calluses approximately350 KBper minuteinstead of the WhatsApp messenger, which uses 400 KB on average.

Messenger consumes around3.20 MBa minutefor video calls, while WhatsApp uses approximately 5 MB a minute.

There are quite a few differences in consumption between these two.

FaceTime Data Usage

FaceTimeis a popular app on iOS. It’s very data efficient compared with WhatsApp.

This app uses approximately3 MB of data per minuteduring a video call.

However, there’s a possibility to have an audio call using FaceTime, and it uses Wi-Fi or cellular data.

Of course, an audio call consumes much fewer data.

It’s about600 KBper minute for anaudio callusing FaceTime, a little more than WhatsApp voice calls.

How to Save Your Data?

There are several ways we can spare our data plan when using our smartphones.

The most logical way is toconnect to Wi-Finetworks asfrequentlyas possible.

WhatsApp Data Usage: How Much? (+ How to Reduce) (4)

When we’re connected to Wi-Fi, our devices don’t consume data provided by our MNOs.

However, asmart data consumption optionactivates data consumption when there are breaks in the Wi-Fi connection.

Another good tip to limit your data use is tonot stream when you’re not connectedto Wi-Fi.

Instead, download a couple episodes of your favorite TV show when you’re on Wi-Fi and watch them later.

Also, you can limit data use by going toSettings>Appsand then tapping on an app that you’d like to limit.

Tap onMobile data, and just disablebackground data usage.

Setting adata warninganddata limiton your smartphone is also a good way to save data.

You can do this by going toSettings>Connections>Data usage>Mobile data usage>Billing cycle and data warning.

You’ll see an option to receive a notification when your device consumes a certain amount of data.

(Video) Three ways to reduce WhatsApp data usage (Android) | Ting Tip

Also, there will be an option that you can tap that says “Limit mobile data usage.”

Finally, you can turn on theData saver.

Go toSettings>Connections>Data usage>Data saver. Turn it on, and it will stop apps from running any kind of background data.

FAQs

How do I stop WhatsApp from using so much data? ›

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Click on Connection or Connection & Sharing. If you are using a OnePlus device, you have to click on Mobile Network.
  3. Now, click on Data Usage to have a look at the list featuring the apps that are consuming data because of functioning in the background.
  4. Click on the WhatsApp icon.
Aug 22, 2022

Why is my WhatsApp consuming so much data? ›

WhatsApp allows users to make video and voice calls. These calls consume a lot of data and at this crucial time one can't afford to use a lot of internet given everything is dependent on it.

How much data does 1 WhatsApp message use? ›

Conclusion. WhatsApp uses 30 KB for chats, 300 KB for voice calls, and 5MB for video calls every minute.

How long does 1gb of data last on WhatsApp? ›

WhatsApp was by far the most efficient app, although data usage can increase greatly if you transfer media through the application.
...
Time to use 1GB.
ApplicationDaily usageData
Netflix30 minutes103MB
WhatsApp28 minutes11.2MB
Google Maps30 minutes14.1MB
Email15 minutes4.8MB
5 more rows
Mar 7, 2020

Does texting on WhatsApp use data? ›

As long as you haven't exceeded your mobile data allowance or you're connected to a free Wi-Fi network, your mobile provider shouldn't charge you for messaging or calling over WhatsApp. If your phone is roaming, data charges might apply. Does this answer your question?

Does talking on WhatsApp use data? ›

Voice calling lets you call your contacts using WhatsApp for free, even if they're in another country. Voice calling uses your phone's internet connection rather than your mobile plan's minutes. Data charges may apply.

How do I manage data on WhatsApp? ›

On the CHATS tab, tap More options > Settings. Tap Storage and data > Manage storage. The amount of space taken up on your device by WhatsApp media and Apps and other items is displayed at the top of the screen. You can free up storage by deleting items that are large or have been forwarded many times.

Is 2GB of data enough for a month? ›

2GB of data (or 2000MB) a month is a plan aimed at those who don't use mobile data often, but is enough to browse the web for around 80 minutes a day, or use social media apps for at least around 40 minutes per day. However, it is not suitable for those who stream lots of movies, or want to watch a lot of other videos.

What counts as data usage? ›

Data usage is how much data your phone uploads or downloads using mobile data. To make sure that you're not using too much data on your data plan, you can check and change your data usage.

How many hours does it take to use 1GB of data? ›

A 1GB data plan will allow you to browse the internet for around 12 hours, to stream 200 songs or to watch 2 hours of standard-definition video. Nowadays, the key difference between mobile phone price plans is how many gigabytes of data it comes with.

Can I send messages on WhatsApp without data? ›

Apart from the 'offline' feature, WhatsApp's update also allows you to share 30 pictures or videos (from 10 earlier) at the same time. A new feature on WhatsApp's latest update allows users to send messages even when there is no network or internet connection in the smartphone.

Can you read WhatsApp messages without data? ›

Turn on airplane mode after you have received a message on WhatsApp. So, this will turn off mobile data or Wi-Fi connection on your device. You can open WhatsApp and read messages.

How much data does a 2 hour WhatsApp call use? ›

Studies suggest that a WhatsApp voice call uses about 5MB per minute. On a typical 1GB package, this means a WhatsApp video call costs roughly 40c a minute, which is still lower than any pre-paid airtime cost per minute.

How much data does a 30 minute WhatsApp voice call use? ›

In conclusion, the amount of data WhatsApp uses for standard calls is about 740 KB per minute.

How much data does a 30 minute WhatsApp video call use? ›

How much can you expect to use during a video call though? For WhatsApp video calls, you can expect to use around 2.5MB of data per minute.

How much data does a 30 minute WhatsApp call use? ›

How much data does a WhatsApp call of 30 minutes cost? if you are doing video calling,it will take app. 90mb.

What happens if I turn off mobile data for WhatsApp? ›

It will turn white once it's off. Now WhatsApp can't use your cellular data, meaning that you'll only be able to send or receive messages over a Wi-Fi connection.

How many MB is it to send a text in WhatsApp? ›

The maximum file size allowed for all media (photos, videos or voice messages) to be sent or forwarded through WhatsApp is 16 MB on all platforms.

How much data is a text message? ›

You can send and receive text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages through the Messages app . Messages are considered texts and don't count toward your data usage. Your data usage is also free when you turn on chat features.

How much data is typical text message? ›

A plain text message uses only a very small amount of data, usually less than 1 KB. So small in fact, you'll barely notice it if that's all you use iMessage for. Sending photos and videos over iMessage can use a lot of data.

How many MB does a WhatsApp call use per minute? ›

In conclusion, the amount of data WhatsApp uses for standard calls is about 740 KB per minute. This is comparatively more than the amount of data that other apps use for the same features and usability.

Do audio messages use a lot of data? ›

Text messages use your data connection, however, the amount of data usage is significantly less than that of a voice call. The voice calls are made over your data connection and consume 6 kilobytes per second.

Does reading a text use data? ›

Messages are considered texts and don't count toward your data usage. Your data usage is also free when you turn on chat features. Learn how to turn on chat features (RCS). Tip: You can send texts over Wi-Fi even if you don't have cell service.

What is the difference between text and data? ›

Data: Means facts collected together for some reference. Text: Simply the combination of letters or Characters.

How many messages are 1gb? ›

One Gigabyte (GB) is approximately 1000 Megabytes (MB).
...
What does 1 Gigabyte (GB) of data get you?
Activity1 GB =
Email/Instant Messaging350,000 messages
Streaming video (HD)30 minutes of video
6 more rows

Can I still text if I run out of data? ›

Text messaging doesn't use "data" as defined by cell phone networks-- if you can make and receive calls, you can send text messages, even if you can't connect to the internet.

What is considered data on your cell phone? ›

Mobile data, sometimes referred to as cellular data, is the internet connectivity delivered to your mobile devices wirelessly. If you're using the internet on your phone, and it's not connected to Wi-Fi, you're using mobile data.

Does receiving pictures use data? ›

You need cellular data to send and receive MMS. If you cant receive pictures with mobile data on, try powering your phone off and on. If you are concerned about data usage or charge then you have a few options. 1.

How much data does a WhatsApp call use for 2 hours? ›

You can also realise some saving with WhatsApp video calls. Studies suggest that a WhatsApp voice call uses about 5MB per minute. On a typical 1GB package, this means a WhatsApp video call costs roughly 40c a minute, which is still lower than any pre-paid airtime cost per minute.

How long does 1GB of data last? ›

A 1GB data plan will allow you to browse the internet for around 12 hours, to stream 200 songs or to watch 2 hours of standard-definition video. Nowadays, the key difference between mobile phone price plans is how many gigabytes of data it comes with.

How many MB is a 10 minute WhatsApp call? ›

Based on a study conducted by Gadgets360 WhatsApp consumed an average of 12.3MB and 12.74MB of mobile data during video calls.

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