How much data does streaming use per hour?
Typical data ranges
Data use depends mostly on picture quality. Standard definition often uses about one gigabyte per hour, while high definition commonly uses a few gigabytes. Ultra high definition or 4K can use several gigabytes per hour, sometimes more on high bitrate settings.
Streaming services adjust quality automatically based on your connection. If your network slows, the app may lower the picture quality to keep playing, which reduces data use but can make the image look softer.
- Standard definition: roughly one gigabyte or less per hour
- High definition: a few gigabytes per hour
- 4K: several gigabytes per hour
- Quality drops automatically on slow connections
Managing data use
If you have a limited data plan, you can set the app to a lower quality in its settings. Many apps also let you choose automatic, low, medium or high quality for mobile networks and for Wi-Fi separately.
Watching on Wi-Fi is usually the simplest way to avoid overage charges. Downloading shows for offline viewing can also help, since the data is used once when you download instead of every time you stream. Checking your data usage in your phone or router app can also show how much a month of viewing really uses.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all streaming uses the same amount of data regardless of quality setting.
- Leaving 4K or high quality turned on for mobile data without checking your plan limit.
