How much data does Netflix use?
SD (480p): ~0.7 GB/hour
HD (1080p): ~3 GB/hour
4K Ultra HD: ~7 GB/hour
4K HDR: ~10 GB/hour
Netflix auto-adjusts quality based on your connection speed unless you lock it in settings.
Does Spotify use a lot of data?
Music streaming is very data-efficient. At high quality (320 kbps), Spotify uses only ~0.14 GB per hour. You could listen to music for 7+ hours to use the same data as 1 hour of HD video. Downloading playlists on WiFi eliminates mobile data usage entirely.
How much data do Zoom/Teams calls use?
Audio only: ~50 MB/hour
SD video: ~0.5 GB/hour
HD video: ~1.2 GB/hour
Group HD call: ~3 GB/hour
Data usage doubles when both sending and receiving video.
Is cloud gaming worth it with a data cap?
Cloud gaming (Xbox Cloud, GeForce Now, etc.) is extremely data-hungry—up to 35 GB/hour at 4K. With a 1TB cap, you'd hit your limit after ~30 hours of 4K gaming. It's more viable on unlimited connections or at lower quality settings.
How can I reduce streaming data usage?
1. Lower video quality (720p vs 4K makes a huge difference)
2. Download content on WiFi for offline viewing
3. Disable autoplay and previews
4. Use data saver modes in streaming apps
5. Turn off video in calls when not needed
Do different streaming services use different amounts of data?
At the same resolution, most services use similar amounts. However, encoding efficiency varies slightly. Disney+ and Apple TV+ tend to be more efficient than Netflix at 4K. YouTube can vary widely depending on the source video quality.