How much mobile data do you need for a 1-week trip?
Maps, messages, photos, video calls: a realistic way to estimate your data for a week abroad, and how to make it last.
2 min read
Buy too little data and you're hunting for Wi-Fi on day five. Buy too much and you've paid for gigabytes you never used. The right amount depends on how you use your phone, so start with what uses data and work from there.
Usage varies a lot by app, settings and network, so treat the figures below as rough ballparks rather than exact numbers.
What uses data, roughly
| Activity | Rough usage |
|---|---|
| Text messages and chats (WhatsApp, iMessage) | Very little, unless you send lots of photos and videos |
| Voice calls over apps | Around 1 MB per minute |
| Maps and navigation | Modest; much less with offline maps downloaded |
| Web browsing and social media without video | A few hundred MB over a busy day |
| Short-form video (Reels, TikTok, Stories) | Can reach 1 GB or more per hour |
| Video calls | Roughly 0.5 to 1.5 GB per hour |
| Streaming video in HD | Up to around 3 GB per hour |
| Automatic photo backup and app updates | Can quietly use several GB |
Your phone already knows your habits. On iPhone, look under Settings > Mobile Data (or Cellular). On Android, look under Settings > Network & internet > Data usage. Last month's numbers are a great starting point.
Three traveller profiles for 7 days
Light: 1 to 3 GB
You mainly use maps, messages and the occasional search, and you're on hotel Wi-Fi in the evenings.
Typical: 3 to 5 GB
Daily navigation, social media, sharing photos, a few calls home and booking things on the go.
Heavy: 10 to 20 GB
Lots of video on social media, regular video calls, sharing your connection with a laptop or streaming on the move. Remote workers often land here.
OneSim plans come in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 GB, all valid for 30 days from when the eSIM first connects at your destination.
Make your data last
- Download before you go: offline maps, music playlists, podcasts and shows.
- Turn off automatic photo backup (iCloud Photos, Google Photos) on mobile data, and set app updates to Wi-Fi only.
- Turn on data saving: Low Data Mode on iPhone, Data Saver on Android, and the data-saving options inside apps like WhatsApp and Instagram.
- Lower streaming quality in video and music apps.
- Be careful with hotspot. A laptop on your connection can use a lot of data quickly, because computers assume they're on unlimited Wi-Fi.
What if you run out?
With a OneSim eSIM you can add more data to the same eSIM from your order page or My eSIMs, with nothing to reinstall. That means you don't need to buy the biggest plan "just in case": pick the profile that fits you best and top up if your trip turns out busier than expected.
