How to effectively save data on vacation?

Downloading offline maps

Download maps to your phone before the trip, and directions work with no mobile data at all. Maps also load faster, and directions keep working where the signal is weak. Most map apps moved online as phones and networks got faster, so many people never think of this. If you use maps a lot on vacation, set this up first.

Google Maps: download the area you need

Google Maps lets you download maps for free. Tap your profile picture in the app and choose Offline maps. This helps most abroad, where roaming can be expensive.

Google does not download whole countries or regions. You mark the area of the map you need instead. That keeps the download small and saves space on your phone.

HERE WeGo: offline maps for whole countries

HERE WeGo, the app that started as Nokia HERE Maps, still lets you download maps of entire countries for free. Turn-by-turn directions work on these maps with no internet connection. For longer trips, it is a good alternative to Google Maps.

Data you save: about 50 MB per hour. The exact amount depends on how much detail the area has, for example how dense the roads and buildings are.

Downloading multimedia

Download movies, shows, music and podcasts on Wi-Fi before you travel, and you can play them later with no mobile data. This matters most if you travel with kids or want to watch a movie in the evening.

Netflix lets you download movies and shows in its app on a phone, tablet or computer. Tap Download next to a title. Downloads come with Netflix subscriptions and are ideal for long flights or places with a poor signal.

Spotify works the same way, but downloads need the paid version. You can save whole playlists or albums for offline listening. YouTube also lets you download videos for offline viewing, but only with YouTube Premium, which also removes ads.

Podcast episodes are the easiest to download. Most podcast apps, for example Spotify and Apple Podcasts, let you do it even on the free version.

Data you save:

• Netflix: about 1.2 GB per movie (standard quality)
• Spotify: about 1.4 MB per song (standard quality)
• YouTube: about 560 MB per hour (standard quality)

Limiting YouTube quality

On a phone screen, 480p is usually enough. It looks fine and uses far less data than HD (720p) or higher resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K). Most YouTube videos are not planned in advance, so you will rarely download them first. A lower default quality is the next best thing.

You can set one default quality for all videos in the YouTube app. Open the app settings, tap Video quality preferences and choose Data saver, or pick the quality you want by hand.

Data you save:

• From HD (720p) to 480p: about 1 GB per hour
• From Full HD (1080p) to 480p: about 2 GB per hour
• From 4K to 480p: about 5 GB per hour

Autoplay videos on social networks

Turn off autoplay in your social apps, and videos stop loading while you scroll past them. Social apps start a video as soon as it appears in your feed, to keep you watching. Each of those videos uses data, even if you never look at it.

Here is where to turn it off in each app:

Facebook

1. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right (iOS) or top right corner (Android).
2. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings.
3. Find the Preferences section and tap Media.
4. Under Autoplay, select Never Autoplay Videos.

Instagram

1. Go to your profile and tap the three lines (☰) in the top right corner.
2. Under Your app and media, tap Media quality.
3. Turn on Use less cellular data.

TikTok

1. Tap the profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap the three lines in the top right corner and select Settings and privacy.
3. Open the Data Saver setting and turn it on.

Data you save: about 120 to 200 MB per hour, depending on the app and the content.

Using Wi-Fi networks

Free Wi-Fi in hotels, restaurants, cafes and tourist centers saves your mobile data. Public networks carry two risks, though:

1. Someone on a real public network can listen in on your traffic (a "man-in-the-middle" attack).
2. An attacker can set up a fake network with a name that looks official, for example "McDonald's Free Wi-Fi" or "Airport Wi-Fi", and read everything you send through it.

A VPN app on your phone protects you from both. Stay careful even with one. Never use online banking or enter card details on public Wi-Fi unless your VPN is on.

Tip: before you travel, check where you will have free Wi-Fi. Many hotels, restaurants and tourist spots list their network on their website, sometimes with the password.

Lite apps and web browsers that save data

Facebook Lite and Instagram Lite use less data and take up less storage than the full apps. They were built for countries with slow networks and low-end phones, and they work just as well on vacation. Both are Android apps.

Some web browsers have a data-saving setting built in:

• Opera Mini compresses pages before they reach your phone. Opera says this saves up to 90% of data.
• Samsung Internet has a data saving mode that blocks images and lowers media quality.
• Mozilla Firefox takes add-ons that block content you don't need, for example ads.

Data you save: about 200 to 500 MB per hour, depending on the content and the browser.

Data limits and usage monitoring

Your phone already tracks how much data you use and which apps use the most. Check it on the first day of the trip, so you know which apps to limit.

Android

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network > Data usage. The menu names vary a little by phone maker.
2. Set a warning for when you reach a certain amount of data.
3. Set a data limit, after which mobile data turns off by itself.
4. Open App data usage to see which apps use the most data.

iPhone (iOS)

1. Go to Settings > Cellular.
2. Here you see your total data use and the use of each app.
3. Turn off mobile data for any app that doesn't need it on the trip.
4. Tap Reset Statistics at the bottom of the screen when the trip starts, so the counter shows only your vacation use.

Tip: before you travel abroad, turn off automatic app and system updates, which can use a lot of data. Also set photo and video backups to run on Wi-Fi only.

eSIM as a solution for data abroad

Abroad, a travel eSIM (a digital SIM you install from a QR code) with a local data plan usually costs much less than roaming with a US carrier. You keep your own number on the physical SIM and use the eSIM for data.

What an eSIM gives you on a trip:

• No physical SIM card to swap
• Several eSIM profiles on one phone
• Setup in a few minutes: scan a QR code and the plan is ready
• Prices that are often much lower than roaming
• Plans for single countries and for whole regions

Our comparison tool lists every eSIM plan for your destination and filters by data size, validity and country. It can also search several countries at once.

Popular providers for travel include Airalo, Holafly and GigSky. We tested all three: see our Airalo review, Holafly review and GigSky review. New to eSIM? Our guide to your first eSIM shows how to check your phone, buy a plan and install it.

Data saved by each tip, and a final checklist

Lowering video quality and downloading media in advance save the most data. The figures below are rough estimates per hour of typical use.

Before you leave, also check these:

• Turn off automatic app and system updates.
• Set photo sync and backups to Wi-Fi only.
• Send text messages instead of making video calls.
• Download maps, movies and music on Wi-Fi.
• Use apps in offline mode wherever you can.
• If you travel often, a portable Wi-Fi hotspot can pay off.
• Abroad, use an eSIM with a local data plan. Our tested list of eSIM providers compares the options.

Not sure how much data you need? Read our guide to travel data needs, work it out with the travel data calculator, or see what 2 GB, 5 GB or 10 GB covers on a trip.

With these settings in place, you can save mobile data on vacation and come home without a surprise bill for extra data or roaming.