How Much Mobile Data Does YouTube Use?

YouTube is among the most data-intensive applications, surpassing messengers, GPS services, and even most mobile games. The actual consumption, however, largely depends on video quality. Below, we provide practical recommendations on how to reduce data usage – particularly valuable for travelers with limited prepaid eSIM plans.

Calculations

Data usage on YouTube primarily depends on video quality (ranging from 144p up to 4K). One of YouTube’s key advantages is that you can choose the resolution yourself when playing a video. More details are provided in the table below.

Action	Resolution	MB/Hour
Watching Video	360p (low quality). Often used by default on weak mobile signal	~300 MB
	480p (medium quality). Common default on mobile networks.	~500 MB
	720p (HD, high quality). Frequently chosen on LTE/5G (when signal is good).	~1.5 GB
	1080p (Full HD, very high). Rarely set automatically, usually manual	~3 GB
	4K (Ultra HD, ultra high quality). Almost never used on mobile data	~7 GB
Uploading Video	360p (low quality). Comment: rarely uploaded	~500 MB
	480p (medium quality). Note: acceptable for quick uploads	~1 GB
	720p (HD, high quality). Common upload choice from mobile	~2 GB
	1080p (Full HD). Note: mostly uploaded via Wi-Fi, but possible on LTE	~4 GB
	4K (Ultra HD). Very rare on mobile internet, usually uploaded only on Wi-Fi	~16 GB

How to Reduce YouTube Data Usage on Mobile Internet?

The main tip is to select the lowest video quality (144p-360p) in the settings when you start a video. In addition, if you’re using the YouTube app, we recommend disabling automatic updates (approx. 50-150 MB of data per update) and background activity (on average 1-5 MB of data per day, but with active preloading and frequent notifications it can reach 50-60 MB/day). Here’s how to do it:

iPhone: Open «Settings», then «App Store» and turn off «App Updates». Next, go to «General», open «Background App Refresh», and turn it off for YouTube.
Android: Open «Settings», then «Network preferences», choose «Auto-update apps», and select «Don’t auto-update apps». Then go back to «Settings», open «Apps», find YouTube, tap «Mobile data & Wi-Fi», and turn off «Background data».

Conclusion

If you occasionally watch only short videos over mobile data in low/medium quality (360-480p), you’ll use about 0.5-3 GB per week. Watching full-length movies in 360p will consume around 3-6 GB per week, while viewing in high definition (720–1080p HD) can reach 10-20 GB per week. Reducing video quality, monitoring data usage, and disabling automatic updates will help you watch YouTube with minimal data consumption. However, you can find a suitable mobile plan from PrimaSIM for any needs. With our travel eSIMs, you can even enjoy YouTube while abroad.