How much data Netflix and streaming really use
One streamed film can cost more than everything else you did all day combined. The answer is not to go without — it is to download at the hotel.
En bref
- Netflix uses roughly 0.3 GB an hour on its saving setting, roughly 1 GB on the middle one and roughly 3 GB at high quality.
- The setting lives on the profile, not the device — with several profiles in a household you have to set your own separately.
- Downloading on hotel Wi-Fi is the real answer, and the Wi-Fi Only switch in the download settings is what keeps it that way.
| What you are doing | Roughly how much | A 7-day trip at this rate |
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Questions fréquentes
Does watching on a tablet cost more than on a phone?+
It can, because on Automatic the app tends to pick a higher resolution for a bigger screen. Set Save data on both and the figures come out close. Screen size matters through the app's decision, not through the glass itself.
If I fall asleep with something playing, does it keep spending?+
Most apps eventually ask whether you are still watching, but until that point they keep playing and keep spending. If you like falling asleep to something, download it rather than streaming it and the question never arises.
Why does the picture start blurry and then sharpen?+
Because the app starts low so playback begins quickly, then climbs once it trusts the connection. It also means hopping in and out of things repeatedly wastes data on that ramp-up over and over with nothing to show for it.
How much should a 7-day trip set aside for watching?+
If you download on Wi-Fi every night, roughly 1 GB covers emergencies. Streaming an hour a day on Save data, budget roughly 2–3 GB. An hour a day on the middle setting, roughly 5–7 GB. Put your own numbers into the streaming calculator to see it whole.
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