What typically uses the most data on a smartphone?

Isaac Egbon· Sep 21, 2026 · 2:00 PM UTC ·4 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 15 views

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TL;DR · WeSearch summary

Global mobile data usage is projected to more than double by 2031, with the average smartphone now consuming over 20GB per month. Video streaming and video calls are identified as the primary drivers of high data consumption, with usage varying significantly based on resolution settings. Other contributors include social media, software updates, and cloud backups, though users can mitigate these costs by adjusting quality preferences.

Key facts

▪Ericsson forecasts that global monthly mobile data usage will reach 328 exabytes by 2031, up from the current 150-200 exabytes.
▪Streaming one hour of YouTube at 4K resolution can consume over 15GB of data, whereas 360p uses only about 500MB.
▪Group video calls on Zoom consume significantly more data than one-on-one calls, reaching up to 2.48GB per hour at 1080p resolution.
▪Major iOS software updates can range from a few hundred megabytes to over 12GB, often occurring in the background.
▪Music streaming is relatively data-efficient, with Spotify using approximately 144MB per hour at its highest quality setting.

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Original publisher	Engadget
Canonical URL	https://www.engadget.com/2260677/what-uses-most-data-smartphone/
Publication time	Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-09-21T14:03:50.119Z
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

News Mobile Smartphones What typically uses the most data on a smartphone? You might be burning through data faster than you think. By Isaac Egbon Sept. 21, 2026 10:00 am EST Ipopba/Getty Images Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover According to Ericsson's mobile traffic data report, the world currently moves around 150-200 exabytes of mobile data monthly. That is 150-200 million terabytes monthly. And that number is only going to keep increasing; Ericsson forecasts that by 2031, global monthly usage will have grown to 328 exabytes, more than double today's figures. The average smartphone alone now consumes more than 20GB a month, up from 4.9GB just a few years ago.

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