What is mobile data?

Key takeaways:

• Mobile data is internet connectivity that uses a cell network instead of being on Wi-Fi. That's why it's also called cellular data.
• Any activity that depends on an internet connection will use mobile data if you're not on Wi-Fi.
• You can turn mobile data on or off in phone settings. Turning mobile data off avoids using your data allowance when you don't want to.

What is mobile data on my phone?  

Your phone needs an internet connection to browse websites, stream content, use apps including social media, and send some types of messages, including RCS messages. You have two sources to get that connection:  

Mobile data: Your phone connects to a cellular tower to get an internet connection. That's the "data" component of a phone plan, and you're able to use it wherever you have a cellular connection. (That's why mobile data is sometimes called cellular data.)

Wi-Fi: Your phone connects to a fixed local network, like at home or in a place that offers public Wi-Fi — a coffee shop, library, hotel, restaurant, etc. You're connected but tied to a physical space.  

When choosing a cell phone plan, you want to get enough mobile data without paying too much or sacrificing the speed you want.

What is premium data?  

Premium data, or high-speed data, gets prioritized during times of network congestion. When the network’s busy, say in a crowd at a concert or sporting event, premium data users will have faster speeds and better connectivity than others.  

Data plans often include a certain amount of premium data, and after that you may experience slower speeds. Even unlimited data plans may have a cap on the amount of premium data you get before you see slower speeds — most are not truly unlimited — but the cap will likely be high, such as 50GB or even 100GB. For context, the average person uses 22GB of mobile data a month, according to a 2024 Ericsson report.

>> Read more: What is a GB?

As you shop for a phone plan, especially if you're getting your own phone plan for the first time, spend some time figuring out how much data you really need so you don't pay too much or get too little.

What is mobile hotspot data? 

When you use your cell phone to connect other devices to the internet you’re creating a mobile hotspot. (You may see “hotspot” and “tethering” used interchangeably on phone carriers’ sites.) Some phone plans give you a separate amount of data for this, others take hotspot data use out of your overall data allotment — and some plans do not support hotspot use at all. As always, read through the fine print when choosing a phone plan. 

Is it better to use Wi-Fi or mobile data?  

Say you have a phone plan with data included. Is it better to use mobile data instead of Wi-Fi or vice versa? It depends on a few things: 

Your mobile data allowance: To avoid using up your data for the month and facing slower speeds (or having to pay for more on a prepaid phone plan), use Wi-Fi when you can.  

The quality of the available Wi-Fi: Sometimes a Wi-Fi connection can be spotty, in which case you might need to use mobile data to get coverage. And public Wi-Fi networks may not be secure, so you should take steps to protect your personal information: Use a VPN, avoid doing sensitive tasks like banking over public Wi-Fi, or switch to using mobile data.  

Mobile data on or off?  

Your phone has a setting to turn mobile data off or on. When it’s on, your phone (and the apps on it) may be using your data. Turning it off means you can’t connect to the internet unless you’re on Wi-Fi, so it’s a great way to ensure you’re not using data when you don’t want to.  

You might consider turning off mobile data in these situations:  

• You need to save data to avoid hitting a cap or paying for a top-up.  

• You want to save on battery.  

• You’re traveling abroad and want to avoid data roaming fees.  

Keep in mind that you'll run into some limitations if you're relying on Wi-Fi only. For example, some texting apps require data to send more than simple messages, so stepping away from Wi-Fi will limit your communication options.

How to turn mobile data on or off for Android 

Go to the control panel by swiping down from the top of the screen, then tap Data Usage and toggle on or off. 

How to turn mobile data on or off for iPhone 

Open Settings, choose Cellular and then toggle Cellular Data on or off.  

Can my phone use mobile data when I’m not on it?  

Yes, if mobile data is turned on, you don’t necessarily need to be actively using your phone for it to be consuming data through things like:  

• Background refreshing and syncing of apps 

• Automatic updates 

• Notifications and alerts 

Here’s how you can avoid losing some of your data allotment to those things if you don’t want to turn mobile data off for everything and restrict yourself to Wi-Fi only:  

Restrict apps’ background refresh and updates to when you’re on Wi-Fi: No background refresh means that news, email and social apps will have to load the latest info each time you open them. And map and weather apps won't have access to real-time conditions. 

• On an Android: Open the Google Play app, tap your profile picture, then select Settings -> Network Preferences -> Auto-update Apps. Select the option to update over Wi-Fi only. If you want to restrict some, not all, apps, go to Settings -> Data Usage and then choose the apps. 

• On an iPhone: Go to Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh then choose Wi-Fi Only at the top or select individual apps from the list below and toggle off the ones you don’t want. 

Reduce notifications: Push notifications from apps can hoover up some of your data, but you can disable them.   

• On an Android: Go to Settings -> Notifications -> App Notifications. Using either the Most Recent list or by tapping on All Apps, tap on apps where you want to turn off notifications. 

• On an iPhone: Go to Settings -> Notifications, then toggle off Allow Notifications on each app you want to block. 

How else can I conserve data? 

The most obvious way to conserve your mobile data is by using Wi-Fi whenever you can. Beyond that, you can also:  

• Download media on Wi-Fi to watch or listen to later, versus streaming while on the go. Some map apps also allow you to download a map for offline use later, although that sacrifices getting real-time traffic info. 

• Disable Wi-Fi Assist on iPhone or Network Switch on Android devices. Both of these will switch you to mobile data if your Wi-Fi connection drops or lags, which is great for stable internet access but may dip into your mobile data caps. 

  • On an Android: Go to Settings -> Connections -> Wi-Fi, then tap the three dots in the corner and select Advanced. Unselect “Switch to mobile data.” 
  • On an iPhone: Go to Settings -> Mobile Data, then scroll down and toggle off Wi-Fi Assist. 
• Use Low Data Mode on iPhone or Data Saver on Android. These stop apps from using data when you’re not actively using them, stops background refreshes, reduces streaming quality and more.  

Frequently asked questions about mobile data