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Data usage is on the minds of every mobile phone user in the world. We have come so far in the world of technology, yet we are still confined to how much data we use on our mobile devices throughout the day. It is currently estimated that the average phone use in the uses 8GB per month. However, to understand how much data a large company such as YouTube uses, we need to first understand how data is calculated and actually what Gigabytes are.
How is Data Calculated?
Data can be calculated in Bytes, Kilobytes, Megabytes, or Gigabytes. There are 1,000,000 bytes in a kilobyte, 1,024 kilobytes in a megabyte, and 1,024 megabytes in a gigabyte. Gigabytes are the largest in the scale and that is why we measure data with gigabytes on data plans.
When you claim you are only using 8GB per month, it sounds like such a small amount, but when you calculate in the actual math of it all, you can see how large a gigabyte actually is.
What About YouTube?
What we use on our phones is one thing, but think about the fact that there are 15 billion mobile devices operating throughout the world today. With only 8 billion people on the planet, that is certainly a lot of devices and a ton of data being used. This statistic comes from a 2021 study, so that number is likely much higher today.
The short answer from those that have already done the calculations is that YouTube uses .05 to 1.5 megabytes per minute. That might not sound like a lot, but when you think of how many people use YouTube daily, it adds up quickly. By the way, YouTube currently has 2.49 billion monthly users, many of which use the platform daily.
Can I Reduce My Data Usage While Using YouTube?
The key to helping maintain your monthly data allotment is knowing when and where you are using the most data. YouTube is among the most popular site on the internet and its popularity grows with each passing year. Many of us can attest to the fact that endlessly watching videos can quickly drain your phones data, but there are ways to reduce the amount of data you use while still watching your favorite shows and videos.
Change Video Quality
Many people do not understand that video quality is a real thing. The clearer the video, the higher the quality, meaning there are more pixels on your screen to help make the video clear. HD videos can quickly eat up data and in just one hour, you can use up to 3GB of data.
YouTube understands the need to offer different levels of quality to appease all users. Go into your YouTube settings and dial down the quality level a bit to ensure you reduce the amount of data you use. Even lower quality videos can be remarkably clear. High quality pixels are up to 1080 while lower quality will be around 360 pixels.
Turn Off Autoplay
You might be playing videos without even knowing it. Autoplay can quickly get you into trouble when it comes to your data. In the right corner of the YouTube video player you will find the autoplay button. Turn it off and you will no longer have to contend with videos playing without you knowing about it.
Bandwidth Saver
YouTube comes with extensions available for use and one of the best options for extensions is a bandwidth saver. This downloadable extension allows you to browse freely without using too much data. The bandwidth saver adjusts video quality and other features of YouTube automatically to help you save on your data usage.
Download Videos When Connected to Wi-Fi
Steaming platforms are all different and not all will allow you to download videos. YouTube does and it can save you a lot on your data usage, provided you do a little planning first. When you are in a Wi-Fi area, download the videos you want to view. When you are out of the Wi-Fi area, only watch your previously downloaded videos to avoid using too much data.
