How to Save Mobile Data Abroad: The Complete Guide

Short answer: most travel data isn't used by what you do, but by what your phone does in the background. Before the flight, update your apps and download offline maps, music and translation packs on home Wi-Fi. Abroad, turn on Low Data Mode (iPhone) or Data Saver (Android), turn off background app refresh and cloud backup over mobile data, stop WhatsApp from auto-downloading media, and lower video quality. Save heavy tasks for Wi-Fi.

Why does data run out so fast abroad?

Most data abroad isn't burned on what you're doing, but on what your phone does without you noticing: cloud backups, app updates, videos that autoplay and photos that download in WhatsApp.

On a trip you also use your phone more: navigation, finding restaurants, translation, posting stories and video calls home. That combination can use up a plan of several gigabytes within a few days. If that sounds familiar, see eSIM data running out too fast.

The good news: with a few simple settings before the flight and during the trip, you can significantly cut your usage without giving up anything important. This guide goes through everything step by step.

Before the flight: prepare at home on Wi-Fi

The biggest savings happen before you even board. Anything you download at home won't cost you a single megabyte abroad.

Update your phone and all your apps. A system or app update that downloads abroad can weigh hundreds of megabytes or more.
Download offline maps. In Google Maps: search for the city, tap your profile picture and choose "Offline maps" > "Select your own map". Navigation will work even without a connection.
Download music, podcasts and shows. Spotify, Netflix and YouTube Premium let you download for offline listening and viewing.
Download a language for offline translation. In Google Translate you can download your destination's language pack and translate without internet.
Save important documents on the phone. Boarding passes, hotel confirmations and travel insurance as a PDF or screenshot, not just as a link in an email.
Finish a full cloud backup. That way your phone won't try to "catch up" on a huge backup as soon as you connect abroad.

Phone settings that save the most data

Three main settings do most of the work: data saver mode, blocking background refresh, and stopping cloud backup over mobile data. Menu names may vary slightly by system version and manufacturer.

On iPhone

Low Data Mode: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Mode. Reduces automatic updates, photo syncing and background activity.
Background App Refresh: Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Turn it off completely, or leave it on for Wi-Fi only.
Block data for specific apps: Settings > Cellular. Scroll to the list of apps and turn off anything you don't need on the trip.
Wi-Fi Assist: at the bottom of the Cellular screen. Turn it off so the phone doesn't switch to mobile data every time Wi-Fi is weak.
iCloud: make sure iCloud Drive and Photos don't sync over mobile data.

On Android

Data Saver: Settings > Network & internet (on Samsung: Connections > Data usage). Limits background usage for most apps.
Limit background data per app: Settings > Apps > choose an app > Mobile data. Turn off "Allow background data usage".
Google Play: in the store settings, set auto-update apps to "Over Wi-Fi only".
Google Photos: in the backup settings, make sure backup doesn't run over mobile data.

Saving data in popular apps

Video is the biggest data consumer. Changing one or two settings in each app is enough to cut your usage.

WhatsApp: Settings > Storage and data > Media auto-download. Set photos, audio, videos and documents to download over Wi-Fi only. You can still tap to download anything you need. Under the same menu, "Use less data for calls" reduces call usage.
YouTube: in the video quality settings, choose "Data saver" for mobile networks, and turn off autoplay.
Instagram and TikTok: both have a data saver option in their settings that stops videos preloading in high quality.
Netflix and other streaming apps: set downloads and mobile streaming to the lower quality option, and download episodes on hotel Wi-Fi.

Another tip: video calls use far more data than voice calls. When you don't need to see each other, choose a WhatsApp voice call, and where possible save video calls for when you're on Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi abroad: use it wisely and safely

Hotels, cafés and airports offer free Wi-Fi, and that's the time to do all the heavy tasks: video calls, uploading photos and backups.

However, open public networks aren't secure. A few simple rules:

Only connect to a network with the venue's official name, and ask staff if you're not sure.
Avoid logging in to your bank or making payments on an open public network. For sensitive actions, mobile data is better.
Turn off auto-join for open networks, so your phone doesn't connect to an unknown network without you knowing.
Note: weak Wi-Fi can make your phone quietly switch to mobile data. That's why it's worth turning off "Wi-Fi Assist" on iPhone or "Switch to mobile data" on Android.

How much data do you really need?

As a rough guide, a light user needs about 0.5 to 1GB a day, an average traveler 1.5 to 3GB, and a heavy user 4GB or more. For a detailed breakdown by app, see how much mobile data you need per day, and for choosing a plan, how much data to buy for a trip.

eSIM, roaming or a local SIM: which is best value?

The safest way to save is to choose a data plan in advance that matches your usage, rather than relying on your home carrier's roaming.

Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
Travel eSIM	Digital activation from home, no card to swap, your home number stays active for calls and SMS	Requires a phone that supports eSIM
Roaming with your home carrier	Nothing to do	Can be expensive, and some plans cap the data
Local SIM at the destination	Often good value for long stays	You need to find a store on arrival, sometimes show a passport, and your home SIM comes out of the phone

Before you buy an eSIM: check two things

Your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone: Settings > General > About, and check whether "Digital eSIM" appears. On Android: search for "eSIM" in Settings. Or use our compatibility checker.
Your phone isn't carrier-locked. A phone locked to a specific carrier may not accept another provider's eSIM.

Frequently asked questions

What uses the most data when traveling?

Video: streaming, autoplaying clips on social media and video calls. Background backups and app updates are the next biggest hidden users.

Does Google Maps work without data?

Yes, if you download offline maps of the area in advance. Navigation then works without a connection, although live traffic and business details need data.

Does WhatsApp use a lot of data?

Text messages use very little. Photos, videos and video calls use much more, so setting media auto-download to Wi-Fi only makes a big difference.

Ready for your trip? Choose a data plan for your destination and install it before you fly.