How Much Data Does TikTok Use & How to Reduce it?

Do you know what’s the similarity between Kesha’s TikTok and the TikTok app? Both are fun, exciting, and entertaining. Oh, and highly addictive too! The combination of Kesha’s irresistible voice combined with mesmerizing composition makes you sway and dance to the tune.

On the other hand, TikTok, a popular video-sharing & streaming app, pulls you into a vortex of mindless watching. Sometimes, you are so consumed in scrolling & viewing all sorts of engaging videos that you don’t realize it’s been around three hours.

Both the song and the video streaming app help to de-stress and forget your worries for a while. However, do you know how much data TikTok use during a long, uninterrupted video streaming session? Let’s find out.

How much data does TikTok use?

After you download the app on your phone, it is on default settings. If you keep streaming video content on default settings, it will eat up data quickly.

However, you can change these settings to save data by turning off this feature. This way, you can scroll through videos and explore communities without consuming a large amount of internet. The data usage metrics depend on multiple factors. These are:

• The length of the videos
• The streaming quality of videos (HD or Standard)
• Number of videos you watch

Note: The length of the TikTok videos varies from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.

How much data does 1 hour of TikTok use?

On average, streaming a short 15-second video on TikTok requires 4MB. Usually, a short video takes around 2MB on lower video resolution and 6MB on high resolution. Under default settings of the app, it takes 70MB of data in five minutes, meaning one hour of continuous usage requires around 840MB.

It doesn’t mean that you’ll need a fixed amount of 840MB to use the TikTok app for an hour. The amount consumed can vary; it can be more, and it can be less, too.

The important fact is that TikTok uses almost the same amount of data required by other popular platforms like Instagram and YouTube. The latter two can use around 700MB on SD quality compared to 900MB on HD quality and 3GB on ultra-HD settings.

What if you are a heavy user?

As mentioned above, TikTok video streaming takes up around 840MB of data in an hour. So, it will drain 4GBs in less than five hours. And if you are a heavy user, you can reach five hours of watch time or 4GBs in a day or maybe two.

For an average user, watching fun and exciting videos on TikTok for 4-5 hours may take around five to seven days. This is a substantial watch time; realistically speaking, TikTok is not the only app you’ll be using on your phone in a day or a week.

You’ll also spend hours watching your favorite shows on Netflix, streaming YouTube, browsing social media, listening to songs, and doing much more like Google Maps, etc. All these activities combined can take a toll on your data allowance, and it can exhaust in no time.

Data Consumption: TikTok vs Instagram Reels vs YouTube Shorts

Short-form videos are no longer exclusive to TikTok, as platforms like Instagram and YouTube have introduced their own versions: Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Let’s compare the data consumption of these platforms based on default settings. 

Instagram Reels tends to use around 100MB of data for just 5 minutes of usage, which equates to roughly 1.2GB per hour. This is about 1.5 times higher than TikTok’s data consumption. 

In contrast, YouTube Shorts is more data-efficient. A 1-minute video consumes approximately 6MB of data, resulting in around 360MB for an hour of usage—significantly less compared to both TikTok and Instagram Reels. 

Talk Home’s affordable data plans for TikTok

You know that TikTok video streaming drains 840MB of data in an hour. And it is a lot of data considering that most people like to spend more than one hour daily on this app. Normal data plans may not suffice TikTok usage and other data-heavy operations like downloading, uploading, video calling and listening to music, etc.

Satisfy your data cravings with Talk Home’s PAYG plans that promise unbeatable prices, a large amount of data, and lightning 5G speeds.

If you are a heavy TikTok user and fond of watching short videos throughout the day, go for PLATINUM 5G. Get 150 GB of data along with unlimited calling, texting, and country-wide 5G coverage.

How to check data usage on a phone?

If you are curious to know how much data TikTok use on your phone, you can do it through the Setting menu and follow these simple steps.

How to check TikTok data usage of iPhone

• Enter settings.
• Go to Cellular.
• Select TikTok from the list of Apps.

‘Current Period’ doesn’t reset every month. Scroll to the bottom for the cellular menu, select ‘Reset Statistics’ and refresh it.

How to check TikTok data usage on Android

• Go to settings.
• Enter the Apps menu.
• Select TikTok, followed by Data Usage.
• Here, you’ll see how much data TikTok has used on your phone in the last 30 days.

The steps may vary from phone to phone. Check the user manual to complete these steps.

Does TikTok use more data on Wi-Fi?

So, if you have Wi-Fi at home or office, you are not putting undue burden on your mobile data. Wi-Fi is the most economical option when watching videos on TikTok compared to mobile data. Keep in mind that even with Wi-Fi, the data usage will be approximately the same as on mobile data.

This is where unlimited Wi-Fi data comes into play. It lets you access the app for an unlimited time and enjoy as much as you want without worrying about data running out.

How to Reduce TikTok data usage?

It isn’t a hidden fact that TikTok is a data hog and consumes a large quantity of data within an hour. However, there are multiple ways to save data and lower the consumption. Let’s dive in.

Data Saving Mode

If you are not on Wi-Fi and want to entertain yourself with short videos on different topics and from different creators, opt for the data-saving feature. Once you turn on the data saving mode, you’ll have to settle with lower-resolution videos instead of high definitions.

Moreover, the navigation from one video to another and downloading will be slower than before. However, it won’t drain your data quantity at a rapid pace.

Buy an Unlimited Data Package

If you are an avid video streamer of TikTok and watch numerous videos daily, we suggest you opt for an unlimited data plan. Although you may be spending a bit more to buy an unlimited data plan, you are making sure that you watch as many videos as you want for whatever time.

This way, you won’t have to pay a high amount for the data exceeding your plan. Additionally, you won’t have to buy daily data packages.

Turn to TikTok Lite

Just like FB, Twitter, and Skype, TikTok also has a Lite app that lets you access all features of the app, like watching videos, downloading, and commenting, with less data consumption.

Apart from data, this app is also helpful for handsets as it puts less pressure on the battery. There isn’t such an option within the app. It does so automatically.

Upload & Watch Videos on Wi-Fi

The most convenient and efficient way to complete data-heavy tasks is by connecting to Wi-Fi. As TikTok video streaming consumes around 1GB of data in an hour – which is too much – the best way to save data and enjoy video content is by using Wi-Fi.

Note that recording or editing videos on TikTok don’t use much data. On the contrary, if you watch videos continuously or upload them in HD quality, doing so with mobile data can result in extensive data reduction. Do it when connected to Wi-Fi, and you’ll use much less data.

How to enable Data Saver in TikTok?

If you are not a content creator or don’t post the latest trending videos but actively follow other creators and watch videos for hours, turn on the data-saving mode. It will result in lower resolution, but data consumption will also be low.

Follow these steps to enable Data Saver Mode:

• Open the app and tap on your profile icon.
• Scroll down and select ‘Data Saver’ from the Cache & Cellular section.
• Tap the menu button in the top right corner and select ‘Settings and Privacy’.
• Turn it on, and now the app will consume around 360MB every hour instead of 840MB.

With Data Saver, you are saving more than half of your data. This feature is especially useful if you watch videos on mobile data.

Previously, if you were enjoying TikTok videos for 5 hours, now you can do it for more than 10 hours, and that too by consuming the same, or even less, amount of data. Data saver mode makes sure that the fun never stops.

How much data do Instagram Reels use?

The reels on Instagram work just like TikTok videos, and people believe that Meta has copied this functionality from TikTok to engage more users with short, crisp, and fun videos. Although Instagram’s reels have everything similar to TikTok videos, they consumed 25% more data.

While TikTok videos consume around 70MBs of data in five minutes and 840MBs per hour, Instagram Reels drain 100MB and 1.2GB in an hour. Like the data saver mode in TikTok, Instagram also has one, and you can turn it on to reduce data usage manifold.

Turn it on, and Insta reels won’t auto-load on your feed. The quality of the videos is also compromised; however, you can save a lot of data as this mode takes around 20MB in five minutes and 240MB per hour.

Interesting read: 4 Ways to Reduce Instagram Data Consumption

Instagram Reels Data consumption

Unlike TikTok, the reduction in data consumption of Instagram affects video quality significantly. You experience low-quality videos. Although every video starts with high-definition, it quickly changes to standard quality or even worse.

Although it’s a good bargain and saves you around 80% of the data, your viewing quality deteriorates.

How long does 1GB of data last on TikTok vs. Instagram Reels?

By going through the information above, you know how much data TikTok use in default and data saver mode. You are also aware of how much data does Instagram use. However, let’s now tell you the comparison of the two.

If you are concerned about the data usage and how long does 1Gb last on both, this comparison is for you. TikTok requires a lesser amount of data in return for better-quality streaming. Conversely, if you want to go further with 1GB, Instagram data-saving mode is your best bet.

How long does 1GB last on TikTok

Conclusion

TikTok, the most common short video streaming app, consumes a large amount of data, and 1 hour of continuous usage drains around 1GB of data; 840MB to be precise. Streaming videos on mobile data can be extremely expensive.

One way to lower costs is by opting for an unlimited mobile data plan or streaming while connected to Wi-Fi. Another way to cut costs or use less data is by turning on the data saver mode instead of the default mode. This way, despite low video quality, the app won’t use excessive data while streaming videos or in the background.