How to reduce mobile data on iPhone
Start with Low Data Mode: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options. With two lines, you can turn it on only for the travel one. Then switch off cellular data for apps you do not need away from Wi-Fi, and check Connectivity Assist, which can use mobile data when Wi-Fi is weak.
Check your phone is compatibleLow Data Mode, on the right line
- 4G/LTE: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options, then turn on Low Data Mode.
- 5G: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Mode, then choose Low Data Mode.
- Dual SIM: Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data), tap one of your numbers, then turn on Low Data Mode.
These are Apple’s own paths. The dual SIM one is the useful detail when travelling: with your home line and a travel eSIM on the same iPhone, you can put only the travel line in Low Data Mode and leave the home line as it is. Menu names can shift slightly between iOS versions and regions, where Cellular may appear as Mobile Data.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
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How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
What Low Data Mode switches off
- Network use by apps you are not actively using.
- Background App Refresh.
- Streaming quality, which drops.
- Automatic downloads and backups, including iCloud backups.
- Updates for services such as iCloud Photos.
- In the App Store: video autoplay, automatic updates and automatic downloads.
That is the list Apple gives. In other words, the app on screen keeps working normally, while everything happening behind it waits. For a trip it is close to ideal: maps and messages keep going, and your photo library uploads when you are back on Wi-Fi.
Cut off the apps that do not need mobile data
Go to Settings > Cellular and scroll down. Every app that has used mobile data is listed with how much, and each one has its own switch. Apple puts it plainly: when cellular data is off for an app, it uses only Wi-Fi. Games, streaming apps you only watch at the hotel and anything that syncs large files are the usual candidates.
In the same list you will find System Services, which shows what iOS itself has used. You can look but not touch: Apple says cellular data cannot be turned on or off for individual system services. If the figure there looks large, Low Data Mode is the lever that reduces it.
Check Connectivity Assist
Connectivity Assist uses cellular data alongside Wi-Fi when the Wi-Fi is weak, busy or not connected to the internet. Apple warns that it can mean more cellular data use and possibly extra charges, depending on your plan. It replaces the older Wi-Fi Assist, which lived in Cellular settings; the new one sits in Settings > Wi-Fi, and it is on by default if Wi-Fi Assist was on when you updated.
On a trip with patchy hotel Wi-Fi, it can quietly move a lot of traffic onto your data plan. Apple also notes it is not used when the iPhone is in cellular Low Data Mode, among other cases, so Low Data Mode on the travel line already reins it in. If you would rather be sure, switch it off in Wi-Fi settings.
See what is still using data
To know whether the changes worked, reset the counter and read it a day later. In Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data), scroll to the bottom and tap Reset Statistics. The per-app list then starts from zero. On a dual SIM iPhone, Apple says the usage shown is for your selected cellular data number, so check that the travel line is the one set for data. The dual SIM guide shows how.
Apple adds that for the most accurate figure for a period you should ask the carrier, since the phone’s count is its own. If you are still choosing a travel eSIM, check your iPhone model is compatible first.
Can I use Low Data Mode on only one line?
Yes. On a dual SIM iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular, tap the number you want and turn on Low Data Mode for that line.
Does Low Data Mode stop iCloud Photos?
It pauses iCloud Photos updates and automatic backups while the mode is on for the line you are using.
Can I turn off mobile data for system services?
Not one by one. Apple says cellular data cannot be turned on or off for individual system services, but you can see their total in Settings > Cellular.
Where did Wi-Fi Assist go?
On recent iOS versions it has been replaced by Connectivity Assist, which is in Settings > Wi-Fi instead of Cellular settings.
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