Netflix data usage in Australia varies significantly with quality, ranging from about 0.3 GB per hour for Low quality to 7 GB per hour for 4K (Ultra HD), with HD typically using around 3 GB/hour and SD about 1 GB/hour, meaning a few hours of 4K can consume a large chunk of a monthly data plan. You can adjust settings in the app to "Data Saver," "Medium," "High," or "Auto" to manage consumption.
High definition (HD) videos, on the other hand, use 3 GB per hour. And 4K Ultra HD streams use up to 7 GB per hour of video. This means you'll use around 2 GB to stream a two-hour SD movie, 6 GB to stream the HD version or 14 GB for the 4K stream.
To change your settings:
Netflix provides four data usage settings on their Android and iOS apps, making it easy to manage your data while streaming. The default Automatic setting delivers around four hours of viewing per gigabyte. Save Data mode extends this to about six hours per GB when you want to conserve data.
To make sure you always have something to watch offline, use Downloads for You. Downloads for You automatically downloads TV shows and movies we think you might like to your Android phone or tablet, iPhone, or iPad. The Downloads for You feature isn't available on ad-supported Netflix plans.
The Netflix 2-minute rule refers to the fact that if a user watches more than two minutes of a TV show or movie, this is counted as a view.
Light user: 1 GB per week – Email, browsing, and messaging. Moderate user: 3-5 GB per week – Maps, music streaming, and social media. Heavy user: 10+ GB per week – Video calls, video streaming, and uploads.
Standard Definition (SD): If you're watching Netflix in standard definition, you can expect it to use approximately 1 GB of data per hour. This is a good option if you're on a limited data plan or looking to conserve data. High Definition (HD): Streaming in high definition will use around 3 GB of data per hour.
If you watch in ultra-high definition (4K), you will use approximately anywhere from 20-25 GB. In standard definition (720p), you will use about 3-3.5 GB in 3 hours.
For High Definition (HD) streaming (using an average of 2.0 GB/hour): 2.0 GB/hour × 3 hours/day × 30 days/month = 180 GB per month. For Ultra High Definition (UHD/4K) streaming (using an average of 8.5 GB/hour): 8.5 GB/hour × 3 hours/day × 30 days/month = 765 GB per month.
So why does Netflix use so much data? Video streaming apps, from TikTok to live TV, require larger-than-average data volumes to function. Secondly, Netflix automatically streams in HD quality, which requires more data that standard-resolution video.
Netflix, with its high-quality video content, tends to consume the most data, especially in HD or 4K. In contrast, Spotify, which streams audio, generally uses far less data. YouTube's data usage falls in between, depending on the video resolution.
If you are watching on a small screen, like a phone or tablet, you can expect to use 1-2 GB per hour. If you are watching on a medium screen, like a laptop or desktop computer, you can expect to use 2-3 GB per hour. And if you are watching on a large screen, like a TV, you can expect to use 3-4 GB per hour.
The quality of the video being streamed and the user's data usage settings determine Netflix's data usage. Streaming Netflix with mobile data could result in increased data usage on a user's mobile plan so it's best to use WiFi wherever possible to save mobile data.
Amazon Prime Video: According to Amazon Prime Video, you get the best streaming experience if you use at least 1 Mbps for SD videos and 5 Mbps for HD. Prime Video uses around 0.45 GB per hour for SD and 2.25 GB per hour for HD. UHD (4K) can average between 6-7 GB per hour.
Activities that use a lot of data
You can watch TV shows and movies offline at any time by downloading them from the Netflix app. Learn more about finding, downloading, and watching downloaded TV shows and movies below.
If you're streaming Netflix, the same rules apply. The amount of data you'll use per hour depends on the video quality. Netflix's standard definition (SD) uses up to 1GB/h; while high definition (HD) uses up to 3GB/h. Ultra-high definition (4K) is very thirsty, using up to 7GB/h.
Airplane Mode turns off your device's ability to connect to cellular networks (meaning it can no longer send or receive calls or texts, or use data). As it is no longer accessing local cellular networks, it will not be charged roaming fees (caused by your device connecting to networks outside its home region).
According to data from Ofcom, the average amount of mobile data used per month increased by 24% in 2022 — reaching 8GB — up from 5.6GB the year before.
The main difference between WiFi and cellular data is that WiFi passes through a local access point, such as a router in your home, office, coffee shop, or library and mobile data doesn't.
The resolution you use also affects the amount of data you use. According to Netflix, you use about 1GB of data per hour for streaming a TV show or movie in standard definition and up to 3GB of data per hour when streaming HD video.
You can download Netflix movies and TV shows on iPhone, iPad, Android and Amazon Fire devices, as well as computers with Windows 10 or 11 and some Chromebooks and Chromeboxes. Netflix downloads are set by default to only use Wi-Fi, though you can change that in your app settings.
On Wi-Fi, you can stream in the highest quality without consequences (besides maybe slowing other devices in your home). But on mobile data: HD eats gigabytes quickly. Just three hours of 4K streaming could use up to 21 GB.