How much data have I used? Do I have enough data?

Data and connectivity is indispensable in today's world, be it whether in our day-to-day lives or when we are traveling. When we are traveling, we rely on data and connectivity to help us navigate, get around, and to stay connected with our friends and families. While we are usually not overly conscious about our data usage back at home, this behaviour could change when we are traveling. After all, you will likely want to avoid the risk of running out of data when traveling, or to end up incurring hefty roaming costs.

Want to check your data usage when traveling? Let's take a look at how!

Use the data tracking function provided by your provider

There are many ways for you to stay connected when traveling. Perhaps you have activated data roaming, you might have purchased a tourist SIM, or you might have purchased a travel eSIM.

While not options and providers allow you to track your data usage, there are others that actually have mobile apps that will allow you to do so. These providers will typically allow you to check how much of your data allowance you have used up, helping you better manage your data usage.

If you are using a Nomad eSIM, you can easily check how much data you have used on your plan. Simply head to the Manage page on either the mobile app or web store, and you will be able to see how much data you have used and how much data you have left from your plan!

How to check data usage on your device

Aside from relying on your provider, most modern phones today also come with the in-built ability to track your data usage.

Checking Data Usage on iPhone

It is easy to check your data usage from your iPhone settings:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data)
2. Scroll down to the section that states “View Data Usage”. You will be able to see your data usage for the current period, as well as a breakdown of the data usage by each app.

Do note that the data usage is a cumulative of your total data used in the given period, which means that it is not specific to the data that you are using on your trip.

If you would like to only track the amount of data that you have used on your travels, it is recommended that you reset your statistics before the trip.

To reset your statistics, you can scroll to the bottom and select the option to “Reset Statistics”. This will clear your current period's data usage and start the tracking from afresh. By resetting this statistic before your trip, the data usage that is being displayed will then be entirely for the period of your trip.

Checking Data Usage on Android

Similar to iOS devices, modern Android devices also have an in-built settings function that help to track your data usage.

1. Go to Settings > Connection > Data Usage
2. You will see an overview of the total amount of data that you have used for the given period.

If you have got more than one SIM card (or more than one eSIM), you will be able to see a breakdown of the data usage for each (e)SIM for the given period.

This is especially useful if you are using a travel eSIM or tourist SIM for your data needs when traveling. If you have configured your phone settings such that your device will be using that (e)SIM for your data during your travel, simply refer to the data usage for that (e)SIM to find out how much data you have used!

On some Android devices, you will also be able to set data warning and data limits.

1. Go to Settings > Connection > Data Usage
2. Select Billing cycle and data warning
3. You will be able to set your Data warning levels and data limits.

If you have configured a data warning level, you will receive a notification when your data usage for that cycle has reached that levels; and if you have configured data limits, you will no longer be able to use data when your total data usage for that billing period has reached the configured levels.

By configuring these warnings and limits, it will better help you to monitor your usage and ensure you do not end up using more data than your allowance.

Track your data usage with a Nomad eSIM on your next trip

Nomad offers data plans in over 170 countries, and you can be sure to find one that is suitable for your travel needs. And if you will be traveling across multiple countries, there are also regional plans available so you can stay seamlessly connected as you hop between countries. Data plans are available from as low as $1.50/GB.

And, if you are unsure about how much data you need for your trip, Nomad also has a Data Calculator that can help you find the plan that is most suitable for you. Also check out our blog post on data-saving tips when traveling to keep your data usage in check when traveling.

Remember to download the Nomad iOS or Android app to help you more easily track your data allowance! And in case you run out of data, you can simply purchase an add-on and continue to stay connected using the same eSIM.