How Much Data Does FaceTime Use?

FaceTime video uses about 180 to 200 MB an hour and audio about 30 MB. How to see what each call used, what a month costs, and how to keep FaceTime on Wi-Fi.

3 min readUpdated

The short answer

Apple does not publish a figure. Common estimates put a FaceTime video call at about 3 MB a minute, or roughly 180 to 200 MB an hour. FaceTime Audio is far lighter, at about 30 MB an hour.

Real calls vary a lot. FaceTime raises the quality when the connection allows it, so a call on fast Wi-Fi can use many times more than the estimate. Your iPhone shows the exact amount for each call.

Data per hour, video and audio

These are estimates from carriers and tech sites, not Apple figures:

  • Video call (typical): about 3 MB a minute, which is about 180 MB an hour. Some estimates say about 200 MB.
  • Video call (HD): much more. One carrier guide says a 10-minute HD call takes about 150 MB, which works out to about 900 MB an hour.
  • Audio only: about 30 MB an hour.

Single calls can land far outside these ranges. In one test by iPhone Life, a 3-minute call on cellular used 23.7 MB (about 470 MB an hour at that rate), and a 2-minute call on Wi-Fi used 148.4 MB. Group calls send and receive more video, so expect them to use more than a call with one person.

Check what a call really used

You do not have to guess. iPhone records the data for each call:

  1. 1Open the FaceTime app (or the Phone app) and go to Recents.
  2. 2Tap the info button next to a call to see how much data it used.
  3. 3For a running total, open Settings > Cellular and scroll to FaceTime.

What a month looks like

One 30-minute video call a day at about 180 MB an hour is about 90 MB a day, or about 2.7 GB over 30 days. One hour a day is about 5.4 GB a month. The same hour on FaceTime Audio is about 0.9 GB a month. If your calls run in HD, the video totals can be several times higher.

Stop FaceTime using mobile data

  1. 1Open Settings > Cellular (Mobile Data in some countries).
  2. 2Scroll down to the list of apps and turn off FaceTime. Calls now work only on Wi-Fi.
  3. 3To keep FaceTime on mobile data but use less, turn on Low Data Mode in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options. Apple says it lowers FaceTime's video bitrate.
On weak Wi-Fi, your iPhone can fall back to mobile data to keep a call going. Apple now calls this Connectivity Assist, and you can turn it off in Settings if you want calls to stay on Wi-Fi.

SharePlay adds the stream on top

When you watch a show or listen to music with SharePlay, each person plays the content on their own device, from their own subscription or purchase. So your phone pulls the video or music stream and runs the call at the same time. A movie on SharePlay costs about what the movie costs on its own, plus the call. See How Much Data Does Netflix Use? for typical streaming figures.

For more ways to see where your data goes, read How to Check Data Usage on iPhone and Which Apps Use the Most Mobile Data?.

Summary

  • No official figure. FaceTime video is about 180 to 200 MB an hour by common estimates; audio is about 30 MB.
  • HD and fast Wi-Fi can push a call much higher. Check Recents for the real number.
  • One hour of video a day is about 5.4 GB a month. Turn FaceTime off under Settings > Cellular to keep it on Wi-Fi.

Sources

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