How to Save MTN Data
How to check your MTN data balance, stop unwanted subscriptions, and make an MTN data plan last longer on iPhone and Android.
5 min readUpdated
The short answer
Check your balance and expiry with *323#, stop any services you didn't ask for with *305#, and then cut the biggest users on your phone: video quality, autoplay, updates and backups.
Most "my MTN data is finishing too fast" problems come from the phone, not the network. But it is worth ruling out the network side first.
The codes worth knowing
Since 2023, Nigeria's networks use the same short codes for common tasks, under the Nigerian Communications Commission's harmonised codes. On MTN, as on every other network:
MTN's own app, MyMTN, also shows your balance, your active plans and when they expire.
Rule out the network side first
- Check the expiry date. Data that reaches the end of its validity expires, used or not. If you often have data left when a plan expires, a smaller or longer plan may suit you better.
- Read the balance breakdown. Some plans split data into parts, such as night-time data or data that only works in certain apps. You can run out of the general part while other parts still show a balance.
- Check for subscriptions. Dial *305# to see value-added services on your line and stop the ones you don't want.
- Mind auto-renewal. If a plan renews itself, make sure it is still the plan you want.
Then fix the phone side
These work the same on MTN as on any network:
- Set YouTube to Data saver on mobile networks, and turn on data saver in TikTok and Instagram.
- Turn off autoplay in your social and video apps.
- Turn on Low Data Mode (iPhone) or Data Saver (Android).
- Keep app updates and photo backups to Wi-Fi only.
- Set WhatsApp media auto-download on mobile data to nothing.
- Turn your hotspot off when you're not using it.
Each of these is explained step by step in How to Save Mobile Data.
Find out where your MTN data went
Your phone lists how much mobile data each app used, which usually points straight at the cause. Why Does My Data Finish So Fast? goes through the most common reasons, and How to Track Your Data Usage shows where to look on iPhone and Android.
Summary
- Dial *323# for your data balance and *310# for airtime, on MTN and every other network.
- Dial *305# to see and stop subscriptions you don't want.
- Check expiry dates and whether your plan is split into parts.
- Most savings come from the phone: video quality, autoplay, updates and backups.