How to Track Your Data Usage
How to check data usage on iPhone and Android, what the built-in counters miss, and how to track mobile data and Wi-Fi across every device you own.
6 min readUpdated
The short answer
Your phone already tracks its own mobile data. On iPhone, open Settings > Cellular. On Android, look under Settings > Network & internet. Both show a total and a list of apps.
What they don't show well is Wi-Fi, day-by-day history, or the other devices on your connection. For those you need your router, your provider, or a tracking app.
On iPhone
- 1Open Settings > Cellular. On some iPhones this is called Mobile Data.
- 2Scroll down to see mobile data used in the Current Period, and the list of apps with how much each one used. Tap Show All if the list is cut short.
- 3To start counting from today, scroll to the bottom and tap Reset Statistics. Doing this on the day your bundle renews makes the number line up with your plan.
The same screen lets you switch mobile data off for any app, so it only works on Wi-Fi.
On Android
Menus differ between brands, but the steps are close to this on most phones, including Pixel and Samsung:
- 1Open Settings > Network & internet (on Samsung, Settings > Connections > Data usage).
- 2Open your SIM or mobile network and tap App data usage to see a total for the cycle and a list of apps.
- 3Tap Data warning & limit to set the day your plan renews, a warning level, and a hard limit that switches mobile data off when you reach it.
Many Android phones also show Wi-Fi usage per app in the same area, often called Non-carrier data usage or Wi-Fi data usage.
From your mobile network
Your network's own balance is the final word on what is left, because it is what they bill against. Use your provider's app or its USSD code. In Nigeria, *323# checks your data balance on every network, under the NCC's harmonised short codes.
The phone's count and the network's count rarely match exactly. They measure at different points and on different schedules, so treat a small gap as normal.
Tracking Wi-Fi and other devices
Phone settings stop at the phone. If you want to know what your laptop used on your hotspot, or which device in the house is working through a home plan, you have a few options:
Your router or internet provider
Some routers and provider apps list connected devices, and a few show usage per device. This covers everything on that one network, but you usually have to log into an admin page, and it tells you nothing about mobile data or other networks.
Each device on its own
Every laptop and phone keeps its own count. You can check them one by one, but you end up adding numbers from different screens by hand.
How to See Which Device Is Using Your Wi-Fi Data goes through these in more detail.
What the built-in tools miss
- Daily history. Phones show a total for a period, not what you used on Tuesday. That makes it hard to tell a one-off from a habit.
- Wi-Fi totals on iPhone. iPhone settings only count mobile data.
- Everything else you own. Your phone can't see your laptop, tablet or second phone.
Summary
- iPhone: Settings > Cellular shows mobile data per app for the current period.
- Android: Settings > Network & internet shows usage per app and lets you set warnings and limits.
- Your network's balance code is the number that counts for billing. In Nigeria, dial *323#.
- Wi-Fi, daily history and other devices need your router, your provider or a tracking app.