Which app uses the least data? Text-based messaging apps like WhatsApp use the least, as long as you stick to text chats. Video apps like YouTube, Netflix and TikTok use the most. The good news: almost every big app now has a data saver setting, and a few have Lite versions built for slow networks and small data plans. This guide shows you which apps use less data, which Lite apps still exist, and the exact settings to switch on in each one.
Which apps use the least data?
How much data an app uses depends mostly on what it loads. Text is tiny, photos are bigger, and video is the biggest by far. From lightest to heaviest, here is roughly how common apps compare:
- Text messaging: WhatsApp, Messenger and similar apps, when you send text. Photos, voice notes, videos and calls use much more. Plain SMS doesn't use mobile data at all (more in does texting use data?).
- Music and podcasts: audio uses far less than video. On Spotify's lowest quality, an hour of music is only a few megabytes.
- Maps: Google Maps uses data to load the map, but you can download areas ahead of time and use them offline.
- Social media: feeds full of photos and auto-playing videos add up fast. Lite apps and data saver settings help a lot.
- Video streaming and short videos: YouTube, Netflix and TikTok use the most data, especially in HD.
So the app that uses the least data is the one you use for text. For everything else, the settings below make the biggest difference.
Which social media app uses the least data?
For social media, the apps that use the least data are the Lite versions. Meta and TikTok still offer Lite apps on Google Play, and each one is built to use less data than the full app.
Facebook Lite
Facebook Lite is a small Android app that lets you use Facebook "in 2G conditions", according to its Google Play listing. It was still being updated in October 2026. If you prefer the full Facebook app, go to Settings and privacy and look for Data Saver under Media. It lowers the resolution of videos (Facebook: How to find your settings).
Instagram Lite
Instagram Lite is a smaller Android version of Instagram. Meta says it is built to work on slower networks, use less mobile data and take up less storage. You still get your feed, Reels and Stories. In the full Instagram app, turn on the data saver in Settings and privacy > Data usage and media quality. It stops videos from loading in advance on mobile data, so they may take a little longer to start (Instagram Help: Use less data).
TikTok Lite
TikTok Lite is a smaller version of TikTok for Android. Its Google Play listing says its Data Saver can save up to 20% of data while streaming videos. It isn't available in every country, so check Google Play where you live.
Not every Lite app is still around
Some Lite apps have been shut down. YouTube Go closed in 2022, and Google asked its users to switch to the main YouTube app. Google Go now leads to the regular Google app on Google Play. If an old guide sends you to a Lite app that's gone, use the full app with its data saver setting instead.
Which app uses less data for watching videos?
No video app is light on data, but the right setting changes a lot. Netflix is the only one of the big apps that publishes clear figures, and its Save Data setting gives you about 6 hours of video per GB.
Netflix
In the Netflix app, go to My Netflix, tap your profile name, then App Settings. Under Video Playback, tap Cellular Data Usage and choose an option (Netflix Help: How to control data usage):
- Save Data: about 6 hours per GB.
- Automatic: about 4 hours per GB.
- Maximum Data: 1 GB per 20 minutes or more.
- Wi-Fi Only: streams only on Wi-Fi.
You can also download shows and films on Wi-Fi and watch them offline later. Travelling with children? See the best apps to keep your kids entertained during a trip, by age.
YouTube
In the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, then Settings > Video quality preferences. Under mobile networks, choose Data saver. You get lower picture quality, but videos may start faster. You can also change the quality for one video in the player settings (YouTube Help: Change the quality of your video).
TikTok and short videos
Short videos play back to back, so scrolling uses data quickly. On Android, TikTok Lite with its Data Saver is the lighter option. On any phone, the system-wide data saver below also helps.
Messaging and calls: use less data on WhatsApp
WhatsApp text chats use very little data. Photos, videos and calls are what fill up your plan. These settings are all in Settings > Storage and data:
- Media auto-download: set photos, audio, videos and documents to download on Wi-Fi only. You can set a separate rule for roaming. WhatsApp itself suggests Wi-Fi only if you have a limited data plan (WhatsApp Help: How to configure auto-download).
- Use less data for calls: turn it on to lower the data used by calls. WhatsApp also suggests making and answering calls on Wi-Fi to save data (WhatsApp Help: Group voice calls).
- Network usage: shows how much data WhatsApp has used.
Need to call someone and only have mobile data? See our list of the best Wi-Fi calling apps.
Music and podcasts: Spotify's Data Saver
Audio is one of the lightest ways to use your phone, and Spotify lets you make it lighter still:
- Data Saver: tap your profile picture, then Settings and privacy > Data-saving and offline, and switch on Data saver. It shows fewer images and lowers the audio quality (Spotify: Internet and data usage).
- Streaming quality: under Media Quality, you can set a separate quality for mobile data. Low is about 24 kbit/s and Normal about 96 kbit/s (Spotify: Audio quality). That works out to roughly 11 MB and 43 MB per hour.
- Download on Wi-Fi: save playlists and podcasts at home, then listen offline.
Curious about podcasts? Read how much data podcasts use.
Maps: download Google Maps offline
Download the area you need on Wi-Fi, and Google Maps works without mobile data. Tap your profile picture, then Offline maps > Select your own map, adjust the area and tap Download (Google Maps Help: Download areas and navigate offline).
Keep in mind:
- Offline driving directions work if your whole route is inside the downloaded map. You don't get traffic info or other routes.
- Transit, walking and cycling directions aren't available offline.
- Offline maps expire, so update them before a trip. Google Maps tries to update them automatically on Wi-Fi.
- Offline maps aren't available in some countries or regions.
Browsing: Opera Mini
Opera Mini is a browser built to save data. Its Extreme savings mode compresses pages, images and text, in Opera's words, "down to as little as 10% of their original size". Pages may not look exactly as intended in that mode. You can also turn on ad blocking under Data savings in the settings, so ads don't use your data (Opera Help: Opera Mini for Android).
In Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana (MTN, Airtel and Safaricom) and in South Africa (MTN), Opera Mini also offers a daily amount of free browsing data, according to the same help page. It covers browsing only: video streaming and file downloads still come out of your normal data.
Phone settings that save data in every app
App settings only work app by app. Your phone has a switch that cuts background data for all of them.
iPhone: Low Data Mode
Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and turn on Low Data Mode. On 5G, tap Data Mode first. It turns off Background App Refresh, pauses automatic downloads, backups and iCloud Photos updates, and lowers streaming quality (Apple: Use Low Data Mode). For more, see how to check your data usage on iPhone.
Android: Data Saver
On a Pixel, go to Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver and turn it on. Most apps then get background data only on Wi-Fi. To exempt an app you need, use Unrestricted data in the same menu (Pixel Help: Use less mobile data with Data Saver). Menus differ a little on Samsung and other brands. See also how to check your data usage on Android.
More tips in our full guide on how to save mobile data.
Travelling? Low-data apps make a small data plan last
These settings matter most when data is expensive, like when you roam abroad. With data saver on, a small travel eSIM can last a whole trip. You install it on your phone before you leave, keep your own SIM for calls and texts, and use the eSIM for data. Not sure how much you need? Our tips to reduce data usage abroad help you plan.
If you're heading to the US, Europe or Asia, these are small, data-only plans. They can be topped up if you need more.
5 GB data-only eSIMs for the United States, Europe and Asia · Going somewhere else? Find your destination
FAQs
What app uses the least data?
Messaging apps used for text, like WhatsApp, use the least data. Photos, videos and calls use much more. Video streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix and TikTok use the most.
What social media app uses the least data?
The Lite apps: Facebook Lite, Instagram Lite and TikTok Lite on Android are each built to use less data than the full app. In the full apps, turn on the data saver setting.
Which app uses less data for watching videos?
It depends more on the setting than the app. Netflix's Save Data setting gives about 6 hours of video per GB. On YouTube, choose Data saver in Video quality preferences. Downloading videos on Wi-Fi uses no mobile data when you watch.
Does Facebook Lite really use less data?
It is designed to. Meta describes it as a small app that works in 2G conditions. Meta doesn't publish an exact saving, so the difference depends on how you use it.
Is YouTube Go still available?
No. YouTube Go shut down in 2022. Use the main YouTube app with the Data saver video quality instead.
Which browser uses less data on Android?
Opera Mini has a data savings mode that compresses pages, images and text. Opera says Extreme savings can shrink them to as little as 10% of their original size.
How can I use less data on my phone overall?
Turn on Low Data Mode on iPhone or Data Saver on Android, set apps to download media on Wi-Fi only, lower video and music quality on mobile data, and download maps, music and shows on Wi-Fi before you go out.
