WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users. As a messaging app, WhatsApp allows users to send and receive texts, photos, videos, documents, voice messages, and make voice and video calls. With so much sharing of media and data, many WhatsApp users wonder – how much data does WhatsApp actually use?
WhatsApp Data Usage
WhatsApp data usage depends on how heavily you use the app. On average, WhatsApp uses between 5-100 MB per month based on usage habits. Light users may only use 5-20 MB per month, moderate users 20-60 MB per month, and frequent users up to 100 MB per month.
Some key factors that determine WhatsApp data usage include:
- Number of messages sent/received
- Number of media files shared
- Length of voice/video calls
- Group chats participated in
- Frequency of backing up chats
Sending plain text messages uses very little data – just a few kilobytes (KB) per message. The more photos, videos, documents and voice messages you share, the higher your WhatsApp data usage will be. Voice and video calls can use tens of megabytes (MB) per minute.
Text Messages
Plain text messages on WhatsApp use very little data. Each text message is approximately 0.5-1 kilobyte (KB) in size. So you could send hundreds of messages per month and only use a few megabytes (MB) of data in total.
To put this in perspective, sending or receiving 1,000 text messages would use about 1MB of data. Even if you sent over 2,000 texts per month, your total usage would still be under 5MB.
Text Messages Data Usage
- 1 text message = 0.5-1KB
- 100 text messages = ~50-100KB
- 1,000 text messages = ~0.5-1MB
- 2,000 text messages = ~1-2MB
So plain text messaging alone uses very little WhatsApp data. But messages are just one part of WhatsApp – you also need to account for media sharing and calls.
Photos
Photos shared on WhatsApp take up significantly more data than text messages. Photo sizes can vary greatly, but on average they are much larger than text:
- Small photo = ~100KB per photo
- Medium photo = ~500KB per photo
- Large photo = ~2MB per photo
If you frequently send high resolution photos, your WhatsApp data usage can quickly add up. Just 10 large 2MB photos would use 20MB of data. At 100MB per month, you could only send 50 large photos and stay under your limit.
Photo Examples
| Photo Type | Size per Photo | 10 Photos | 100 Photos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | ~100KB | 1MB | 10MB |
| Medium | ~500KB | 5MB | 50MB |
| Large | ~2MB | 20MB | 200MB |
The takeaway is photo sharing significantly increases WhatsApp data consumption compared to plain texting. But as long as you don’t share full resolution photos excessively, your usage should still be quite reasonable.
Videos
Videos take up even more data than photos on WhatsApp. Video sizes vary based on length, quality and format. As a baseline, here are some average video sizes:
- 1 minute low quality video = ~10MB
- 1 minute medium quality video = ~30MB
- 1 minute HD quality video = ~100MB
Those sizes are for 1 minute long videos, so longer videos would be even bigger. Sending lots of long, high quality videos can really add up your WhatsApp data usage.
Some examples based on the sizes above:
- 10 low quality 1 minute videos = ~100MB
- 10 HD 1 minute videos = ~1GB
- 30 HD 1 minute videos = ~3GB
As you can see, frequently sending HD videos over WhatsApp may mean exceeding a 100MB monthly data limit. You can manage this by sending shorter videos, using lower quality, or uploading videos less frequently.
Voice Messages
WhatsApp also allows sending voice messages. These are like little voice recordings you send to contacts. The data usage depends on the length of the recordings:
- 1 minute voice message = ~1MB
- 5 minute voice message = ~5MB
- 10 minute voice message = ~10MB
Voice messages are quite compact compared to videos and photos. Sending several voice messages per day is unlikely to significantly impact your overall WhatsApp data usage.
Calls
WhatsApp offers free voice and video calls for up to 4 people. This can use significant data:
- WhatsApp voice call = ~8MB per minute
- WhatsApp video call = ~12MB per minute
Just a 10 minute WhatsApp video call would use ~120MB of data. If you make lengthy WhatsApp calls daily, expect your data usage to be higher. However, calls may be substituted for other activities like sending photos or videos.
Call Data Usage Examples
| Call Type | Data per Minute | 10 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice Call | ~8MB | 80MB | 240MB |
| Video Call | ~12MB | 120MB | 360MB |
To reduce call data usage, try making shorter calls or using voice calls instead of video calls. Disabling mobile data while on WiFi can alsoensure calls don’t eat into your monthly allowance.
Documents
WhatsApp also allows sharing documents like PDFs, slide decks, and Microsoft Office files. These files vary in size but are typically larger than photos:
- Small document = ~5MB
- Medium document = ~10MB
- Large document = ~25MB+
Large presentations with lots of graphics can be over 25MB. Even small 5MB documents add up if you share many in a month. Try to limit document sharing to keep your WhatsApp data usage down.
Backups
WhatsApp gives you the option to backup your message history either to Google Drive or locally. This can help restore your chats if you lose your phone or switch devices.
Backups use data depending on the size of your chat history. Some estimates for WhatsApp backup sizes are:
- 1 year chat history = ~10MB
- 5 year chat history = ~50MB
- 10 year chat history = ~100MB
Backing up very long chat histories over multiple years may result in large backups. Frequent backups will also increase data usage. But for most users backing up reasonably sized histories, the data usage should be manageable.
Managing Backups
You can manage your backups to optimize WhatsApp data usage:
- Backup less frequently (e.g. monthly vs daily)
- Limit history length backed up to 1 year
- Backup only when on WiFi
- Use local backup option instead of Google Drive
This can help minimize the cellular data needed for backups while still keeping your chats protected.
Group Chats
Group chats on WhatsApp can involve up to 256 participants. With so many people, there will naturally be more messages and media shared.
As a rough estimate, each group chat may use an additional:
- 10MB for a lightly used chat
- 25MB for a moderately used chat
- 50MB+ for an active chat
The busier the group and the more media shared, the more data used. Having multiple active group chats could significantly increase your WhatsApp data usage.
Managing Groups
Some ways to reduce data usage in WhatsApp groups:
- Leave groups you don’t really need
- Limit how many photos/videos you view
- Disable auto-download of media
- Mute busy groups to reduce notifications
This allows you to participate in key groups without unsuitable ones bloating your data usage.
Voice/Video Calls
WhatsApp also offers free voice and video calls for up to 4 people. This can use significant data:
- WhatsApp voice call = ~8MB per minute
- WhatsApp video call = ~12MB per minute
Just a 10 minute WhatsApp video call would use ~120MB of data. If you make lengthy WhatsApp calls daily, expect your data usage to be higher. However, calls may be substituted for other activities like sending photos or videos.
Call Data Usage Examples
| Call Type | Data per Minute | 10 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice Call | ~8MB | 80MB | 240MB |
| Video Call | ~12MB | 120MB | 360MB |
To reduce call data usage, try making shorter calls or using voice calls instead of video calls. Disabling mobile data while on WiFi can also ensure calls don’t eat into your monthly allowance.
Status Updates
WhatsApp Status lets you share photos, videos and GIFs that disappear after 24 hours. These auto-delete, so they don’t take up long-term storage space.
Uploading Status uses data similar to sending regular media:
- Photo = ~100KB-2MB
- Video = ~10-100MB
Viewing others’ Status updates also uses data depending on how many you view. Each photo or video must be downloaded to be viewed. Video in particular can use significant data.
Limiting Status creation and viewing can help minimize this data usage. Photos use less data than videos for Status.
Data Settings
WhatsApp provides data usage settings to help you manage and reduce your data consumption:
- Data Saver – Stops auto-downloading media when using mobile data
- Low Data Usage – Limits data by disabling voice/video calls
- Media Auto-Download – Choose when to auto-download media (on wifi, on wifi + cellular, etc)
- Backup Settings – Manage frequency and type of backups
Enabling these options provides more control over how WhatsApp uses your mobile data allowance. You can further reduce usage by manually managing media downloads.
Tips to Reduce WhatsApp Data Usage
Here are some tips to minimize how much data WhatsApp consumes each month:
- Enable Data Saver mode in WhatsApp settings
- Limit sending and sharing large photos/videos
- Avoid lengthy WhatsApp voice & video calls
- Backup less frequently or use WiFi only backups
- Leave WhatsApp groups that are not important
- Send shorter voice messages instead of long ones
- Disable auto-downloads or limit to WiFi only
Following these tips can help you continue using WhatsApp while reducing your overall cellular data usage.
Conclusion
WhatsApp offers a full messaging experience, with all kinds of media sharing, calls, groups and more. While plain texting uses very little data, other activities can quickly add up your WhatsApp data usage if you’re not careful.
On average, WhatsApp may use 5-100MB per month depending on your usage habits. By following data saving tips and limiting backups, calls, and media transfers you can stick to the lower end of this range.
Monitoring your usage directly on your phone and enabling data saver options can help minimize surprises. With prudent use, WhatsApp can be used happily even on limited cellular data plans.