A tool like Verizon’s Data Calculator makes it easy to get a rough estimate of your data usage, but we recommend basing it on your real-world use. Does your carrier offer a rollover data option? If so, you might even have extra data to fall back on in an emergency should you use more data than normal in a particular month. Select a plan that is higher than the amount of data you used during this period - but as close to that number as possible.

Log in to your carrier’s website and review your data usage over the past few months. You will likely overestimate the amount of data you need, so stick to the facts to decide on which data allotment is best for you. Here are some tips to help you reduce your data usage, watch your continued data usage, and maximize your data plans. Every megabyte must be accounted for, or you might find yourself paying an arm and a leg in overage charges, or having your connection speed throttled at the worst time. While carriers do offer unlimited plans - see our guide to the best unlimited plans - that freedom turns out not to be as free as we’d like, as customers often put up with unexpected charges, speed throttling, or hidden limits. At the point when carriers understood that customers really wanted was data, they switched gears to offer unlimited minutes and texts while capping data. Remember when smartphone plans were all about call minutes and how many text messages you got, while the data was unlimited? Today, it’s exactly the opposite.

How to get rid of data usage