Netflix on a phone uses about 250 MB an hour on its default mobile setting. Switch to Save Data and it drops to about 167 MB. Both numbers come from Netflix, which publishes them as hours per gigabyte.
The four settings
| Setting | Netflix’s figure | Per hour, converted |
|---|---|---|
| Save Data | about 6 hours per GB | about 167 MB |
| Automatic | about 4 hours per GB | about 250 MB |
| Maximum Data | 1 GB per 20 minutes or more | 3 GB or more |
| Wi-Fi Only | streams only on Wi-Fi | none on mobile data |
Automatic is what the app starts on. A two-hour film costs about 500 MB there and 333 MB on Save Data. On Maximum Data the same film can use 6 GB or more.
The playback limit on your profile
On the Netflix website, each profile has a playback setting with its own limits per hour: up to 0.3 GB on Low, up to 0.7 GB on Medium, and on High up to 1 GB for standard definition, 3 GB for HD and 7 GB for 4K.
Netflix says streaming on mobile devices will not go over this setting, so it caps the phone too, and the lower of the two settings applies. It is also the only control that covers a laptop tethered to your phone. On Low, that laptop uses up to 0.3 GB an hour.
Downloads abroad
Downloaded titles play without using data. Netflix warns that titles downloaded at home may not be available in another country, and the catalogue changes from country to country, so download after you arrive, on hotel wifi.
Downloads have their own Wi-Fi Only switch in App Settings. With it on, a queued episode waits for wifi instead of using your mobile data.
How much data to budget
Every Atli destination has a 3 GB plan that lasts thirty days. That is about twelve hours of Netflix on Automatic, eighteen on Save Data, or an hour at most on Maximum Data. Other apps use far less: Spotify at Very High quality takes about 144 MB an hour, and Google Maps navigation about 2 MB. A WhatsApp video call uses as much as Netflix or more: 300 to 900 MB an hour.
Figures and menu names from Netflix’s help pages, September 2026. Maximum Data is Netflix’s estimate, not a measured rate.
FAQ
Which setting should I change before a trip?
How many films fit in 1 GB?
Does downloading use less data than streaming?
Does Save Data make it look bad?
Why does Netflix say 7 GB an hour somewhere else?
How do I see how much data Netflix has used?
data or usage in the WhatsApp or Telegram chat to see what is left and how many days remain.
