Article Summary
In order to connect other devices to the internet, your mobile hotspot uses the data included in your phone plan. Hotspot data usage is directly related to the activities you do on the devices you are tethering to your hotspot. In general, a hotspot uses anywhere from 60MB/hour to 810MB/hour depending on the activity.
In this guide, we'll give examples of how much hotspot data you might be using for specific activities, provide cell phone plans that include mobile hotspot data, and walk you through some common hotspot questions, like how much a mobile hotspot costs and how to use your phone as a hotspot.
What is a mobile hotspot, and how do you use it?
A mobile hotspot is a piece of equipment—usually your phone—that can broadcast cellular data as a Wi-Fi signal for other devices to connect to and use the internet. It's extremely easy to use your phone as a hotspot.
To use your phone as a mobile hotspot:
- Go into your general settings.
- Find your "Mobile Hotspot" setting. Depending on your device, this may be under your "Cellular Data" settings or a standalone option.
- Toggle your mobile hotspot to "on." Your phone will give you a personal network name and password.
- On your other device, open your WiFi settings.
- Search for your personal network name.
- Enter the password and connect to your hotspot.
How much does a hotspot cost?
In most cases, using a mobile hotspot doesn't cost anything extra. Typically, your hotspot cost is rolled into your cell phone plan, either in the form of a specific allotment of hotspot data, or by using your plan's general data. You might have to pay for your hotspot data usage if your plan has a hard data cap, and you exceed your monthly data by using your mobile hotspot. In this case, you'll pay for the data you use over your limit. Some prepaid carriers, like Straight Talk Wireless and Boost Mobile, may also sell separate add-ons of hotspot data.
If you don't have a hotspot-enabled smartphone, you can buy a hotspot-only device. In this case, the cost of a mobile hotspot varies pretty widely, with common prices between $150 and $200. You may also have to pay an access fee to connect your hotspot device to your mobile data—for example, to connect Verizon's hotspot-only Jetpack device, customers will pay another $20/month on an Unlimited plan or $10/month on a shared data plan.
How much data do hotspots use?
Using your phone as a mobile hotspot means that you are using it to connect other devices to the internet. So, hotspot data usage is directly related to what you are doing on your other devices. To get an idea about how much data you might be going through, look at the following table showing some common activities and the data they use up.
Compare mobile hotspot data usage by activity
| Activity | Data per 30 min | Data per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Web browsing | Approx. 30MB | Approx. 60MB |
| Less than 1MB | Less than 1MB | |
| Streaming music | Up to 75MB | Up to 150MB |
| Netflix | From 125MB | From 250MB |
| Approx. 40MB | Approx. 80MB | |
| YouTube | Approx. 150MB | Approx. 300MB |
| Approx. 360MB | Approx. 720MB | |
| Zoom (High-quality group call) | Approx. 405MB | Approx. 810MB |
Do mobile hotspots have data limits?
Hotspot data limits spend on the phone plan you have. Cell phone carriers handle and limit hotspot data usage in a couple of basic ways.
- Several carriers will simply count your hotspot data use against your cell phone plan's overall data limit. Typically, these are plans with smaller data limits. However, in some cases, unlimited plans will allow the same, but they may limit how fast your hotspot data is.
- Alternatively, many plans include a limited amount of designated high-speed hotspot data that isn't counted against your overall data. This usually applies to unlimited plans offered by the major carriers. You might see hotspot data limits ranging anywhere between 20GB and 100GB per month. Once you hit your limit, your hotspot data speeds will be slowed.
In either scenario, your mobile hotspot doesn't cost any extra unless your plan has a data cap. If your hotspot usage puts you over your monthly data limit, you'll pay for the extra data you use.
On average, data limits for mobile hotspots are not very high and can't really support working from home if your job requires heavy web browsing, data downloads, and/or video conferencing. However, if you are a light internet user, hotspots might work as your sole source of internet.
How to track hotspot data usage
Fortunately, most cell phone carriers make it easy for you to find out just how much data you are using for hotspots. With cell phone apps and online account managers like myAT&T, My Verizon, and My T-Mobile, you can see several layers of your account details, including breakdowns of your data usage. You can also check your phone bill. Carriers will record how much data you use in a billing cycle.
Can you share a mobile hotspot connection?
Yes, hotspot connectivity isn’t limited to one device—hotspots can also be shared with other iSO and Android devices. Just be mindful that the data usage will increase with the number of users connected to the hotspot.
Best mobile hotspot cell phone plans
Top 3 mobile hotspot data plans
| Plan | Hotspot allowance | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible $25 plan | Unlimited @ 4G speeds | Sporadic hotspot use | $25/month |
| US Mobile Unlimited Premium | 50GB premium data |
Cheap but fast hotspot | $44/month |
| Verizon Unlimited Ultimate | 60GB included 100GB add-on available |
Frequent/data-heavy hotspot use | $75/month |
Some of our favorite hotspot plans are also some of the most affordable phone plans on the market. Visible's $25 unlimited plan offers unlimited hotspot access at respectable 4G speeds (5Mbps) and is a great choice for someone who occasionally finds themselves in need of hotspot access—since it's unlimited, and still decently fast, you can pop on to tether your other devices at any time. US Mobile's $44 Unlimited Premium plan gets you a seriously healthy 50GB of hotspot data—way more than most people will likely use in a month, but exceptional value for those that often need to connect on-the-go and don't want to pay and arm and a leg to do so. Just note that once your 50GB are used up for the month, you'll need to wait for your next billing cycle for more.
Of course, the major carriers offer enticing hotspot options too, especially if you often need to accomplish data-heavy tasks while tethering. Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan includes 60GB of hotspot data with the option to add on another 100GB for just $10. You'll pay a premium for the initial plan price, but the add-on value is one of the more generous and affordable ones we've seen. If you're often streaming, Zooming, or data-crunching from your daily commute or coffee shop, it may be worth the cost.
We have additional options for all needs and budgets in our guide to the best hotspot plans.
|
#1
|
Visible
$25 Visible Plan
$25.00/mo
Taxes & Fees included
|
|
#2
|
US Mobile
Unlimited Premium Plan
$39.00/mo
|
|
#3
|
Verizon
Unlimited Ultimate
$85.00/mo
+ Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount.
+ $40 Upfront
|
Angelo Ilumba
Senior Writer
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