Video Calls and Streaming for Abroad: How Much Data Dem Dey Use

Ask where travel data plan go and di answer na almost always video. Messages, maps and email no dey too shake am, but long video call go house or one evening of streaming for bed fit use pass everything else wey you do dat day put together. Di good news be say video na also di easiest tin to control.

Why video dey use data pass

Video na plenty images wey dey follow each oda quick quick, and every one of dem must pass through di network. Di sharper di picture and di longer you watch, di more data you go use: quality and time dey multiply each oda. Audio na much thinner stream, and na why voice call dey use only small part of wetin di same call with video dey use.

Most apps dey also adjust quality to your connection automatically. For strong 4G or 5G signal, dem go often pick sharper picture, and use more data, unless you tell dem make dem no do am.

Calls: from di lightest reach di heaviest

Roughly for order of how dem dey use data:

1. 1Text messages and photos for chat apps: light, unless you dey send plenty video clips.
2. 2Voice notes: small, even if you send plenty of dem.
3. 3Voice calls on WhatsApp, FaceTime Audio, Telegram or Viber: moderate, so long gist with house no go chop am too much.
4. 4One-to-one video calls: heavy, and e go heavy pass for high definition.
5. 5Group video calls and screen sharing: usually di heaviest, becos plenty video streams dey run at once.

HelloSIM eSIM na data-only, without local number, so calls dey go through apps like dis ones. Your usual number go remain for your home SIM, and WhatsApp go continue to work with dat number as normal.

Streaming: video versus music

Streaming services dey usually get different quality levels, roughly:

• Low: picture wey no too sharp but e dey okay to watch for phone and e dey use di smallest data.
• Standard: e sharp pass, and e dey chop data pass well well.
• HD and above: di sharpest picture and di highest data by far, but di benefit wey you go see for small screen no too plenty.

Music and podcasts dey far below video. Even for high audio quality, one hour of music dey use small compared to one hour of video, but e go add up if e dey play all day while you dey waka or drive.

Settings wey go reduce video data

You no need to give up video, just reduce am:

• Video apps: set playback on mobile data to low or data saver quality, and off autoplay for di next episode.
• Social apps: make videos autoplay only on Wi-Fi, or on di app data saver.
• Call apps: look for low-data option for di call settings, off your camera when you no need am, and drop to audio only if di picture dey freeze; di conversation dey often go smooth pass too.
• iPhone: on Low Data Mode for your travel line, and e go tell plenty apps, including FaceTime, make dem use less data.
• Android: on Data Saver to limit wetin dey run for background on mobile data.

Download first, watch later

Di simple way to watch shows for abroad without say you touch your plan na to download dem before you go. Most big streaming and music apps dey allow you save episodes, films, playlists and podcasts for offline use, where your subscription allow am. Do am on home Wi-Fi di night before you fly, and refresh your downloads on hotel Wi-Fi during di trip.

When you download dem on Wi-Fi, dem go use your storage, no be your data, so clear some space for di phone first.

Check your own video habits before you go

Rules of thumb na good start, but your phone don already sabi how you dey use video. For iPhone, Settings → Mobile Data dey list how much each app don use since di last time wey you reset di counter; for Android, di data usage screen dey show di same breakdown for each app. Look di last few weeks for house. If video and social apps dey top of di list, dem go dey top for holiday too.

Two quick questions go turn dat one into travel plan:

• You go mostly watch for where you dey stay on Wi-Fi, or on mobile data while you dey move?
• Your video calls need to happen for afternoon, far from Wi-Fi, or dem fit wait till evening?

If di honest answers na "while I dey move" and "for afternoon", plan for di heavy side and remember say top-ups dey.

How to size your plan around video

If daily video call go house dey your agenda, or you expect to stream on mobile data, put yourself for di heavy side: 10 GB or more a week. Compare dat one with around 1 GB a week for person wey mostly dey use maps and messages, and 3–5 GB a week for everyday social media and browsing. Dat gap na almost all video.

Two ways to stay flexible:

• Top up as you dey go. With HelloSIM you fit add data to di same eSIM from di Check / Top up page, your account or di app, without say you reinstall anything.
• Consider unlimited-style plan where dem get am, as some destinations get dem. If video go be big part of your trip, read di plan details and see whether e fit you.

Wi-Fi or mobile data for calls?

Good Wi-Fi for where you dey stay na di natural place for long video calls and to watch series back to back. But shared Wi-Fi for hotels and cafés fit slow down for busy times, so mobile data fit be di steady option for call wey really matter, like family occasion, interview or work meeting.

Better way to share am na to do di heavy watching on Wi-Fi and keep your mobile data for di calls wey you no want make dem cut and for di times wey you dey outside.