Top Data-Hungry Apps: YouTube and Snapchat Lead the Pack

Are you frequently finding yourself running out of mobile data, despite careful usage? The culprit might be lurking in your app drawer. A recent study by Holafly, a provider of prepaid eSIMs, pinpointed the apps that are the biggest data hogs.

Streaming Apps Dominate Data Consumption

When it comes to streaming, YouTube reigns supreme as the most data-intensive app, consuming an average of 193 MB every five minutes. Other popular streaming platforms like Disney+ (150 MB), Prime Video (97 MB), and Netflix (53 MB) also made the list of data-heavy apps.

The amount of data consumed by streaming apps is influenced by factors like how the app processes videos, the quality of your network connection, and the default video resolution. Fortunately, most streaming services allow users to select lower resolutions to conserve data.

Holafly ranked the top 10 data-hungry streaming apps based on their five-minute data consumption:

1. YouTube - 193 MB
2. Disney+ - 150 MB
3. Prime Video - 97 MB
4. Peacock - 94 MB
5. Max - 85 MB
6. Paramount+ - 75 MB
7. Hulu - 59 MB
8. Netflix - 53 MB
9. Apple TV - 44 MB
10. Spotify - 7 MB

Social Media Apps Also Contribute to Data Consumption

In the social media realm, Snapchat emerged as the biggest data consumer, using 101 MB per five minutes. The app's high data usage is attributed to background content downloads and effects.

Snapchat surpassed other popular social media platforms like TikTok (79 MB), Telegram (70 MB), Instagram (69 MB), and X/Twitter (50 MB). While turning off data-saving mode can help reduce data consumption, it might affect app performance.

Here are the top 10 data-hungry social media apps:

1. Snapchat - 101 MB
2. Pinterest - 85 MB
3. Threads - 82 MB
4. TikTok - 79 MB
5. Telegram - 70 MB
6. Instagram - 69 MB
7. Facebook - 65 MB
8. X/Twitter - 50 MB
9. Reddit - 45 MB
10. LinkedIn - 23 MB

Browsers: Safari Leads the Pack

Among web browsers, Safari consumed the most data, using 56 MB per five minutes. In contrast, Google Chrome and Opera emerged as the most data-efficient browsers, utilizing 24 MB and 16 MB per five minutes, respectively.

Holafly also compiled a comprehensive list of the top 20 data-intensive apps, encompassing various categories:

1. YouTube - 193 MB
2. Disney+ - 150 MB
3. Uber - 102 MB
4. Snapchat - 101 MB
5. Prime Video - 97 MB
6. Google Maps - 87 MB
7. Pinterest - 85 MB
8. TikTok - 79 MB
9. Telegram - 70 MB
10. Instagram - 69 MB
11. DuoLingo - 69 MB
12. Amazon Shopping - 68 MB
13. Facebook - 65 MB
14. Netflix - 53 MB
15. X/Twitter - 50 MB
16. Gmail - 42 MB
17. LinkedIn - 23 MB
18. Audible - 10 MB
19. WhatsApp - 9 MB
20. Spotify - 7 MB

To determine data consumption, Holafly used the My Data Manager app on an iPhone 15 Pro Max and an Android Xiaomi Redmi 9. Each app was isolated by closing other apps and disabling WiFi. Time was measured with a stopwatch, and data usage was recorded after five minutes.

This study highlights the significant impact of specific apps on mobile data consumption. While some streaming and social media apps offer data-saving features, using these apps can still potentially drain your mobile data plan.