Last updated: August 6, 2026 (information current as of August 2026)
You land, and a few days in you check your eSIM balance and realize the data went faster than you expected. It's one of the most common worries we hear from travelers, business trip planners, and students heading abroad. Away from home, you open maps far more often, and Wi-Fi isn't reliable everywhere, so your usage naturally climbs. Here's the short answer: the fastest way to stretch your data is stopping the automatic activity apps do in the background, lowering video quality, and saving maps for offline use before you leave. This guide walks through the settings on both iPhone and Android, plus habits you can adopt mid-trip — written so it makes sense even if this is your first eSIM.
- The big three: video, maps, background activity
- Turn off background activity first
- Lowering video quality makes a real difference
- Download offline maps before you go
- If you're running low, start by checking your balance
The short version: data disappears into background activity, video, and maps
There's a right order to this. Start with background activity — the data your phone uses without you feeling like you used anything at all. Photo cloud backups, automatic app updates, and mail fetching all keep talking to the network while your screen is off. Video comes next: dropping the quality setting by one step changes how fast your balance falls. Third is maps — any single lookup is modest, but open them repeatedly while getting around and it adds up.
On the other hand, text-based messaging and quick searches use very little. Instead of asking yourself what to give up, find out where the big spending is first — that way you keep your data lasting without cutting into the trip itself. For the basics of using and setting up an eSIM, see our eSIM guide articles.
What uses how much? Typical patterns by activity
Real-world usage varies a lot depending on the app, your quality settings, and how long you're on it, so the table below describes tendencies rather than numbers. Look for the row closest to how you actually use your phone.
| How you use it | Data tendency | How to cut it down |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming video and live streams | Heavy | Lower the quality / download in advance on Wi-Fi |
| Video calls | Fairly heavy | Switch to audio-only unless you need video |
| Photo and video cloud backup | Heavy | Set it to Wi-Fi only |
| OS and app updates | Heavy | Don't run them on mobile data while traveling |
| Maps and navigation | Moderate (adds up over long sessions) | Save offline maps ahead of time |
| Scrolling social media | Moderate (autoplay video pushes it up) | Turn off video autoplay |
| Messaging and searches | Light | Usually needs no special handling |
One thing to note: the "mobile data usage" figure your phone shows may cover everything since you last reset it, and can include other lines on the device, so it won't necessarily match the balance shown for your eSIM plan. When you want to know what's actually left, go by the plan's own display. We cover how to check it in Running out of eSIM data abroad: how to check your balance and top up.
iPhone settings to save eSIM data
On iPhone you can tune data behavior line by line. The steps below follow standard iOS, but menu names and their order can shift between versions — if something isn't where you expect, try the search box inside Settings.
Turn on Low Data Mode
Go to Settings → Cellular/Mobile Data → the line you're using (your eSIM plan name) → Cellular/Mobile Data Options → Data Mode → Low Data Mode. Automatic refreshes and background processes ease off, which slows how fast your data goes. Because it's set per line, you can leave your home-country line as it is and apply Low Data Mode only to the eSIM.
Turn off mobile data for individual apps
Scroll down in Settings → Cellular/Mobile Data and you'll see a list of your apps. Switching off the ones you won't use on this trip cuts data you'd never notice being spent. Leave the apps you'll actually rely on abroad — maps, messaging, translation — switched on.
Review Background App Refresh
Under Settings → General → Background App Refresh, choose "Wi-Fi" or "Off". This stops apps refreshing while you're not in them, so it's one of the easiest savings to make without really changing how your phone feels to use.
Limit photo uploads to Wi-Fi
Turning off Settings → Photos → Cellular/Mobile Data makes uploads of new photos and videos wait until you're on Wi-Fi. You take a lot more photos when you're traveling, so this one tends to pay off.
Android settings to save eSIM data
On Android, menu names and locations differ by manufacturer and version. If you can't find an item below, searching Settings for a keyword like "data saver" is usually the quickest route.
Turn on Data Saver
Settings → Network & internet → Data Saver. With it on, background data use by apps is restricted. For apps where you still want notifications to come through, there's an option to add them as exceptions.
Stop background data per app
Go to Settings → Apps → the app → Mobile data & Wi-Fi, and switch off background data use. Working through your least-used apps first keeps this quick.
Set app auto-updates to Wi-Fi only
In Google Play settings → Network preferences → Auto-update apps, choose "Over Wi-Fi only". App updates can be large, and if they run on mobile data mid-trip they can take a serious bite out of your balance.
Easy habits while you're there
Download offline maps before you leave
Saving maps of the cities you're visiting to your phone in advance cuts the data spent reloading maps every time you move. Arrival is also when connectivity tends to be least predictable, so having offline maps is reassuring in its own right.
Download videos on your hotel Wi-Fi
If there's something you want to watch on the road, download it the night before on the Wi-Fi where you're staying. When you're on public Wi-Fi, it's wise to avoid payments and entering personal details.
Check the terms before you rely on tethering
Tethering a laptop or tablet is handy, but how it's handled and under what conditions can differ by plan. If you're planning to use it, please check the plan details before you buy. Laptops in particular pull large updates, so pausing automatic updates before you connect saves you trouble.
Who can get by on savings, and who should consider topping up
Whether tweaking settings will be enough usually comes down to how you use your phone on the trip. Rather than pushing through on constant restraint, deciding early to switch can leave you far more relaxed.
Savings will probably be enough if you
- Mostly stick to messaging and don't watch much video
- Have reliable Wi-Fi where you're staying
- Are on a short trip and can save maps offline
- Only have a few days left to cover
Consider a top-up or a different plan if you
- Have work video calls scheduled
- Are staying a while with no clear sense of where Wi-Fi will be available
- Will often tether a laptop
- Are already low and can't realistically stretch it to the end
What to know about a data-only eSIM
Bloomy eSIM is data-only. App-based calls that run over data — WhatsApp, Messenger, FaceTime and the like — work as usual. What you can't do is make or receive calls on a phone number (voice calls) or send and receive SMS. If you need a phone number or SMS verification codes, consider keeping your home-country line active alongside it, or another arrangement that works for you.
App calls use data too. If a call looks like it's going to run long, switching from video to audio-only helps keep usage down. Speed and stability vary with the local network, your device, coverage in the area, and congestion.
If anything about the settings or terms of use isn't clear, our FAQ is worth a look as well.
If you're still running low
When your balance looks thin even with the savings settings on, it's more reliable to check what you have left against the days remaining and decide whether you need more — rather than piling on restrictions. We've laid out the steps and the reasoning in Running out of eSIM data abroad: how to check your balance and top up.
Also, if your connection stops working after you change these settings, the first thing to check is whether a data-saving setting has left mobile data switched off. If that doesn't fix it, see connection troubleshooting; for adding an eSIM and walking through setup, the setup guide will help.
If you want to rethink how much data you need for your next trip, our eSIM plan comparison page lets you search by country or region, data allowance, and number of days. The plans available and their terms of use may differ by country and region.
This article reflects information as of August 2026. OS and app behavior, along with menu names, can change with updates. Plan contents and terms of use may also change, so please check the latest details on the comparison page before purchasing. All plans are subject to a fair usage policy, and connection speed and stability vary with the local network, your device, and the area you're in.
