How much data does Prime Video use? (And how you can make it use less)

It wasn’t that long ago that you had to wait until you got home to watch your favorite shows. Now you have Amazon’s Prime Video app right on your phone, so you can catch up on The Boys while taking the bus to work or finally binge The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel while you wait for your number to be called at the DMV. But how much data does Prime Video use? The short answer is, quite a bit… if you don’t know the hacks.  Fortunately, we have some insider tips to keep you from chewing through all your GB watching Prime Video.

Does Prime Video use a lot of data?

Well, “a lot” is subjective, but if you stream movies or shows regularly, then yes. What we can say is that, on average, Prime Video may use approximately 1GB to 7GB of data every hour, depending on the video resolution you’re watching. 

• Standard Definition (SD) viewing uses approximately .7GB – 1GB per hour
• High Definition (HD) viewing uses approximately 1.5GB – 3GB per hour
• Ultra High-Definition (4K) viewing uses approximately 5.8GB – 7GB of data per hour

Now, you don’t have to be as savvy with numbers as The Accountant (starring Ben Affleck) to calculate your data usage, but just in case, here’s about how much data you would use watching a two-hour movie (like The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck) on Prime Video:

• 1.4 GB – 2 GB if watching in Standard Definition
• 3GB – 6 GB if watching in HD
• At least 11.6GB and upwards of 14GB if watching in 4K Ultra-HD

This is obviously an approximation and it’s important to note that all streaming services are different. Prime Video’s data usage can also vary based on your device, network strength, video quality and usage settings. However, there is a way to actually see just how much data Prime Video is using on your device.

How to check Amazon Prime Video data usage

Checking Prime Video data usage on iPhone

• From Settings, select Cellular
• Scroll down to Cellular Data and locate the list of apps
• Scroll down to Prime Video and select it
  • The Current Period doesn’t automatically reset each month, so scroll to the bottom of the Cellular menu and select Reset Statistics to refresh this

Checking Prime Video data usage on Android

• From Settings, select Apps
• Select Prime Video
• Under Usage you’ll see the amount of mobile data Prime Video is using on your phone
  • These steps may vary slightly from phone to phone, so check your user manual for help locating this information

How to reduce data usage with Prime Video

There are a few ways to use less data when streaming Prime Video on your phone, either with the help of Wi-Fi or by modifying Prime Video’s streaming settings. Let’s start with Wi-Fi.

Watch Prime Video over Wi-Fi

The easiest way to use less of your data is to do most data-heavy things while connected to Wi-Fi. When you’re using the internet via Wi-Fi vs. cellular data, it isn’t pulling from your mobile data allotment. Of course, this only makes a difference if you’re watching Prime Video exclusively at places that have Wi-Fi, like your home or office, right? Not exactly.

Download content over Wi-Fi to watch later 

Most newer iPhone and Android devices allow the ability to download Prime Video movies and shows to watch later, which is quite the game-changer. If you know you’re going to be stuck in a waiting room for a bit or flying cross-country and want to use that opportunity to watch the first two seasons of Reacher, download the episodes ahead of time while connected to Wi-Fi. This is also handy if you know you’re going to be traveling and may lose coverage. Fully downloaded content means no buffering so you can watch Prime Video content even while offline (like when you’re in airplane mode). 

Change the data usage settings in the Prime Video app

Of course, you can’t always predict what you’re going to want to watch in advance. Maybe you downloaded that entire true crime docuseries but forgot to also download a feel-good comedy as a palate-cleanser. We’ve all been there. Luckily, Prime Video also allows you to modify its settings so it will use less data when you’re streaming the old fashioned way. 

• Open the Prime Video app on your phone and go into the Settings 
• Select Stream and Download 
• Choose a lower video quality (like Standard Definition)  

Turn off background app refresh

Another trick to reducing Prime Video’s data usage is to turn off background app refresh. This feature lets Prime Video keep running in the background while you use other apps, or even when you have your phone in your pocket. It’s how the app knows to send you a push notification when a new episode of Fallout drops, and it does use a little bit of data to do so.

Switch to a carrier that offers flexible data plans

Now that you’re in prime position to save data while streaming Prime Video, you can take a look at our other blogs covering data usage from other streamers like Hulu, Disney Plus, Netflix, Spotify and YouTube. Then once you’ve figured out how much data you need each month, consider switching to a wireless carrier with flexible data plans that will help you save money. Click the link below to see why Mint Mobile is the perfect provider for mobile streamers like yourself.