How much data does watching a game, a video call or uploading video use?
PFB Away team · 27 October 2026On a team trip your phone does three things that really use data: watching games, video calls and moving video around. Here are the platforms' own figures so you can do the maths instead of guessing.
Streaming a game
As a reference, Netflix says its video uses up to 1 GB an hour in standard definition, up to 3 GB an hour in high definition (HD) and up to 7 GB an hour in 4K. Sports platforms are in a similar range depending on quality.
A two-hour game in HD can take up to 6 GB. Drop the quality to standard in the app and it's about 2 GB. That setting saves more data than anything else.
Video calls with the club or home
Zoom recommends 1.2 Mbps up and down for a two-person video call in 720p. Doing the maths, that's about 540 MB an hour each way: around 1 GB an hour in total. For a group call in 720p it recommends 2.6 Mbps up and 1.8 down, which is about 2 GB an hour.
That's the recommended maximum: with a good signal and less movement on screen it uses less. A half-hour staff meeting rarely goes over 1 GB.
Uploading and downloading video
Quality changes everything here. A minute shot in 4K takes several times the space of the same minute in 1080p. On iPhone you can see it in Settings → Camera → Record Video: under each option it tells you how much a minute takes.
If you need to send game clips to the club, shoot them in 1080p or upload them on the hotel wifi. And if staff download opponent video, better do it before leaving home.
Which plan to pick
- Tournament weekend, maps and WhatsApp, a game or two in standard quality: 3 to 5 GB.
- A week with daily video calls and a couple of games in HD: 10 GB.
- Staff sharing data with a laptop and moving video: 20 GB, or 50 GB for a long trip.
- If you'd rather not count: Unlimited Plus gives 2 GB a day at full speed and then 2 Mbps until the next day.
FAQ
What uses more, watching a game or a video call?
Watching a game in HD: up to 3 GB an hour, against around 1 GB an hour for a two-person video call in 720p.
How do I know how much I've used?
Your eSIM usage is in «My account». We also email you when you've used half, when you're running low and when it runs out.