Mobile data plans can be incredibly expensive. And even with an "unlimited" plan, using too much data in one month can lead to lower speeds and even fees. This is an issue for fans of video-chatting apps — like FaceTime.
FaceTime uses a lot of data
Yes, FaceTime uses data. In fact, it uses more data than most other apps. Very few things take up more internet bandwidth than streaming video, making FaceTime a potential data hog.
There are a few ways to avoid using so much mobile data on FaceTime. The easiest of these is to connect to a Wi-Fi network before making calls — this way you'll stream video using Wi-Fi, not your cellular plan.
You can also turn off your camera while on the call, and ask anyone you're calling to turn off their camera too. This reduces the amount of video you're streaming, which saves data.
Other than that, all you can really do is keep your FaceTime calls short, and avoid calling more than one person at a time.
How to check how much data FaceTime is using
Every app on your iPhone and iPad records how much data they use every month (or "billing period"). You can find these records for the current and last billing periods in the Settings app.
Open the Settings app and tap Cellular, near the top of the list. Then scroll down to the list of all your apps and find FaceTime in the list.
Under the name of the app, you'll see how much data it's used this billing period.
You can also tap the small switch next to the app to toggle whether or not the app is allowed to use cellular data. If you flip the switch off for FaceTime, you won't be able to make any calls unless you connect to Wi-Fi first.
