VPNs add a small amount of extra data to your traffic. If you want to reduce VPN data usage, choose an efficient protocol like WireGuard and avoid unnecessary reconnects to keep data to a minimum.

You can also use split tunneling to exclude some apps from the VPN tunnel, pick a nearby server to reduce packet loss, and turn off telemetry and other background features. Lastly, disconnect the VPN when you don’t need it, such as on a trusted network.

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That said, don’t expect to save much data with these VPN-specific tweaks alone. After we cover them in more detail, we’ll go over some more effective methods to shave valuable MB off your data usage.

How to reduce VPN data usage

VPNs encrypt your traffic to turn it into gibberish to any snoopers monitoring your connection. To handle that encryption and maintain the VPN tunnel, the VPN adds a bit of extra data to your traffic, known as overhead. It’s not a lot, but if you’re on a tight plan, every MB counts.

Here are a few settings you can adjust to cut down on unnecessary VPN data usage.

Switch to a lighter VPN protocol

Choose a VPN protocol that adds less overhead, such as WireGuard (or WireGuard-based protocols like NordLynx), ExpressVPN’s Lightway, or IKEv2/IPSec. This can trim the extra data your VPN sends while still keeping your connection secure.

IKEv2/IPSec also works well if you switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data often, since the VPN can stay connected instead of starting a new tunnel each time. This also brings us to our next point.

Avoid frequently reconnecting to the VPN

Avoid disconnecting and reconnecting your VPN throughout the day unless the connection drops, you need to change servers, or you’re troubleshooting a connection problem. Each new connection requires setup traffic, so frequent reconnects can add overhead without much benefit.

You may also need to reconnect when switching networks if your VPN doesn’t support seamless network changes. In that case, IKEv2 is a good option because it lets an established VPN session adapt when the connection changes, such as switching from Wi-Fi to mobile and vice versa.

Exclude non-essential apps from the VPN tunnel

If only some apps need a VPN, use split tunneling to keep the rest outside the tunnel. This keeps apps like local music players off the VPN while still protecting banking and other sensitive apps.

Check your VPN app for split tunneling or an app exclusion list, then leave only the apps you actually need. Heads up if you use your phone for work, though. Split tunneling has some security risks you should know about.

Choose a nearby VPN server

Pick a server close to your location when you can. Since your data doesn’t need to travel as far, it can reduce latency and the chance of packet loss on a poor connection. This can help prevent wasted data from failed downloads, buffering, or replaying parts of a stream.

Disable unnecessary VPN background features

Some VPN apps send diagnostic data in the background, such as crash reports, usage statistics, or information used to improve the app. This can add to your data usage even when you aren’t actively using the VPN.

Check your app settings for options like “send crash reports,” “help improve our apps,” or usage analytics, and turn them off to minimize background data use.

Turn off the VPN when you don’t need it

VPNs are best used on public Wi-Fi and other untrusted connections, or when you want to switch to a different location for any reason. If you’re on a home network or using apps and services that don’t really need a VPN, such as when listening to music or watching YouTube, then you can leave it off.

Related: Do you need a VPN on your phone?

Extra tips to save on mobile data

Once again, VPN-specific tips won’t save much data on their own. Here are some real data savers:

  • Watch videos in lower quality: Choose 480p or a similar lower setting when streaming over mobile data, especially for longer videos. For instance, Netflix claims its “Save Data” setting lets you watch up to 6 hours per GB of mobile data, compared to just 20 minutes on “Maximum Data.”
  • Disable autoplay: Social media apps usually let you turn off autoplaying videos, which can quickly eat through your data if you scroll a lot.
  • Turn off automatic media downloads: Messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Messenger let you disable automatic downloads. Useful when your friends decide to DM you a whole 4K album of their vacation.
  • Only use cloud backup on Wi-Fi: Set photo and file backups to run only over Wi-Fi, so large uploads don’t consume your mobile data in the background.
  • Limit background app refresh: Don’t let apps check for new content if you’re not using them, especially social media, email, and news apps that refresh frequently.
  • Restrict automatic app updates: Large apps can have updates that use up hundreds of MB. Set your app store to download updates over Wi-Fi only to avoid unexpected mobile data use.
  • Use your phone’s data alerts: Android lets you set limits on how much data an app can use, and shows a notification when you’re close to the warning threshold. Your carrier’s app may have similar alert systems.

Reducing VPN data usage FAQs

Should I leave my VPN on all the time?

Leaving your VPN on all the time is great for privacy, but not so great if you’re on a limited data plan. Use Wi-Fi when possible and turn the VPN off when you’re not shopping, banking, or working with other sensitive data online.

Can a VPN lower data usage?

A standard VPN connection will actually increase data usage due to encryption overhead and other data added to your traffic. That said, some VPNs have ad/tracker blocking and threat protection services that may reduce data usage by not allowing such content to load.

Can a VPN let you bypass ISP data limits?

No, a VPN won’t let you bypass your ISP data limits. While VPNs mask your traffic from your ISP, they don’t hide how much data you use. They can, however, prevent ISP bandwidth throttling since your provider can’t tell whether you’re streaming, downloading, or doing other things online.

How much data does a VPN use per hour?

Your hourly VPN data usage depends on what you’re doing and which protocol you use. Data-intensive activities like video streaming and downloads naturally use up more data. Our data shows providers like NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN increase data usage by about 5% when connected using their lightweight protocols.

Does a VPN use data on Wi-Fi?

VPNs use data when you’re connected to Wi-Fi, so keep this in mind if you’re on a metered connection. If your Wi-Fi isn’t metered, VPN data doesn’t come out of your mobile data allowance.

However, some phones can automatically switch to mobile data when the Wi-Fi is weak or unavailable (e.g., Samsung’s “Intelligent Wi-Fi” feature). If you’re worried about a VPN eating through your data plan, check your phone settings and disable such features.

Do VPNs use compression to reduce data usage?

OpenVPN and other protocols included ways to compress data, but support for it has largely been dropped. This is mainly because most internet data is already compressed before it goes through the VPN, but also due to security issues like the VORACLE attack. Moreover, the data savings often weren’t worth the extra CPU usage.