How To View Your T-Mobile Data Usage

At one time, cell phone carriers charged hefty fees if you go over your pre-set data usage limit. These days, Unlimited Data plans are back and more popular than ever.

Unfortunately, like every other cell phone carrier, reserves the right to throttle your data after a certain amount of usage. This means that it will be more difficult to surf the web, stream videos, and browse social media because your data speeds will be much slower. T-Mobile does state they only throttle data when you’re in a congested area (there are a lot of data users on one tower).

Thankfully, there are several techniques that T-Mobile users have at their disposal to do this.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Before you start checking, there are a few things that you need to know about the figures that you see when using official T-Mobile tools.

Firstly, any data that you use while roaming can take about a month to show up. If you know that you’ve used roaming data at some point in the last 30 days, remember that the figure you see may not be accurate straight away.

There’s also an issue with the figures if you change your plan. Changing the plan on any day other than your billing cycle’s first day essentially resets the figure. You’ll only see what you’ve used on the current plan, so it’s best to carry out a quick check to record the figure for your previous plan before making a change.

T-Mobile displays its data usage figures in Pacific Time too, which those in other time zones need to keep in mind. It also refreshes every two hours.

Those who use T-Mobile’s prepaid service will not have the same options as we’ve listed below. T-Mobile does not provide data usage details for those on the prepaid service.

On the plus side, you’ll get a free text message alert when you hit the 80% and 100% mark of your data limits.

With that out of the way, let’s look at some of the techniques.

Technique #1 – Use a Short-Code

T-Mobile offers up two short-codes that you can call to get an instant update. Just dial either #932# or #WEB# and hit the “call” button.

You’ll receive an alert in a couple of minutes that gives you an up-to-date data usage number.

These short-codes work on both Android and Apple devices.

Technique #2 – Check Your T-Mobile Account on Desktop

Most people create a My T-Mobile account so they can keep track of their bills. However, you can also use it to check your data usage. Just follow these steps:

1. Click the “Usage” option. You’ll find this in the “My Current Plan” section of your account if you’re on a prepaid account.
2. Click the “View all usage details” link in the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. Click the “Data” option to see your usage.

You can also filter through specific cell phone numbers if you have several phones that use T-Mobile data plans.

Technique #3 – Use the T-Mobile App

T-Mobile has an app that you can download on both Android and Apple devices. You can use it to keep track of billing and data usage.

To check data usage, follow these steps:

1. Log in to the app using your T-Mobile ID.
2. Tap on the “Menu” icon then tap on “Usage and Plans”.
3. Tap on “View Line Details” then tap on “Check Usage (Data).

The app tells you how much data you’ve used and how long you have to wait before your next billing cycle. You can also use the app to check your minutes and text usage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will T-Mobile alert me if I go over my data limit?

Yes! T-Mobile will send you an alert via either text or email when you’ve used 80% and 100% of your data allotment. If you do not receive these alerts you may need to log into the T-Mobile app and select your content preferences.

I got a text message that I used 50Gb of data on my unlimited plan. Why?

Although T-Mobile won’t charge you if you exceed your data limit, the company will throttle your data after you’ve used 50Gb. This means that you may experience issues loading websites, buffering, and even sending picture messages.

Does tethering use my mobile data allotment?

Yes. When you’re using your T-Mobile phone to provide internet for another device it will count toward your allotment. However, if you’re connected to another WiFi network, your T-Mobile data should be left untouched.

I got a usage alert but I’ve been on WiFi. What’s happening?

Today’s smartphones are designed to give you the most seamless experience possible. When a WiFi network is weak, your phone will automatically connect back to the cell phone towers to help you stream without interruption. Unfortunately, you may not even notice this switch has happened.

The Final Word

T-Mobile offers plenty of ways for you to check your data usage quickly. They also send free text messages when you’re nearing your limit.

As long as you’re vigilant, you shouldn’t end up exceeding your data limits. Just check regularly and keep in mind that the figure may be up to two hours out-of-date, which you need to account for.