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VirginMedia
Virgin Media Staff
Virgin Media Staff

Running out of data too quickly?

Want to stay connected without hitting your limits?

Running out of data can be frustrating, we know.

So we've put together some great tips to help you stay in control of your allowance, whether it's by changing your package, using our great extras, or taking control of your phone.

1. Go Unlimited

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Unlike most other ‘unlimited’ offerings, Virgin Mobile’s new plan is Truly Unlimited, giving our TV, broadband and landline customers peace of mind. You can enjoy unlimited minutes, texts and data for just £25 a month, without the fear of ever exceeding your allowance.

Truly Unlimited is available as a SIM Only deal or can be purchased alongside a handset, giving consumer customers flexibility and the freedom to call, text and stream to their heart’s content. More info on our SIM only offers is here: Truly Unlimited

2. Go WiFi

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Virgin Media WiFi is our inclusive on-the-go WiFi service – connecting you to smooth, speedy Virgin Media WiFi hotspots when you’re out and about. It’s a bit of magic in your pocket that lets you connect to nearly half of all UK public WiFi hotspots in all sorts of places – cafes, bars and restaurants, up and down the high street, in airports and even underground!

It’s available to download right now from the App Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android™.

3. Data rollover and data-free messages

All Virgin Mobile 4G customers, with and without cable services, benefit from data rollover and data-free WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Twitter as standard, so you can stretch your data further without anything leftover going to waste.

Our flexible plans also allow customers to change their tariff every 30 days, so whether you want more data or fewer minutes, you can tailor your plan to suit your needs.

4. Turn off data when you don't need it

If you're at home with WiFi, switch your data off. You don't need it. It's normally just a simple press in the settings menu. This way you won't stream HD Video content using your mobile data because someone accidentally unplugged your Hub.

5. Set a warning

Your phone can normally be set to warn you on your data usage. You can choose the time period to match your billing period, and set warning when you've hit you 500Mb or 2Gb - whatever your allowance is. Some phones will even turn off your data for you if you reach the limit.

6. Turn it off. All of it!

A little extreme, but if you're at the edge of your data allowance, or just want to be left alone, then there's only one thing for it - switch off your data completely. With so many features of your smart phone needing connectivity, you have to take some additional steps to make sure that your apps don't use your data connection when you don't want them to.

  • Switch off any background data refresh and app updates - you can normally set these to ONLY take place over WiFi
  • If you're on a strict 'no-data' regime - don't turn it on intermittently. Even if you are not actively using the internet, your device will attempt to establish a connection.

  • Switch off WiFi Assist or similar tools - these are great if you're active, as these apps use Mobile and WiFi data to improve your speed, but they will turn on your Data connection.

  • Turn off location services, because these can sometimes use a tiny amount of Mobile data. 

And that's it - your guide to getting the most out of your data. Hope you found it helpful.

If you do have any further questions about data usage, then please pop over to our Manage Your Account - Mobile forum for advice from our friendly Community.