How much data do Uber, Bolt and Grab use?

Ride-hailing apps are small data users but critical ones: the one time your connection fails is at the kerb outside the airport. Here is what they use, and how to make sure they work on arrival.

By eSIM Data Deals editorial deskPublished 7 November 2026Updated 7 November 20266 min read

Short answer

Ride-hailing apps use little data: a booking with live tracking is typically a few megabytes, and a day of rides roughly 5–20 MB by our planning range. None of the companies publish a figure. What matters more is having a working data connection at pickup, and setting up the app and payment before you travel.

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Key figures≈ 5–20 MB

One booking with tracking: a few MB (planning)
A day of rides: ≈ 5–20 MB (planning)
Published figures: none from the apps
Needs data at: request, pickup, payment
Set up before travel: account, payment, verification
Offline maps help?: not inside these apps

On this page

What does a ride-hailing app use data for?

Uber, Bolt, Grab and similar apps don't publish data figures, so it helps to look at what they actually do during a trip:

Opening the app and setting pickup: the map around you, nearby cars, price estimates and the destination search.
Matching and waiting: small, frequent updates of the driver's position and arrival time.
The ride: live tracking of the route, and possibly sharing your trip with someone.
Payment and receipt: a few small requests at the end.
Contacting the driver: in-app chat (tiny) or an in-app call (like any app voice call).

Nothing on that list streams video or downloads large files. The heaviest moment is usually the first screen, when the app loads map tiles around you.

How much is a trip, and a day?

Planning ranges, not published figures. Measure your own with the per-app counter after one ride.
Usage	Planning range	Notes
Opening the app, choosing a destination	≈ 1–3 MB	Map tiles and search; more in a new city
Waiting for the driver (5–10 min)	well under 1 MB to a few MB	Position updates are small
A 20–30 minute ride with tracking	≈ 1–5 MB	More if you keep the map open
In-app call with the driver (2 min)	≈ 2 MB	Similar to other app voice calls
A day with 2–4 rides	≈ 5–20 MB	Our planning range for the calculator

So a whole weekend of rides is likely to be under 50 MB. Ride-hailing barely moves a plan size; what matters is reliability at the moment you need it.

How do I make sure it works on arrival?

Install the app and log in at home. Updates and the first sign-in can be larger than any ride.
Add a payment method before you fly. Card checks sometimes need a code from your bank; doing it at home avoids a problem at the kerb.
Check where verification texts go. Accounts are tied to your home number. A data-only travel eSIM has no number, so any text code arrives on your home SIM. Keep that line able to receive texts, or finish verification before you leave.
Install the travel eSIM and test the line on arrival before you walk out to the pickup area. TripoSIM says validity starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, so switching it on at the airport is the moment it starts.
Make the travel eSIM the data line and keep data roaming on for it, as most travel eSIMs need. Apple and Google both document how to choose which line carries data.

Why do pickups fail, and how much does data have to do with it?

Pickup problems are usually location, not data: a busy airport kerb, a pin dropped on the wrong side of a building, or GPS drifting between tall buildings. Data matters at three points: the request, the match, and contact with the driver. If your phone shows signal but the app won't load, check that the travel line is selected for mobile data and that data roaming is on for it. The slow-connection guide covers the difference between a capped line and a busy network.

Do ride-hailing apps work after a daily cap?

Usually, yes, but slowly. At 256 kbit/s the line can carry up to about 115 MB an hour, far more than a ride needs, but map tiles take longer to appear and the first screen feels sluggish. Requesting the ride and tracking the driver should still work. If your plan has a daily full-speed amount, avoid starting a long video session just before you need a ride at night.

What about transit, scooter and taxi apps?

Transit planners, scooter apps and taxi-booking apps follow the same pattern: small, frequent requests and some map tiles. Budget them like ride-hailing. Two differences are worth noting: transit apps often let you download timetables or maps for offline use, and scooter apps need a connection to unlock and lock the vehicle, so they are another reason to keep a little data in reserve at the end of a capped day.

How does a day of rides compare with other apps?

Example arithmetic from our planning ranges: rides 5–20 MB a day, maps 5–10 MB/h, photos 2–5 MB each, video feeds 170–700 MB/h. Not measurements.

Fifteen minutes of a video feed can use several days' worth of rides. If you are worried about running short, the app to watch is the feed, not the ride-hailing app.

What does an airport arrival day look like?

A typical arrival day, as example arithmetic: the app opens and a ride is booked from the airport (about 3–5 MB), maps are checked a few times on the way (about 5 MB), messages are sent to say you landed (a few MB), and the hotel's Wi-Fi takes over in the evening. That is well under 50 MB for the whole journey from the plane to the hotel, which even the smallest plans cover easily. The risk on arrival day is not data volume but setup: a line that isn't switched on, data roaming left off for the travel eSIM, or an app that wants a fresh sign-in code. Sort those out before you join the taxi queue.

Do trip sharing and safety features use more?

A little. Sharing your trip sends your position to the app's servers so a friend can follow it, which is the same kind of small, regular update the app already makes. In-app safety features that call or message for help also run over data. None of these change the planning range in a meaningful way, and they are worth keeping on.

What about food delivery apps?

Delivery apps behave like ride-hailing apps with more pictures. Browsing restaurant menus loads food photos, which can be a few megabytes per session, and tracking the courier uses the same small position updates. Budget a few MB to tens of MB on days you order, and browse menus on Wi-Fi if you can.

Frequently asked questions

Does Uber work with a data-only eSIM?

The app needs mobile data, which the eSIM provides. Your account stays on your home number. If the app sends a verification text, it goes to your home number, so keep that line able to receive texts or set the account up before you go.

Can I book a ride on hotel Wi-Fi and then leave?

You can book on Wi-Fi, but the app updates the driver's position and lets the driver contact you, so you want mobile data once you step outside.

Do ride-hailing apps work offline?

No. They need a connection to request a ride, match a driver and update the trip. Offline maps in Google Maps or Apple Maps don't help inside these apps.

Will calling the driver through the app use data?

In-app calls run over data, at roughly the rate of other app voice calls (about 1 MB a minute by our planning rate). A short call is negligible.

Next step

Land with data that works

Choose your destination on TripoSIM, install the eSIM on Wi-Fi before you fly, and switch its line on when you land.

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Written and checked by the eSIM Data Deals editorial desk

We take data figures from the app makers' own help pages where they publish one, convert published bitrates with kbit/s × 0.45 = MB per hour, and label every planning assumption. We don't run paid reviews or publish prices. Editorial policy · How we get our figures · Who owns this site

Sources and how we checked

Figures were read from these pages on 7 November 2026. Apps change their settings and rates; if a number here disagrees with the app on your phone, trust your phone's own data counter. See how we get our figures.