Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a built-in bandwidth monitoring tool that tracks your network data usage on a per-network basis over the last 30 days. This tool makes it easy to view your overall network data usage and see which applications are consuming the most data.
While it may not be as feature-rich as third-party applications, it provides a good overview. Knowing your monthly data usage can also help you decide if you need to enable the metered connection (on Windows 10) setting for specific networks, such as when using mobile data via a hotspot.
In this tutorial, I will show you how to view your network data usage in Windows 10 and 11 with just a few clicks. Let’s get started.
Advantages of monitoring network data usage
Monitoring network data usage over a period of time has several significant advantages that can potentially improve the overall network performance, resolve network issues, and make informed decisions for specific applications or networks.
- Improve network performance: By tracking data usage over an extended period, you can identify patterns and trends in your network usage. This can help you identify potential bottlenecks or other issues that may be impacting network performance and take steps to address them.
- Better allocation of network resources: By monitoring data usage, you can better understand how different applications and users are using the network. This can help you make more informed decisions about how to allocate network resources, such as bandwidth, to ensure that the network is being used efficiently.
- Increased visibility and control: Monitoring data usage over a longer period can give you a complete picture of how the network is being used. This can help you identify potential security threats or other issues and take steps to prevent them.
- Improved troubleshooting: By tracking data usage over a longer period of time, you can more easily identify any issues that may arise and take steps to troubleshoot and resolve them. This can help improve the overall reliability and stability of your network.
How to view network data usage in Windows
Bandwidth monitoring is a built-in feature of both Windows 10 and 11 and is enabled by default. In fact, it is integrated into the Settings app. So, all you have to do is find the network data usage page in the settings app. Let me show you how.
On Windows 11
- Launch the “Settings” app.
- Select “Network & Internet” on the sidebar.
- Press the “Data usage” button at the top.
- You will see the overall network data usage at the top.
- Below, you will see per application network data usage.
- With that, you now know how to view network data usage in Windows 11.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, press the Windows key + I to open Settings. Once it opens, go to the Network & Internet tab and click on the Data Usage option on the top-right corner.
In the “Data Usage” page, you will see the overall data usage for the current network in the top left corner. Under the Usage Statistics section, you will see per-application network usage.
If you are using multiple networks, you can switch between them using the Network dropdown menu on the top-right corner.
By default, the default data usage statistics are for the last 30 days. If you want, you can change to Last 7 days or Last 24 hours using the “Filter” dropdown menu.
On Windows 10
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Click on Network & Internet.
- Go to the Status tab.
- Click the Data Usage button on the right panel.
- You will see the overall network data usage at the top.
- Below, you will see per application network data usage.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, use the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to launch the Settings app in Windows 10. You can also search for it in the Start menu or click the “Settings” button in the Action Center.
After opening it, click on the Network & Internet option and go to the Status tab.
On this page, you will see the network usage data for the last 30 days next to your network name. For detailed statistics, click the Data Usage button.
You will see per-application data usage on this page. If you are using multiple networks, you can switch between them using the “Choose a network” dropdown menu.
Note: Unfortunately, unlike in Windows 11, there is no way to select a specific number of days to filter and check bandwidth consumption.
Wrapping Up — Viewing Network Data Usage in Windows 10 & 11
As you can see, it is pretty simple to see how much data you are using per network and per application in both Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can limit the data usage by enabling a metered connection when needed. Alternatively, you can also set a data limit by pressing the Enter Limit button on Windows 11’s and Windows 10’s Data Usage page.
Once the data limit is set, you’ll see usage statistics based on it, and Windows will restrict background data usage and alert you when nearing or exceeding the limit.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
tried this but my windows 10 pro doesnt have the data usage option, it just isnt there.
Microsoft recently shifted a few options. I’ve updated the article to reflect the changes. Please follow the steps again to view your data usage in Windows 10.