Hotspots and data

Use Low Data Mode on a Mac

Low Data Mode tells macOS and apps to use less data on one Wi-Fi network. It is a setting for each network, not for the whole Mac.

Applies to: macOS 13 Ventura and later. The setting is in Wi-Fi Details in System Settings.Checked: 29 October 2026

Symptoms

  • You want the Mac to use less data on a hotspot, a plane or a hotel network.
  • You cannot find a Low Data Mode switch for the whole Mac.
  • Low Data Mode is on, but some apps still use a lot of data.

Likely causes

  • The setting is for one network. You set Low data mode in the Details of each Wi-Fi network. Other networks keep their own setting.
  • Apps decide what to reduce. Apps read whether the network is in Low Data Mode. Each app decides how much background work it stops.
  • You are not connected to the network. Wi-Fi Details shows the settings for networks that the Mac knows. Connect to the network first to change it.

How to check

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Wi-Fi in the sidebar.

  2. Click Details next to the network that you use now.

  3. Look at the Low data mode switch.

How to fix it

  1. In Wi-Fi Details, turn on Low data mode. Click OK.

  2. Do this again for each network where you want to use less data.

  3. To find apps that still use data, follow the steps in Mac uses Personal Hotspot data in the background.

  4. Pause sync or updates in apps that do not reduce their data use.

With Kilobat

  1. Get Low Data Mode, the metered state and the VPN state in one line.

    kilobat conditions --json

    Output JSON with lowDataMode, metered, osMetered, meteredSource and one line of advice.

  2. Kilobat does not change Low Data Mode. It can block apps on metered networks with Pro and the network filter. See Block an app on metered networks.

Questions

Is Low Data Mode the same as a metered network?

No. Apple's Network framework reports them separately. isConstrained means Low Data Mode. isExpensive means a cellular or Personal Hotspot interface. See Make a Mac treat a network as metered.

Does Low Data Mode work on Ethernet?

The Apple guide describes the setting in the Details of a Wi-Fi network. This guide covers Wi-Fi only.

Sources

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.