Free Data Usage The Best UK Networks For Unlimited Streaming & Social Media 2021
In this article we will look at the current free streaming offers provided by UK networks, free music & video streaming and free social media data.
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It wouldn’t be a stretch, if we were to say mobile phones have become a necessity in our lives, replacing other devices such as our computers. The more we use our mobile devices, the more data we tend to burn through – especially streaming HD videos & music.
Luckily, most mobile networks in the UK now offer unlimited data plans or other data saving features to help you stay within your data bundle each month.
We’ve been through each of the UK networks & prepared a guide to help you find out which networks offer free data usage on selected mobile applications as well as data free social media & messaging.
If you’re looking for a quick summary, check the table below. Otherwise read on for our full review.
Free Data Usage
 Three Go Binge (No Longer Availabe) |  Sky Mobile Watch |
|---|---|
| Available on tariffs with 12GB data or more. | Available on all plans. |
| Video: Netflix, TV Player Audio: Apple Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, Social Media: Snapchat | Works with all 12 Sky TV Apps. |
| You must have at least some data left. | You must have at least 50MB data left. |
 EE Swappable Benefits |  VOXI Data Passes |
|---|---|
| You need to be on a 5G Smart or Smart plan to be eligible. | Can be purchased separately for all plans. |
| Video: BritBox, Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, BT Sport and Amazon Prime Video, Twitch Audio: Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Deezer | Video: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Life, My5, tvP and UKTV Play Audio: Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Prime Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, SoundCloud and Napster |
| You must have at least some data left. Each Swappable Benefit is also available to purchase as a standalone add-on. | You must have at least some regular data left. |
VOXI – Video & Music Passes
Pro's
- Endless social media and endless video usage on selected apps
- Flexible 30-day rolling plans.
- No credit checks, no contracts
- WiFi Calling & 4G Calling
- 5G at no extra cost
Con's
- Limited plan selection
- Not the best 5G option
- No data rollover
VOXI is Vodafone’s low-cost virtual mobile network and it has a unique proposition named ‘Endless Social Media’ which we’ll cover in the next section. The network offers the ‘Endless Video’ feature on their 15GB and 45GB plans, which lets your stream any content on Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, My5, TV Player and UKTV Play without eating through your regular data allowance.
On top of these, the network also offers a ‘Music Pass’ to its customers. Unfortunately it’s not included in any of the VOXI tariffs and must be bought separately.
Since you are paying for the pass, it’s important to confirm if it’s worth it. You may be paying for data that you may not need. Sometimes, it’s cheaper to just pay for your basic plan as opposed to paying extra for the pass. The full list of supported apps can be seen below;
Audio: Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Prime Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, SoundCloud and Napster.
If you wish to learn more about VOXI, we’d strongly recommend you read our detailed VOXI review.
Three – Go Binge (Expired)
Pro's
- Has the most 5G coverage in the UK
- Competitively priced SIM deals
- WiFi Calling & 4G Calling
- Free-roaming in 71 destinations
- Truly unlimited data plans
Con's
- No 2G coverage
- 3G and 4G are weaker than their competitors
Three Go Binge is no longer available. Only existing Three customers with Go Binge get to keep this feature, but it won’t be available when they renew their contracts.
The first mobile network operator in the UK to offer free data usage for streaming audio and video was Three Mobile. We rate the network’s ‘Go Binge’ perk highly as it allows you to use six different applications at no extra data cost. Being able to stream any Netflix content in HD quality can really help save on your monthly data bill. You can also use this feature with TV Player, Apple Music, Deezer and SoundCloud. However, we’d like to remind you that Three offers free data for these services, subscriptions are not included. Go Binge also includes the popular social media app Snapchat.
You can also use Go Binge freely in the 71 inclusive roaming destinations thanks to Three’s ‘Go Roam’ perk.
However, ‘Go Binge’ is exclusive to SIM Only and phone plans with 12GB data or more. This perk won’t work if you completely use up your data.
Sky Mobile – Watch
Pro's
- Allows you to keep your unused data for up to three years
- You can switch between available plans
- Unlimited Sky TV apps streaming, if you’re a Sky TV customer
- 5G at no extra cost
- WiFi Calling and 4G Calling
Con's
- No unlimited data plans, or big data plans
- Only 12-month contracts
At Half Cooked, we think Sky Mobile’s ‘Watch’ feature is great and could easily take the top spot in this category, if only it wasn’t exclusive to Sky TV customers. This perk works on all the Sky Mobile tariffs and it allows you to watch Sky TV apps on your handset without eating up your monthly data allowance.
You need at least 50MB of data available in your monthly allowance to use Sky Mobile’s ‘Watch’ feature. Also, it’s worth noting that some ads may still consume your regular data.
If you wish to learn more, read our extensive Sky Mobile review.
EE – Swappable Benefits
Pro's
- Best 4G coverage & competitive 5G coverage in the UK
- Fastest 4G and 5G data speeds
- Wide range of SIM only deals
- Wide range of phone deals
- Decent rewards and long trials for valuable add-ons
Con's
- Significantly costlier than competitors
- Not the best for international roaming or calling
- No 5G coverage on contract-free plans
Swappable Benefits are free add-ons offered by EE, provided you’re on a 5G Smart or Smart plan. There are two ways to include them in your plans. If you sign up for a 5G Smart or Smart plan on EE, you’ll be allowed to pick up to three benefits depending on your tariff. The other way is purchasing the Swappable Benefits separately as add-ons. You’re allowed to switch to a different benefit each month.
You can also purchase Apple Music, BritBox and MTV Play as add-ons (these aren’t included as Swappable Benefits). EE offers free trials for all three of them with an option to cancel at any time though.
To learn more about Swappable Benefits and the operator’s other great features, read our extensive EE Review.
Free Social Media & Messaging
| VOXI Endless Social Media |  Virgin Mobile Data-Free Messaging |
|---|---|
| Available on all plans. | Available on all plans. |
| Apps: Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest | Apps: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Twitter |
| You must have at least some regular data left. | You must have at least some regular data left. Calls and videos are not included. |
VOXI – Endless Social Media
Pro's
- Endless social media and endless video usage on selected apps
- Flexible 30-day rolling plans.
- No credit checks, no contracts
- WiFi Calling & 4G Calling
- 5G at no extra cost
Con's
- Limited plan selection
- Not the best 5G option
- No data rollover
We rate VOXI’s ‘Endless Social Media’ feature as the strongest offer on the market in this category. There isn’t much competition to begin with, but this doesn’t change the fact that it’s an exceptional deal. Social media apps are being used more than ever and providing free data usage for the most popular ones is a great perk.
VOXI’s ‘Endless Social Media’ supports WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Twitter and Pinterest. Viber is no longer available for free.
This feature works even when you tether to other devices or if you’re travelling in one of the 48 inclusive roaming destinations.
Virgin Mobile – Data-Free Messaging
Pro's
- The best 4G network coverage and fastest data speeds thanks to EE
- 5G coverage from Vodafone
- WiFi Calling and 4G Calling on all plans
- A second chance to use your leftover data
- Free access to 3.5 million Virgin WiFi hotspots
- Wide variety of SIM only deals to choose from
Con's
- No PAYG deals
- No short-term contracts
- All plans require a credit check
- Strict restrictions when roaming abroad
- A little pricier than its competitors
Compared to VOXI, Virgin Mobile’s free social media perk is a step down. The feature only includes WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Twitter, and the free usage only comes into play when you’re using the apps. Any usage through a web browser isn’t free at all. Voice calls, video calls and video streaming are excluded from this deal too.
To learn more about Virgin Mobile and what deals they currently have available, check out our Virgin Mobile Review.
Three – Go Binge (Expired)
Pro's
- Has the most 5G coverage in the UK
- Competitively priced SIM deals
- WiFi Calling & 4G Calling
- Free-roaming in 71 destinations
- Truly unlimited data plans
Con's
- No 2G coverage
- 3G and 4G are weaker than their competitors
Half Cooked’s Overall Winner
We think VOXI with their Endless Video at no extra cost on their 15GB and 45GB data plans is the winner here. The winner used to be Three’s Go Binge, but it’s no longer available.
Social Media & Messaging Winner
In terms of free social media usage, VOXI is second to none. Neither Three nor Virgin Mobile can touch VOXI in this category. VOXI’s ‘Endless Social Media’ is currently unrivalled.