Use a metered connection to reduce Windows 10 hotspot data

A phone hotspot or capped home connection can run through data while Windows and its apps update or sync in the background. Marking that network as metered tells Windows 10 and participating apps to reduce some background activity. It does not block traffic or enforce your provider’s cap. Microsoft added a Settings toggle for metered Ethernet in the Windows 10 Creators Update, then expanded data limits and background restrictions to Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Microsoft’s Build 15002 notes and Build 17063 notes describe those changes.

This guide reflects Windows 10 as it stood on 21 November 2020, including the Settings layout in versions 2004 and 20H2.

Mark the capped network as metered

1. Connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot or network you want to manage.
2. Press Windows + I to open Settings, then select Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.
3. Select the connected network, open its properties, and turn on Set as metered connection. A Windows 10 Wi-Fi walkthrough documents this route.
4. For a wired connection, open Network & Internet > Ethernet, select the active network, and turn on Set as metered connection. Microsoft added the Ethernet toggle in the Creators Update; its Settings walkthrough shows the steps.

The setting belongs to the selected network. If you use more than one capped Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, check each one. Leave an unlimited home network unmetered so Windows and apps can follow their normal update and sync behavior there.

Add a data-use warning

Windows 10 version 2004 moved the data-use controls under Network & Internet > Status. Select Data usage, choose the network, and select Enter limit. Choose Monthly if your allowance renews monthly, set the reset day to match your billing cycle, and enter a limit slightly below the provider’s cap. Windows can show total and per-app usage and warn as you approach or pass the limit. Microsoft documented the per-network view and warning behavior in its Build 18956 notes ; a May 2020 walkthrough covers the version 2004 controls.

Treat this as a reminder, not a cutoff. Windows and your internet provider may count data differently, so compare the figures and keep the provider’s usage meter as the authority. Creating a data limit also marks that network as metered in Windows 10 version 2004.

Know what metered does not stop

Metering changes how Windows and apps that respect the setting use a connection; it is not a firewall. Windows may still download a priority or security update, and some applications can keep transferring data. In a 2015 Windows Update note , Microsoft said a security-related update could still download over a metered connection. A 2017 Ethernet guide also notes that cloud syncing may continue.

If the plan is tight, pause large syncs or downloads in the apps that control them, then check the per-app list under Data usage. When you return to an unlimited network, confirm that network is unmetered and let Windows Update catch up.