What is a metered connection?

You’re on a train with your laptop, using your phone’s hotspot data, and suddenly half of your monthly data pass is already gone. Or at home you have an internet connection with a limited data allowance. Exactly for situations like these, Windows offers a setting called “metered connection”. But what is a metered connection, what does Windows do with it, how do you set it up and when is this feature really useful? That way you don’t just know what metered connections are, you can also use them deliberately in everyday life to save data.

18.12.2025 | Reading time: 5 minutes

Metered connection – a simple explanation

In Windows, a metered connection is an internet connection with limited or expensive data. By setting it, you’re telling the system: “Please go easy on the data, this connection isn’t unlimited.”

The opposite is a “normal” or non-metered connection. That’s, for example, your typical home Wi-Fi with a flat rate, where it doesn’t matter much whether you use 20 GB or 500 GB per month. Windows then assumes that background updates, app downloads and synchronisation are not an issue. If you mark a connection as metered, Windows treats it as if every megabyte is valuable. The system and many apps then automatically reduce how much data they use.

Why does Windows use metered connections?

Microsoft introduced this feature because more and more people are online using mobile data or limited tariffs. Especially with phone hotspots, prepaid offers or roaming abroad, it can quickly become expensive if large updates are downloaded in the background.

When a connection is marked as metered, Windows adjusts several things, for example:

• Windows Updates are restricted: it mainly downloads important or security-relevant updates, while large feature updates are often delayed until you’re on a non-metered connection.
  
  
• Apps from the Microsoft Store no longer update automatically in the background, but wait until you’re on a non-metered connection or you start the update manually.
  
  
• Synchronisation and cloud services (such as OneDrive) may sync less aggressively or postpone large uploads.
  
  
• Other background data – such as telemetry or automatic content downloads – is reduced.
  
  

In short: Windows tries to minimise automatic background traffic so that you don’t need to manage every single setting yourself.

When does a metered connection make sense?

The setting is especially useful when your data allowance is limited or expensive. Typical situations include:

• you’re using your smartphone as a hotspot for your laptop
  
  
• you’re surfing on a prepaid tariff with a fixed data limit
  
  
• you’re abroad on roaming, where every extra megabyte can cost money
  
  
• you have a fixed-line connection with a data cap or throttling beyond a certain volume
  
  

In all these cases, you want to avoid Windows pulling several gigabytes of updates in the background when you only intended to check a few emails or send a document.

At home, on fibre or cable with a flat-rate connection, you usually don’t need a metered connection. There, it’s actually convenient if updates run automatically in the background and you don’t have to worry about them.

How to set up a metered connection in Windows

How you set a metered connection depends slightly on whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11. The basic idea is always the same: you go to your network settings and mark the relevant connection as “metered”.

The process in broad steps:

1. Open Settings
   Open the Start menu and go to “Settings”, then to “Network & Internet”.
   
   
2. Select the active connection
   Choose whether you’re currently connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then click the active connection you want to limit (for example your hotspot’s name).
   
   
3. Set as metered connection
   In the connection properties, you’ll find an option like “Set as metered connection” or “Metered connection”. Turn this on.
   
   

From that moment on, Windows treats this connection as metered. You can switch it off again at any time, for example when you move from a hotspot back to your home Wi-Fi.

What happens when you mark a connection as metered?

As soon as you set a connection as metered, the way your system behaves in the background changes. The goal is to reduce data usage without breaking essential functions.

Typical effects include:

• Fewer automatic updates: Windows and apps hold back large download packages until a “normal” connection is available again or you explicitly approve them.
  
  
• Less background sync: cloud services like OneDrive may delay uploads of large files so that your data allowance is conserved.
  
  
• Fewer automatic media downloads: some apps stop automatically downloading large images, videos or podcasts in the background.
  
  

There are also a few things to keep in mind:

• security updates may still come through, because they’re crucial for protecting your device
  
  
• if you spend a long time online only via metered connections, major feature updates or app updates may wait until you’re back on flat-rate Wi-Fi
  
  
• a few apps may ignore the setting and still download data – but most well-designed apps do respect it
  
  

So you gain more control over your data usage, but you may occasionally need to check for updates manually if you’re on mobile data for an extended period.

Tips to save even more data with metered connections

A metered connection is a solid base for keeping your data usage under control. With a few extra habits, you can stretch your allowance even further:

• Stream videos in a lower quality: many streaming apps let you adjust the resolution. When you’re out and about, a lower quality is often perfectly fine.
  
  
• Disable autoplay: turn off autoplay for videos so one clip doesn’t start after another without you noticing.
  
  
• Postpone large downloads: download games, updates or large files when you’re on your home flat-rate Wi-Fi wherever possible.
  
  
• Use offline features: music, podcasts or maps can often be downloaded over Wi-Fi in advance and then used offline when you’re on the move.
  
  

Together with a metered connection, these habits help you make your data allowance last longer – and avoid nasty surprises on your bill.

Using metered connections smartly in everyday life

A metered connection is a simple but very practical feature in Windows. You’re effectively telling your system: “This connection is sensitive – please go easy on the data.” Windows then reduces automatic updates, background downloads and synchronisation – ideal for hotspots, prepaid tariffs or roaming.

Especially when you’re on the move with your laptop and using your phone’s data, it’s worth marking the current connection as metered. Back at home on flat-rate Wi-Fi, you can switch the setting off again so that updates and apps run normally in the background.

That way, you don’t just know what a metered connection is – you can actively use metered connections to control your data usage better and enjoy a more relaxed online experience, whether you’re travelling or at home.