Monitoring Program Internet Usage on Computer and Phone — GlassWire 2026

How to Monitor Internet Usage by Programs on PC and Mobile 2026

Monitoring which programs and apps are consuming your internet data is essential if you're on a limited data plan. This guide covers built-in Windows tools and the best free software to track exactly which programs are using your bandwidth.

GlassWire — Best Free Internet Monitoring Software for PC

GlassWire is one of the most popular free tools for monitoring internet consumption on Windows. After installing and launching the program (keep the Advanced Feature option selected and click Start GlassWire), it begins tracking all programs and services accessing the internet on your device in real time. It displays consumption in clear visual graphs, reveals background programs you may not know about, and allows you to change the monitoring time range. Even when closed, GlassWire continues running in the background to log all activity.

Built-in Windows Method — No Software Required (Windows 10/11)

Open Settings → Network & Internet → Data Usage to see a complete list of all installed programs and how much data each has consumed over the past 30 days. This requires no additional software.

You can also open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) → App History tab to view network consumption per app, or go to the Processes tab to see real-time bandwidth usage for every running process.

GlassWire Mobile — Monitor Internet Usage on Android

The GlassWire Data Usage Monitor app for Android (available on Google Play) monitors both Wi-Fi and mobile data consumption per app, alerts you when apps are using data in the background, and helps prevent unexpected data overuse before your monthly quota runs out.