Mobile hotspots do use mobile data from your provider's service plan when acting as a portable Wi-Fi connection to access the internet from compatible devices. But most cell phone plans that feature a mobile hotspot come with a separate hotspot data allotment, so you may not need to worry about guzzling your cell phone's data. Remember that hotspots can use significant amounts of data depending on your activity — anywhere from 60 MB to 800 MB of data each hour. For example, using your phone as a hotspot to download a song requires a minimal amount of data compared to using a hotspot to run an hour-long Zoom meeting.