There are many people who ask can you share data on O2? The main reason why people ask this question is that sometimes you can have extra data.
For monthly users, it is common to end up with more data than you need. Sharing this data can be helpful to your friends and family.
You can share data with O2 if you are on a shared tariff. On a shared tariff, you are allowed to share your data with up to nine other devices. This plan has been running for a long time but could be discontinued shortly.
If you are looking for a way to share your data with friends, get the O2 sharer tariff.
Keep on reading to learn about the requirements to share data on O2.
How Shared Plans Work
The O2 network offers what they call sharer plans. These plans run under pay monthly tariffs that allow the data from one device to another.
For example, if you have a monthly tariff, you can share the data with all devices in your home.
However, there are specific conditions to be met.
- First, all those who are sharing the data must be on O2.
- Secondly, you must have a data plan that is more than 1 GB per month.
Conditions for Sharing O2 Data
There are many conditions that must be met according to O2.
Besides having a minimum of 1GB of data, the other conditions that must be fulfilled are as follows:
- All the mobile phones that will be sharing the data must be on a Pay Monthly contract
- The devices sharing the data must not be on a business plan
- You should be able to control and track the amount of data each device is using.
How To Buy Shared Plans
There are specific requirements for any person who wishes to buy share plans.
The O2 team says that shared data can only be provided on the sharer device. You cannot share your O2 data if you are not using an O2 device.
This means that you must first purchase a sharer device on O2.
All sharer plan devices must be purchased from either the O2 store or by calling O2.
To reach out to customer care for further assistance on buying devices call 0330 8800 908.
Can You Share Data on O2 SIM-Only Tariffs?
If you are on a SIM-only plan, you may not be able to share your O2 data. O2 requires that you have a sharer device purchased from their store.
If you are currently on a SIM-only contract and would like to share, there are a few options. First, you can visit any O2 store and purchase a sharer device.
The device you purchase should be on what they call the Refresh tariff. This is the only tariff that allows data sharing.
If you make this device your lead sharer, you must switch your SIM to the sharer plan.
Note: For assistance on how to share data on O2 SIM-only plan, you must visit the O2 store in person.
How to Set Up Sharing on O2
The most important step is acquiring your lead device. Once you have your lead device, subscribe to the O2 Refresh tariff.
Ensure that your plan enjoys more than 1GB of data per month. From here, go to the My O2 app or use their website.
If you are not familiar with the app, you may alternatively visit their customer service. From your app or website, you have the freedom to add up to nine other users.
The users you add can be on a phone or tablet or you may simply add a SIM card.
Setup Your Sharing on App
If you decide to go the app way, make sure your device meets the requirements. The app is ideal for managing shared devices.
However, there are those who may want to manage it. Whichever the situation, you can use the app to make some changes.
Here are the steps to follow when using the app to set up sharing.
- To activate your sharer account, you must log in to the My O2 app
- Once you log in, click on Pay Monthly accounts. You will see the list of accounts with links to set up the shared data.
- Click on the link and add the device you are using as the lead device.
- If your device has sufficient data and its conditions, you will see a list of devices you can share data with
- Select all the SIMs and devices you wish to share data.
With that, you will have to share your data with the devices. You can also use the app to control how much data each device can use.
Note: If you do not find the device you wish to set on your list, contact O2 customer service.
How Many Devices Can Share the Data?
The O2 team has opened up sharing to 10 individuals per account. Keep in mind that the sharer device will still be using the data.
Apart from the sharer device, nine other devices can be added to the same account.
The good news is that there are no restrictions. Each of the devices added to the plan can use as much data as possible.
It is even possible for a sharing device to use more data than the sharer.
Tip: If you realize that some of the devices are using more data than you wish, limit their daily or monthly usage.
How to Confirm That Data Sharing is On
There are several ways to confirm that your sharer device is active.
You can also confirm that a sharing device has been added to your account. You can confirm this in two ways.
The first way is by checking on the My O2 app. From the app, you can see the devices that are associated with your account. You can also manage the apps associated with your account.
The second way is by checking your phone for an SMS.
Every time you add a new device to your account, you must receive a notification. You will also receive a notification when a device is removed.
Note: It takes between 10 and 15 minutes to activate a sharer account and add a device.
In some instances, activation could take up to 24 hours.
Can You Share O2 Data With Other Network Users?
The other big dilemma that most people who use O2 have is whether they can share the data outside.
Ideally, there is no communication network that allows sharing with other networks.
Even if you have a whole terabyte of data, you will not be allowed to share it with other networks.
With that in mind, there are alternative ways of sharing data with friends. Besides sharing with O2, you should do so outside.
Other Ways of Sharing O2 Data
If you are looking to share data with roommates and friends at home, you do not have to get a shared device.
O2 places so many restrictions on sharing data. If you are on a monthly plan that allows hotspots use hotspots.
Hotspots are one of the best and most recommended ways of sharing data. Hotspots are quick and effective.
Further, you can share your data with anyone with a smartphone. It is not a must that a person is on O2 to use your data.
Note: Hotspots are not allowed on all plans. You should be on monthly plans to be allowed to share data.
Summary
To summarize the question, can you share data on O2, we must acknowledge that it is a complex process.
While you are allowed to share, O2 sharing is not straightforward.
There are many restrictions that make it difficult to share data. Further, O2 says that data sharing will come to an end soon.
Read Next: How to Fix O2 WiFi Calling Not Working?
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.