Three’s Go Binge gives you unlimited data for use on Netflix, Apple Music, Snapchat and more.
In the UK, Three previously offered a service called Go Binge on their plans from £10/month. This gave you unlimited data for use on selected TV and music streaming services including Netflix, TV Player, Soundcloud, Deezer and Apple Music. You’ll also got unlimited data for sharing on Snapchat.
Go Binge was a cheaper alternative to all-purpose unlimited data on Three, which currently costs £20/month. You’ll now need to choose a plan with unlimited data, or you can get VOXI’s endless video pass which is a similar offering from Vodafone.
In this article, we’ll review Three’s Go Binge service including how it works, what it includes and the limitations of the offer. We’ll also look at the price plans with Go Binge and what you can do if you want to use other services like iPlayer and YouTube. Finally, we’ll look at how you can keep your current phone number when moving to a Three price plan to take advantage of Go Binge.
Contents
What is Go Binge?
Go Binge was an inclusive service on Three’s mobile plans in the UK, allowing you to stream from certain apps and services without using your data allowance. It was available between the 24th April 2018 and the 30th September 2020 on all Pay Monthly mobile plans with at least 12GB of data and on Pay Monthly mobile broadband plans with at least 15GB of data.
You can use Go Binge with Netflix, TV Player, Snapchat, Soundcloud, Deezer and Apple Music. Usage of all six services will not count towards your download allowance, meaning you can stream as much as you like without running out of data.
Go Binge Plans
Previously, Three offered Go Binge on all of their SIM-only plans with at least 12GB of data.
From the 1st October 2020 onwards, Go Binge is no longer available on new price plans from Three. Instead, you’ll need to choose an all-purpose unlimited data plan from Three:
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £20.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £21.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 1 month |
All of Three’s Pay Monthly SIM cards also include access to 5G at no extra cost and inclusive roaming in 71 destinations as part of Go Roam. For more information, see our guide to Three’s SIM-only plans.
If you’d like a new mobile phone or device together with your SIM card, it’s also available on a range of Pay Monthly handsets from Apple, Samsung, Huawei and other manufacturers. Alternatively, you can get a mobile broadband device like the Huawei 4G Plus MiFi or the Huawei B535 HomeFi Plus.
If you have an existing price plan with Go Binge, you’ll be able to continue using it for the remainder of your contract.
What Does Go Binge Include?
Inclusive Services
The Go Binge service gives you unlimited data for use on the following six services:
Netflix (TV & Movies On-Demand): Netflix allows you to watch popular movies and TV shows on-demand. With Go Binge, all of your mobile data usage is covered by Three. However, a separate subscription is still required for Netflix (£5.99 to £11.99 per month).- TV Player (Live Television): TV Player allows you to watch live television on your smartphone. The free version of TV Player gives you access to free-to-air channels such as BBC One, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 (supported with additional adverts from TV Player). A paid-for subscription to TV Player Premium costs £6.99 per month and gives you access to 80 additional channels like MTV, Comedy Central, Discovery and History.
- Snapchat (Social Media): Snapchat is a social media application, allowing you to share photos and videos with friends that automatically expire. It’s been included in the Go Binge service since April 2018. The “Discover” tab within Snapchat is zero-rated but links from it to external services are not included in the offer.
Apple Music (Music): Apple Music allows you to stream on-demand music from your iPhone or Android device. The service offers 60 million songs without any adverts and costs £9.99 per month (£14.99 per month for a family subscription).- Deezer (Music): Deezer is an on-demand music streaming service, claiming to offer more than 56 million songs. The free version of Deezer allows you to play music on shuffle with some adverts. A paid-for subscription without any advertising will cost you £9.99 per month (or £14.99 per month for a family subscription).
- Soundcloud (Music): Soundcloud is an on-demand music streaming service with songs and podcasts from emerging artists around the world. It’s free to listen to music on Soundcloud (the service is advertising supported). A paid-for subscription to SoundCloud Go+ costs £9.99 per month and gives you ad-free listening.
It’s important to remember that you’ll still need to pay for the underlying service, if required. For instance, both Netflix and Apple Music require you to pay for a subscription before you’re able to use them. Meanwhile, most other services offer a free advertising-supported version but you might need to pay to remove adverts or to access extra channels.
Other Apps & Services
If you’re using another service that isn’t included in the list above (e.g. BBC iPlayer, YouTube, NOW TV, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Google Play, Spotify, etc), data usage will still count as normal towards your download allowance.
As a rule of thumb, you can expect 1 hour of online video to consume to around 500MB of data if you’re watching in standard-definition (SD) quality and around 2GB of data if you’re watching in high-definition (HD) quality. A monthly download allowance of 12GB should therefore allow you to stream around 24 hours of SD video or 6 hours of HD video on these services.
If you’d like your unlimited data to include other apps and services, you can upgrade to all-purpose unlimited data on Three from £20/month. An all-purpose unlimited data plan will allow you to stream as much as you like, from any service, regardless of whether it’s included on Go Binge.
| Network | Minutes | Texts | Data | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £20.00 24 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £21.00 12 months |
| Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | £30.00 1 month |
Other social media app besides Snapchat (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and more) are also not included in the Go Binge service. You should choose an all-purpose unlimited data plan if you’d like unlimited data for use on these services.
Limitations & Restrictions
It’s worth noting the following limitations when using the Go Binge service:
Go Binge was only available on Pay Monthly plans with at least 12GB of data. Go Binge was only available on plans with at least 12GB of data. If your existing price plan doesn’t allow you to use Go Binge, you’ll no longer be able to get it.- You’ll need to have some of your regular data allowance remaining. In order to benefit from Go Binge, you’ll need to have some your regular data allowance remaining. If you’ve run out of your regular data allowance, you’ll need to purchase additional data before you can use Go Binge again.
- Go Binge works with Go Roam but some content isn’t available when abroad. Due to content licensing agreements, it may not be possible to access some content whilst you’re outside the UK.
- Go Binge won’t work whilst you’re connected to a VPN. If you’re using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service, the Go Binge service will not work correctly. This is because VPN services stop Three from being able to distinguish traffic to relevant Go Binge services on their network. You’re still able to use VPN services but all of the data usage will count as normal towards your allowance.
- Additional content like advertising is not included in Go Binge. Many of the services covered by Go Binge include advertising as a way to pay for the service (e.g. TV Player, Deezer and SoundCloud). Advertising content is not zero-rated and will count as normal towards your download allowance. Links to external websites and services are also not included (e.g. from Snapchat Discover).
Prior to December 2018, streaming on the Go Binge service was only available in standard-definition quality. This restriction no longer applies, following an Ofcom net neutrality ruling.
Keeping Your Phone Number
If you’re switching from another mobile network to Three, it’s a straightforward process to keep your current phone number.
Start by asking your current mobile network to provide you with a PAC Code. You can get one through your mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075. Once you’ve done that, you can order your new phone or SIM card from Three’s website.
Once your new phone or SIM card has arrived from Three, fill out this form on their website. After you enter your PAC Code on this page, Three will schedule the transfer of your phone number (normally for the next working day).
For step-by-step instructions on how to transfer a phone number to Three, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:
For more information about transferring your phone number between networks, please see our guide to using a PAC Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What services does Go Binge include? | In the UK, Three’s Go Binge service gave you unlimited data for use on the following six services:
For more information, see the list of inclusions and restrictions on Three’s website. |
|---|---|
| What price plans come with the Go Binge service? | Until the 30th September 2020, Go Binge was included on all of the following price plans from Three:
If you’re looking for an alternative service from another network, consider VOXI’s endless video pass which gives you unlimited data for use on YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video & more. |
| Can I use Go Binge with YouTube, iPlayer or other services? | No. Unfortunately, Go Binge does not work with non-inclusive services such as YouTube and BBC iPlayer. You could, however, choose an all-purpose unlimited data plan which is currently available from £20/month on Three. |
| Is Go Binge available on Three Pay As You Go? | No. Go Binge is not available on Three’s Pay As You Go service. Instead, you’ll need to choose Three’s unlimited data plan which is also available on Pay As You Go. |
| Does Go Binge work outside the UK? | The Go Binge service is compatible with Go Roam so you can continue using it when you travel abroad. However, some content may not be available outside the UK due to content licensing agreements. |
More Information
For more information about the Go Binge offer, please see Three’s official webpage.
MJ said:
Does it include Netflix downloads as well as streaming?
Ken replied:
Hi MJ,
I believe it includes all Netflix app traffic, but probably worth double checking this directly with Three if you’re planning to make heavy use of this feature.
Ken
Terry Boynton said:
I’ve been with Three for years mostly watching Netflix through a Smart TV. About six weeks ago Go Binge stopped working and started to eat my normal data allowance at an alarming rate. Three seem unable to fix the problem and I’m constantly recording data usage as evidence. The same happened at my son’s household. Pretty pissed off with them but can’t dump the contract for six months without penalty. Charged me extra last month for exceeding my allowance, cheeky swines I don’t see how they can get away with this !
Rob said:
I have a 40GB plan with 3 and Go Binge enabled. I use my plan almost exclusively to watch Netflix. However, when connected to Netflix, my normal data allowance is used. It’s as though Go Binge isn’t there. 3 cannot offer a solution. Can anyone on here help.
Thanks
Ken replied:
Hi Rob,
Is it possible you’re using something like a VPN? If so, this can interfere with Three’s ability to distinguish traffic to Netflix. Apart from that, it’s probably something you’ll need to discuss directly with Three as it may otherwise be an issue with how they’ve set up their zero-rated data.
Ken
Shane Dunn replied:
I am not using a vpn, connect direct to a three mifi using a Samsung tv and Netflix app… ate all my data within 4 days, all three say isi was watching in HD and that they only support SD, I thought Ofcom sorted that 2 years ago… cannot get any resolution with them as they refuse to budge on that position.
Just started streaming Apple Music and it’s using data…