Quick answer: To check your Airtel data balance in Nigeria, dial *323# from your Airtel line. Airtel’s current support pages say this code shows your active data subscriptions, remaining balance and data validity or expiry information. You can also check your balance in the My Airtel app.

If you found an older guide telling you to dial *140#, that information may be outdated. Airtel’s current general FAQ and data-plan pages now direct customers to *323# for data balance checks.

How to check Airtel data balance with USSD

  1. Open the Phone or Dialer app on the device using your Airtel SIM.
  2. Dial *323#.
  3. Press the call button.
  4. Wait for Airtel to display or send your current data-balance information.

Airtel says *323# can show your data subscriptions and also displays the expiry date or validity of your data balance.

How to check Airtel data balance in the My Airtel app

Airtel also lists the My Airtel self-care app as an official way to check your data balance.

  1. Open the My Airtel app.
  2. Sign in with your Airtel number if required.
  3. Check the account or data section on the dashboard.
  4. Your available data balance should be shown there.

The app needs an internet connection to refresh your account information, so *323# is usually the simpler option when you only want a quick balance check.

Is *140# still the Airtel data balance code?

For a normal Airtel data-balance check, use *323#.

Some older Airtel pages and third-party tutorials still mention *140#. However, Airtel’s current FAQ, current data-plan page and prepaid user guide identify *323# as the unified data-balance inquiry code.

This difference is one reason older search results can be confusing. Telecom short codes have changed over time, so it is safer to use the code shown on Airtel’s current support pages.

Airtel data balance code vs Airtel data subscription code

Do not confuse the balance code with the code for buying a new bundle:

  • Check data balance: *323#
  • View or buy data plans: *312#
  • Check airtime/account balance: *310#
  • Recharge: *311#

Airtel lists these among its current unified service codes.

What if *323# is not working?

Try these checks before assuming your data is gone:

1. Make sure you are dialing from the Airtel SIM

On a dual-SIM phone, confirm that the USSD request is being sent through your Airtel line rather than another network.

2. Check your network signal

USSD requests need a working mobile-network connection. Move to an area with better Airtel signal and try again if the request times out.

3. Restart the phone

A temporary SIM or network-registration problem can sometimes stop USSD requests from completing. Restarting the phone can refresh the connection.

4. Use the My Airtel app

If *323# is temporarily unavailable but mobile data or Wi-Fi works, open the My Airtel app and check your account there.

5. Contact Airtel support

Airtel’s prepaid user guide currently lists 300 as its customer-care number. Use support if your balance appears wrong, a bundle you bought is missing, or USSD repeatedly fails on an otherwise working line.

Why does my Airtel data finish quickly?

Airtel notes that video and audio streaming, social-media videos and automatic app updates can consume significant amounts of data.

If your balance seems to be dropping faster than expected, check your phone’s mobile-data usage screen. On Android and iPhone, you can normally see which apps have used the most mobile data over a selected period.

Background cloud backups, automatic video playback, app updates and hotspot use are common places to check first.

Can *323# show my data expiry date?

Yes. Airtel’s current FAQ says *323# displays your data expiry date alongside your balance.

This is useful when you want to know not only how much data remains, but whether the bundle is close to expiring.

If you also use MTN for late-night browsing, see our guide to the current MTN night plan code, price and activation steps.

Official sources

This guide was verified against Airtel Nigeria’s live support pages on 11 August 2026. Airtel can change service codes or account processes, so check the official pages above if the code behaves differently from what is described here.

Was this guide helpful?

If a step has changed, tell us through the corrections page. We review practical guides for freshness.