One of the easiest things that can ruin your mood on a regular day is getting a message notification that reads “You have 0.8 GB remaining!” Perhaps you’re already racking your head for answers and asking rhetorical questions – “What did I download?”, “Didn’t I just buy this data yesterday?” – just to understand why your data is draining so quickly.
On days like this, you could wonder if there’s any way to actually cut down or reduce your mobile data usage to make your data last longer. Thankfully, such useful measures exist, and so we’ve created this guide to help you figure out ways to reduce your mobile data usage on your Android phone.
Table of Contents
Reduce mobile data usage by limiting app background data
Even when your device is not in use, there are still certain apps that continue to use mobile data. Typically, you can monitor and update your programs when you’re multitasking or when the display panel is off thanks to background data. However, not every app needs to constantly consume background data.
You can view the statistics for which apps are using how much data by going to Settings > Data Usage. You’ll be able to view the foreground and background data use for any given app by tapping on it. When an app is open and being actively used by you, it uses what is known as “Foreground data”
Conversely, when an app is operating in the background when you aren’t using it, “Background data” is being used. It happens automatically and with no effort on your part. This can include sync or automated app updates.
Select “Restrict app background data” if you discover that a particular app’s background data usage is too high and you don’t require the app to run continuously in the background. This makes sure that the app only uses data when it is opened and this way, it’ll use up less data overall.
Reduce mobile data usage by restricting data usage in Settings
The simplest thing you can do to prevent excessive amounts of data from being used up without your knowledge is to set a restriction on your monthly data consumption. The Settings app on your Android device should typically let you set a data consumption limit for your mobile device.
Select Data Usage > Billing Cycle > Data Limit and Billing Cycle from the Settings menu on your Android device. The maximum quantity of data you plan to consume per month can be set there. Additionally, you have the option to choose automatic network disconnection as soon as you meet the maximum data limit.
Reduce mobile data usage by only updating apps with Wi-Fi
You can turn off Google Play Store’s automatic app updates on your Android device, and this is one of the most beneficial ways to lower mobile data usage. Click Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps in the Play Store.
You’ll need to click on “Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only“. Alternatively, you can select “Do not auto-update apps“, however, this is not advisable as you will need to remember to update your apps manually, as opposed to the update being automatic. As a matter of fact, you can switch to using Wi-Fi only and turn off mobile data completely, except for when you are outside of Wi-Fi coverage.
Reduce mobile data usage by reducing streaming
One activity that consumes so much data on mobile phones is streaming audio and video, along with high-resolution photos. If possible, stay away from these when you’re using mobile data. You can choose to download music and movies/videos only while you are connected to Wi-Fi or keep them locally in your storage.
You can also reduce the stream’s quality while streaming over mobile connection to save your data. When using your mobile data on your Android device to stream videos on YouTube, make sure to reduce the video resolution because YouTube uses a lot of bandwidth.
Numerous Android streaming apps, including Netflix and YouTube Go, provide data saver modes for mobile devices that significantly reduce data usage, so you can also take advantage of this to cut down on mobile data usage.
Monitor your Apps
Using bandwidth-hungry apps can significantly impact how much data you consume while connected to a mobile network. You might not be aware that every time you click a photo, the Google Photos app syncs it in the background. Data usage for social media apps like Instagram and Facebook is also quite high. You should thus avoid using those apps for online activities such as watching movies and GIFs.
You could also consider using alternative programs that can still do the necessary tasks while using less data. One such alternative option to the Facebook app is Facebook Lite. It reduces data consumption as well as saves battery life. A comparable choice for the Twitter app is TweetCaster. In essence, you get the same functions and expend way less mobile data!
The truth is, if you know where to look, you’ll be able to identify the activities and features on your device that suck up your data and make you feel like you’re subscribing every day. We’ve provided an insight into various ways to do this and cut down considerably on your data usage.
So, with the tips you’ve gotten from this article, you can say goodbye to quick data drain and enjoy longer-lasting data. We’re sure you’ll appreciate the insight in this article (you’re welcome!), so make sure to recommend it to your friends and loved ones so they can benefit from it too.
- Don’t miss our mobile phone reviews.
- Follow our news on Google News.
- Join our WhatsApp Group, to be notified of the most important articles and deals,
- Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.