Likes, streams, memes, videos, apps, updates: throughout the day, you consume a fair amount of data on your phone. And if you’re not on Wi-Fi, you might go through your data bundle faster than you’d prefer. For instance, if you check your favourite series on the go while the Wi-Fi connection goes down unnoticed, or your phone is updating your apps in the background. Below, you will find six tips on how to easily save mobile data.
1. Turn off automatic synchronisation
Automatic syncing of iCloud or Google Photos is super convenient, but it does consume quite some data. You can turn this option off completely, but it is more convenient to set your phone to sync only when you’re on Wi-Fi. Do you have an iPhone? Then go to ‘Settings’, navigate to ‘Mobile Network’, and turn off the ‘iCloud Drive’ option at the bottom. On Android, in Google Photos settings, in the ‘Backup & sync’ menu, simply choose the maximum amount of mobile data you want to use.
2. Disable automatic updates
Downloading, syncing, and updating apps is a major data guzzler. Even if you have your phone in your pocket all day, you can still consume a lot of data as your phone is updating or syncing apps in the background. Therefore, download and update apps only when you are on Wi-Fi. On an iPhone, set this up in the App Store settings. On Android, you can do this via the Google Play Store settings.
In the ‘Software update’ menu, also turn off automatic updates to your device software. Usually, this is set by default, but unfortunately, it fails quite often. This way, you keep control over when you download major software updates.
3. Check the data usage of your apps
Be attentive to which apps consume excessive amounts of data. Go to your phone’s mobile data settings, and check how much data each app uses. An additional tip: turn off mobile data use for specific apps (such as Netflix). That way, your phone won’t automatically switch to mobile data if the Wi-Fi goes down while binging series.
4. Download content for offline use
If you know you won’t be on Wi-Fi for a while, it’s smart to download content in advance. Many apps support this feature. Going on a road trip, for example? If you have Wi-Fi, download series, films, music and maps in advance so you can use them offline. This way, you can also rest assured that you won’t get lost if you have no coverage.
5. Use Lite browsers
Popular browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Edge have a lot of features but also consume a lot of data. Lite browsers like Google Go, Brave, and Opera Mini are great alternatives, consuming up to 40% less data while browsing. A convenient side-effect: your battery will last way longer.
6. Turn on the built-in data-saving mode
Did you know that most smartphones have a built-in data-saving mode? This mode limits data usage in the background and reduces the quality of images and videos in apps like WhatsApp, email, and Instagram. On your iPhone, you set this via ‘Settings’, ‘Mobile Network’, and ‘Mobile Data options’. On Android, you will find the setting under ‘Connections’ and ‘Data usage’.