How to conserve your data on an Android device

Data is expensive so understanding how to keep data usage in check is a valuable insight. For Android users, we have a few tips & tricks that’ll go a long way to conserving your data & saving you money.

Mobile or Wi-Fi Data

The 1st thing you need to know is that many apps use data in the background on your device, all the time. Also, they use 2 different types of data, namely cellular or Wi-Fi. Now, Wi-Fi is less expensive, so the most important thing you need to do is ensure that your apps are restricted to this type of data usage at least.

App Specific Data Control

To see which apps are using background data & which are consuming heavily, you need to look at your phone’s logs. These logs are found under your phone’s “Settings” tab, & you can engage by swiping down from the top of your screen or heading to your main menu & tapping the tab. Next, take a look at “Network” & “Internet” to find the data usage tab. Under this setting you’ll get a list of apps that use data & a comprehensive analysis of the heaviest apps. Check the settings by clicking on the app’s name — here you’ll see options to restrict data usage to Wi-FI only, or to turn off background access entirely.

Overall Data Control

Under “Settings-Network & Internet-Data” usage, you’ll see an option to engage the “Data Saver” setting. Switch it on. Switch the “Mobile Data”, “Always On” to ‘Off’.

Set A Data Limit

Another great method to conserving your data, is to prevent excess usage. Select: “Settings-Network & Internet-Data usage-Data warning & limit”, switch this setting “On” & follow the prompts to limit data usage to an appropriate value based on your data contract limits. There are also a number of 3rd party apps that allow users to limit data usage & send warnings when limits are breached — such as Monitor Internet Data Usage by SYSTWEAK SOFTWARE .

Get Help

Use a 3rd party app for better control. There are a number of apps on the Google Play Store that can assist in this endeavor. What you need to look for is an app that allows you to limit the type of data an app uses, & to switch either mobile/cellular and/or Wi-Fi off. Many app tools offer users a warning system which alerts them when an app is attempting to connect & use data — this offers the ultimate control. Two apps to consider are — Data Manager by Vnova Mobile or Data counter widget: Data usage manager / monitor by Roy Solberg.

So now that you know how to save your data, plan something great but wise to use the savings on.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Originally published at https://www.whatsnewonthenet.com on March 29, 2021.