In recent years the usage of smartphones has increased and so is the consumption of mobile data. Network operators are using this to their benefit and pricing the data services too high. So here are all the steps you need to take to reduce mobile data usage on android phones.
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| 12 Actionable Tips To Reduce Mobile Data Usage on Android |
1.) Use Opera Mini or UC Mini browser
They are less than 5MB in size. These browsers compress the web pages without losing the quality of the web pages and help the webpage load faster even if the internet connection is slow.
In Opera Mini, you can set the quality of web page images.
It acts as a savior when you are on a public wifi with a lot of people connected to the same wifi and the internet speed is shitty.
2.) Set Data Usage On Android
Sometimes we get so lost in tagging our friends on Instagram or watching a Youtube video that we go unaware of how much data we are consuming and only come back to our senses when the internet speed starts slowing down.
Hence setting a data usage limit becomes important and helps us reduce mobile data usage on Android.
To set the limit goto:-
Settings –> SIM cards & Mobile Networks –> Set Data Plan –> Set data usage plan manually.
(Note: I am using Redmi Note 4. But the process is similar for every mobile.)
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| Set Data Usage On Android |
Over here you can manually set the data usage limit, notify you when the limit is reached etc.
3.) Restrict App Background Data
There are some apps who are always hungry for the data even if you are not using them.
There can be many reasons behind these like the app may be auto syncing or sending the data back to the server.
Background data helps you monitor these apps and control them from consuming data.
Goto:-
Settings –> Data Usage
Now you can see a list of all the apps which consume background data and foreground data (It is the data consumed by the app when you are actively using it).
Tap on any app and you will see a detailed description of its data usage.
If you find any app unnecessarily using too much background data then tap on More info and unselect the “Restrict app background data“.
This will make sure that app will consume data only when it is open and restrict background data usage.
4.) Use Data Compression Feature In Google Chrome
Google Chrome is undoubtedly the most popular and most used browser by android users.
But at times it can consume a huge amount of data but it has an inbuilt feature to reduce mobile data usage.
When the data compression option is enabled it will transfer all the data first to a proxy server where it will compress the data and then send it back to the user.
This helps in faster loading of the webpage in no time.
To enable this feature:-
Open Google Chrome app –> Settings –> Data Saver.
Now enable the data saver option.
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| Use Data Compression Feature In Google Chrome |
5.) Update Apps Over WiFi Only
The most efficient way to reduce mobile data usage on android phones is to stop updating apps on mobile and data and do it over WiFi.
Open Google Play Store –> Settings –> Auto Update Apps –> Select Over WiFi only.
This will make sure that whenever a new app update is released play store will automatically update it over a WiFi connection and thus saving your data.
6.) Don’t Binge Watch Series Or Youtube Videos On Mobile Data
Streaming music, tv series or youtube video consumes a huge amount of data.
Hence download the songs or videos on your smartphone when connected to WiFi and you can view it any time without needing an internet connection.
If you have no other option but to use mobile data then you can lower the quality of the stream and decrease video quality as it will save a significant amount of data.
7.) Download Google Maps For Offline Use
Sometimes when we go to any new place or get lost and can’t find our preferred destination our first reaction is to open Google Maps.
But using Google maps in real-time can end up using a huge chunk of your data.
So instead you can just download the map on your mobile phone and now you can navigate without even having an internet connection just by using GPS.
To download any Google maps go to:-
Google Maps app –> Menu –> Offline Maps –> Select your own map.
Now select your preferred location to download the map.
8.) Disable Auto Download On Whatsapp & Telegram
A lot of times we receive shitty images and videos from our friends on Whatsapp and Telegram.
So when we open the app to check the messages we find that the image or video is already downloaded.
So to change this option in Whatsapp go to:-
Settings –> Data and storage usage.
Now you can unselect everything you don’t want to download on mobile data and select those stuff you want to download on WiFi.
To change these setting in Telegram app go to:-
Settings –> Data and Storage.
9.) Disable Auto Sync Option
A lot of apps like to send the data collected from the phone back to their respective servers in the background even if we are not using those apps. These apps sync even the minute change you made in the app.
These are by default settings and can be changed.
Go to:-
Settings –> Sync.
Now you can see the various apps which sync your data.
You can now select apps which you want your data to sync or else completely stop auto sync feature.
10.) Use WiFi Whenever Possible
Wifi is the most preferred option when it comes to surfing, watching youtube videos or downloading anything from the internet.
Free WiFi is available almost everywhere like cafe, restaurants, shopping malls etc.
So try using WiFi as much as possible as it will save a lot of mobile data and can be used in the emergency.
11.) Use Dual SIM Mobiles
Dual Sim mobile phones are a life savior. Dual SIM phones help you take advantage of the difference in pricing of mobile networks and various other features.
You can choose to switch from one network to other depending on the availability of the network or if the mobile data plan of one network finishes you can switch over to other.
12.) Use Alternate Apps
Using a lite version of heavy apps such as Facebook lite, Opera mini etc. not only saves mobile data usage but also consumes less memory.
As far as it performs the required function of the parent app it is far more suitable to use.
Conclusion:
Thank you for reading my article on how to reduce data usage on android and now I hope your data pack can last for a few more days than usual.
If you know any other method of data saving then please comment down below.
We will feature your method in the blog post.
Thank You!
