Smartphones have really advanced such that they have uncountable features that utilize huge amounts of resources. One of these resources is data bundles which remain quite expensive despite their basic nature for smartphones.
In this article, we are going to give you 10 tips to reduce data usage on Android.
Contents
1. Use Wi-Fi
It might look obvious, but it gets overlooked quite often. Whenever you’re in a public place, turn on Wi-Fi and check if there’s a free server around. Most public places especially in cities offer free WIFI. This will help you download your favorite apps and stay online without worry.
To turn on Wi-Fi, simply swipe down the top of your screen and long press the WiFi signal icon. On the new page, click the switch to turn it on and it will reveal the available Wi-Fi networks. Choose your preferred one especially if it’s the fastest.
2. Disable background data usage for some apps
This method should never be applied to some system apps as they are responsible for the smooth running of your android. This hack is one of the best to reduce data use on android. To disable background data:
- Just head to your settings app
- Go to connections and mobile networks
- Data usage
- Now you can restrict background data usage.
3. Stop autoplay on apps
While in video playing apps and streaming apps, there’s a tendency of seeing previews of videos. These apps such as YouTube require you to enter their settings and disable auto-play. This will drastically reduce your phone’s data usage.
To disable auto play of any streaming app (especially TikTok and YouTube), head over to the settings of that app and find the data usage option. Each app has its own way of controlling data usage. YouTube for example can disable autoplay.
4. Stop media auto download
In messaging apps such as WhatsApp, you’ll discover that videos, audio, and images are automatically getting saved to the device. This can quickly fill the phone but also chew your data bundle in seconds. On Telegram, the option is called data saving, while WhatsApp directly asks you if you want to prevent downloading of media.
On WhatsApp, to stop media auto download, head to settings. You will choose media options and there you can choose to stop auto download in different circumstances.
5. Download your music and movies for offline access
It’s evident that we often visit the internet for media such as movies and music. However, you can just download all your favorite content such that you only turn on your data connection when it’s really useful. This tip works quite well since most streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify support media downloads.
Every app has its own method to download files, but most have the option right below (or beside) the video or audio. Some services like Spotify require that you get a premium subscription before you get the option.
6. Optimize your streaming apps
Did you know that streaming apps allow you to choose the quality of output? For example, YouTube will allow you to choose from 4K quality to 360p for an okay quality. Since we’re talking about android, you’ll still enjoy your content at medium quality. Eventually, you’ll have a long-lasting data bundle.
Honestly, the world has become a small village and Google maps are taking this to another level. You can download Google maps and keep them offline such that you reduce repeat data usage while traveling to the same places.
To download relevant navigation data on Google maps, head to the settings of that app. Here you’ll find the option to download your maps for the most frequent routes.
8. Regulate auto-updates
By default, Google Play Store wants to make the app updating process seamless. This however bites Simcard data really hard. To reduce data usage on your Android device, you can head over to play store settings and disable auto updates. This will allow you to update only apps you actually need.
On Google Play, go to the app’s settings and choose auto updates. You can then choose whether your phone receives auto-updates over Wi-Fi, local internet, or absolutely not at all.
9. Use lighter versions of apps
You probably thought that was obvious, but some people don’t know about it. To reduce data usage on Android, use lighter apps such as Facebook lite and Twitter lite.
There’s only one way to find out if your app has a lighter version. Head to Play Store and search “(app name) lite”.
10. Use Web apps for Social Media Access
Most social media apps have evolved to make sure you get the best experience whilst using most of your data. To avoid this, you can access these applications’ sites by typing “www.m.(sitename).com.” An example is www.m.facebook.com which will lead you to the mobile-friendly version of Facebook and minimize data.
This method is worth a try especially if you don’t mind the fluidity of your experience.
Conclusion
Those are our top 10 tips to help you reduce mobile data usage on Android. If you know any other data reduction tricks and tips for Android, include them in the comment section below.