Four ways to cut down on mobile data usage on your Android smartphone
Mobile data is expensive, but there are many ways to reduce the amount of data you use without compromising on your Android smartphone experience.
So you’re a student now, and mom and dad have tightened the belt a little while you are at university.
Here are some suggestions from Alcatel to help you stretch your data bundle even further while still being the social butterfly on campus.
1. Use less data with Chrome’s Data Saver
With Chrome’s Data Saver, less data is downloaded to your device because Google’s servers compress websites for you. Not only can this cut down on data usage, it can also allow you to load web pages faster when you have a slow connection.
On your Android phone, open the Chrome app, tap ‘more settings’ and then tap ‘data saver’ under ‘advanced’. Switch the setting on; you can look at ‘data usage breakdown’ under ‘data saver’ to see a list of the sites you’ve visited and how much data you’ve saved.
2. Check that you don’t have apps draining your data in the background
Some apps may be running data services in the background, even when you are not using them. For example, they could be downloading updated information, syncing data or tracking your location.
Look at ‘data usage’ in the Android settings menu, and you may be shocked by how much data some apps are quietly consuming. In particular, look at background data usage, and tap on ‘restrict app background data’ if it’s not an app you use all the time.
3. Go ‘lite’ with some of your favourite apps
The developers of many of your favourite apps and services have created lightweight versions of their apps, designed to consume less data as well as to require less storage space and run better on older and slower devices.
Sometimes you might need to sacrifice a few features when you use the ‘lite’ version of an app, but for many people, it’s a worthwhile trade-off for more efficient data usage. Some examples include YouTube Go, Google Go, Skype Lite, Facebook Messenger Lite and Twitter Lite.
4. Navigate offline with Google Maps and download media
Navigation with Google Maps can chew up a significant amount of data. You can save an area from Google Maps to your phone or tablet when you have access to a Wi-Fi network and use it when you’re offline. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app and click ‘download’.
Where apps like Netflix, Google Play or Spotify allow it, why not download your media when you have Wi-Fi access rather than streaming it using mobile data? This will enable you to have your entertainment at your fingertips, without blowing your bundle.
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