Not everyone needs or can afford an unlimited data plan (all hands are not equal), so whether you have 100MB or 10GB of mobile data on your smartphone, here are a few simple tips and tricks you can follow you to reduce your data consumption and save some money.


These tips will help reduce your mobile data usage

▶Check your Data Usage
First things first, let’s check how much data you’re using. On Android, open your phones data usage menu (Settings > Mobile Data/Data Usage)

And on iPhone you can check your data usage by going to (Settings > Cellular and taking a look under Cellular Data Usage) to find out how much you’ve used and which apps are using the most data and what you need to do to cut down on your data usage. There you can also set mobile data limit, a great way of avoiding an unwelcome extra charge on your bill and a warning when you approach it.

▶ Restrict Background Data
For Android users, in the Data Usage settings menu, tap on any of the apps listed to show more information about how much data they’re using, including a breakdown of its foreground and background data use.

Apps will often refresh and update in the background, even if you’re not using them, in order to open faster and provide up-to-date information. Enabling Restrict background data can significantly reduce your data usage.

▶ Disable auto-updates
If you own an Android phone, go to Google Play Store > Settings > Auto-Update apps and select ‘Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only’. This way, your phone will wait until your connected to a Wi-Fi network before it updates your apps.

▶ Using firewall to controls internet access for apps
Most of the apps on your Android device probably require a data connection, and you may not even know when they are sending or receiving data. Firewall puts you in control of Internet access for apps, as well as how they can access it.

There are many firewall apps on the Google’s play store, but most of them requires root access to work. So i recommend you to download this NoRoot Firewall if your Android device is not rooted. As the name suggests, the app doesn’t require you to root your Android. Instead, it creates a VPN and diverts all the traffic on your phone through it. This way, you can choose which traffic you want to allow and which you want to stop. When any app tries to access the Internet, you’ll get an alert where you can allow or deny it and save the setting for the future. This level of control can also let you see when a certain app is accessing data for ads and block it.

▶ Wi-Fi is your friend
It sounds pretty obvious, but try to use Wi-Fi whenever possible (free Wi-Fi is always sweet). Whether you’re connected to the home, school or office Wi-Fi or making use of a hotspot, you should take advantage of any chance you get to use Wi-Fi instead of your mobile data.

▶ Using mini browser’s and reducing the image quality of your browser
Mini browser’s like Opera mini, Opera Max, Uc browser mini etc to browse the internet can help to reduce data usage, as they will compress images, video, webpages, and even the data sent by apps installed on your phone. Thereby reducing rate of data consumption.

You can also save data by reducing the quality of images from your browser settings or off the image entirely if not necessary.

▶ Manually close certain apps
Some data-hungry apps that are left open, or simply due to default settings on your phone that you weren’t aware of can chew through your data without you realising it.

Pressing the back button when exiting out of apps, instead of the home button, will close down your apps. However for certain apps such as GPS (maps), video or audio streaming (Youtube, Rdio, ) or Skype go to Settings > Application > Manage Applications > Running, then open the app you wish to close and force close.

▶ And if you’re not connected to a Wi-Fi network, avoid or limit the usage of popular messaging apps like Facebook, Viber, BBM and WhatsApp as they use a lot of data to send messages – there’s nothing wrong with a good old fashioned text or phone call!

If you have any tips or ways to protect our mobile data, let us know in the comments below.

Source: http://www.techmzy.com.ng/2016/03/22/how-to-use-less-mobile-data-on-android-or-iphone/

nze4al:
And if you’re not connected to a Wi-Fi network, avoid or limit the usage of popular messaging apps like Facebook, Viber, BBM and WhatsApp as they use a lot of data to send messages – there’s nothing wrong with a good old fashioned text or phone call!

Whatsapp doesn't use a lot of data. And a phone user may consider Facebook Lite in place of the Messenger App.

Very good post though

Lalasticlala, this is a good tutorial for smartphone newbies. Abeg help them

.

Here in AMERICA, we don't need that tip.. I still rep naija any day shar.

I hate restrictions on my Data.
God bless 02 it's always unlimited.

I blame it on Buhari

Nice one

Google Chrome is killing me

h

Download opera max

Thanks Op

I see...
This thread again and again and again and again and....._zzZ^z

Uninstall Facebook apps, Subway sufffer or something, disable all location based services like GPS...

And pls don't be too archaic by turning off ur data, thinking u r saving data. Because when you finally turn on the data, Android resumes from where you turned off. That's why u still get WhatsApp notifications of over 12hrs. Turning off data is only effective with credit on the go, ie, data-ing with ur money.

Enjoy.

Windows phone nko

Delete the Facebook app. Use substitute apps to access Facebook.
I use METAL and noticed the difference from the first day.

Thanks Op.

Nice one OP,You can also get Mobiwol,it prevent or block unnecesary App connection.

I Will Wait For Ntel

Really? Nice one

@op
as usualll

as usualll

QUESTION: Why is Suya sold at night?




ANSWER: Because Newspapers are sold during the day

and someone will boldly tell me browsing cheat is not good
imagine all this stress i will have to go through just because i couldnt afford to buy much data...
phewww

Ayodejioak:
Here in AMERICA, we don't need that tip.. I still rep naija any day shar.

tnx 4 telling us you are in America, how is Trump?

Nice

If you put on all these restrictions on your data, then what is the point of buying a smartphone? You are better off saving your money on a feature phone. It is the continuous connections that makes smartphones smart.

It is also important to know that free Wi-Fi is dangerous, because you don't actually know who is on the other side

sczeska:
Google Chrome is killing me

...
Enable data savings in settings.. But I noticed I won't work on Wi-Fi with data savings setting pushed on

Ayodejioak:
Here in AMERICA, we don't need that tip.. I still rep naija any day shar.

and your location states Nigeria

Ignore unnecessary clips streaming or downloads

abumeinben:


...
Enable data savings in settings.. But I noticed I won't work on Wi-Fi with data savings setting pushed on

is it possible to off image on google chrome?