(ThyBlackMan.com) Web browsing, content streaming, online games, social media apps, and cloud account for consuming most part of the data from your mobile internet plan. Since you can’t stop using them, how do you cut mobile internet data usage? There are plenty of tips you can follow to reduce mobile data usage. Let’s look at the best 7 methods to cut mobile internet data charges.
#1. Get a Better Data Plan
Unlimited calling and mobile data plans are now easily available, it may be worth looking for such plans if you can get one for you and your family. Some telecom operators also provide monthly prepaid and postpaid plans letting a group of people share a plan. Know how much data you need every month and then compare plans offered by different carriers. Chances are you may get a bigger data plan for the money you’re spending on the current one. Telecom operators try hard to retain customers. You can call your service provider and ask them if they can provide you a better data plan.
#2. Use a Dual Sim Phone
If you can’t switch to a new operator, you can still cut mobile internet data usage by using a secondary sim card purely for mobile data. Find a cheap data plan available from an operator with good coverage in your area. By doing this, you can easily eliminate the need for handling two mobile phones. Additionally, if your work phone comes with a data plan, you can use your personal and work sim card in one phone and can enjoy data benefits on the device.
#3. Monitor Your App Activity
Regardless of the mobile operating system you choose, app activity monitoring is available on almost all the new smartphones. Be it Android or iOS, smartphones in both categories provide insights into how much data each app consumes. With new interface and advanced tracking features in modern phones, you can check how much data certain apps use in a day, week, or month. The good thing is, popular apps like YouTube, Facebook, and several others have lite versions that are not heavy on your data plans. Start using them instead of using the full version.
#4. Store Music, Maps on Your Phone
Cloud services are the main culprit behind higher data consumption. Data storage apps, cloud photo storage, music, and video streaming, online multiplayer games, and so much more have made life easier, but at the same time, they increase your mobile internet bill. Try storing data offline as much as possible. You can’t store every single file on your phone, but you can always download the files you frequently use. Music, maps, and videos can be downloaded over Wi-Fi so that you can use such files in the future without having to connect to the internet each time.
#5. Manual Data Capping
There are many in-built and third-party apps available for both Android and iOS users. Such apps can help you save data by putting restrictions on apps. Additionally, there are in-built features in Android and iOS platforms that allow smartphone users to set apps to use Wi-Fi only while cutting mobile data usage. Use these features and turn off background syncing as well. Most of the apps, even if you close them, run in the background. Set app permissions accordingly so that apps won’t drain your mobile data.
#6. Switch to Wi-Fi
Using Wi-Fi is generally better and it won’t use your mobile data. Once enabled, your phone can connect to nearby Wi-Fi networks of your friends and family members. Keeping Wi-Fi enabled on your phone can also let you automatically get connected to Wi-Fi networks available at places you frequently visit. In this way, you can get your Wi-Fi only apps and files updated without having to spend your mobile data. Note that Wi-Fi networks, unless set ‘Open’ may require you to register or sign in to their system. The good thing about such networks is that next time when you’re in range of the same network, your phone will get connected automatically.
#7. Use Data Saving Apps
Samsung Max, Datally, and data saving browsers are some of the solutions you can use to cut mobile internet data usage. Web browsers like Chrome, Opera, and Firefox offer data saver mode which can be enabled from the browser’s settings tab. With the data saving mode on, you can visit web pages at better speed as the browsers compress pages and media files present on websites. Additionally, you can turn off autoplay in apps and browsers to stop videos from playing automatically.
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
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