7 tips to save mobile data

1. Monitor and limit app traffic consumption

First you need to figure out what mobile traffic is spent on. For tracking, the built-in capabilities of the system are quite enough. Restrictions can be set for individual applications. For example, prevent streaming programs with file streaming from using the mobile network and restrict them to work only over Wi-Fi.

On Android, you can check the traffic costs in the smartphone settings. For different shells, the location may vary. You need to find the section "Mobile networks" or "Connection and sharing", and then the item "Data transfer". Above the list there is a setting for the period of collected statistics.

On iOS, go to Settings → Cellular and turn off cellular data usage for apps you don't use often. WiFi. This can be, for example, YouTube or games that you run infrequently. For each application, detailed statistics are available on how actively it works with traffic.

The iPhone also has a Data Saver feature. It restricts data transfer for currently closed programs, disables background app updates, and stops automatic download of system updates and backups. In addition, this mode reduces the quality of content when streaming. To reduce traffic consumption, in the smartphone settings, open the “Cellular connection” → “Data settings” section and activate this mode.

2. Disable background auto refresh

Applications can update content in the background, which consumes a lot of data. After disabling automatic updates within the application itself, everything will load more slowly, but there will be no more extra costs.

On iOS, you need to go to "Settings" → "General" → "Content Update". Deactivate what you don't need regularly throughout the day. You can completely disable updates over the mobile network. On Android, go to settings and select Data Transfer. For each specific application, you can turn off the background mode.

Also, the Google Play and App Store app stores can consume traffic. Once installed, applications are automatically updated, which leads to high costs. Especially games eat up a lot - very voluminous add-ons are released for them. For app stores, you can turn off automatic component updates or reconfigure it to Wi-Fi only.

In the Android settings there is also a section "Accounts and sync”, where you can refuse auto-sync data or activate “Sync only over Wi-Fi”.

3. Download app data over Wi-Fi

Some applications may work offline. For example, for kart "Yandex", "2GIS" and Google Maps should download the data to the device's memory and use them without connecting to the Web. In music applications, you can switch downloading tracks only via Wi-Fi and listen to them from local storage.

On iPhone, high-quality photos and videos taken are best synced to cloud storage only by WiFi. To do this, go to your Photos app settings and turn off Cellular Data and Unlimited updates".

4. Turn off mobile traffic

If at the moment you do not plan to use the Internet at all, then you can simply turn off cellular data transmission. So no program or service will be able to spend anything extra. The easiest way to do this is from the "Control Center" in the right curtain on both iOS and Android. Just deactivate the mobile internet button.

5. Reduce video and audio quality

A situation may arise when you have not downloaded all the files you need via Wi-Fi, or offline mode is not available at all. Then for video and music, you can lower the playback quality. There are settings for this in most streaming applications: in "Yandex Music”, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and other similar programs. Transmission of human speech is the least affected by quality degradation, so the experience of, for example, podcasts and interview videos will not deteriorate too much.

6. Set up traffic usage in messengers

In instant messengers, you can configure the storage of files in memory so that their download does not take extra traffic. For example, in WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber, you can turn off autoplay and autoload media.

Also on whatsapp and Viber photo upload quality can be adjusted. In Telegram, you can set a specific limit on automatic downloads for any type of file.

In WhatsApp, all manipulations are carried out through the menu "Settings" → "Data and storage". In Telegram, you need to find the section "Settings" → "Data and memory". And in Viber, go along the path “More” → “Settings” → “Data and multimedia”.

7. Turn off app notifications

Notifications actively consume mobile data, reduce battery power and distract during work. In order to disable them in iOS, go to "Settings" → "Notifications". In the list, select the desired application and turn the toggle switches to the inactive position.

On Android, open Settings and go to All Apps or App Manager. Select annoying programs and turn off notifications.

For important applications, it may be dangerous to turn off notifications. You will have to constantly recheck instant messengers or mail. But with a lack of traffic, this will help save precious megabytes. But for rarely used programs, this method can be safely used.