Tired of paying overage fees? Guess what? You can learn how to reduce data usage? In recent years, mobile data usage has grown exponentially and apps have become extremely data-hungry. Constant updates and background usage consumes a lot of data every single day. In earlier times, web surfing mostly used to be text-based. The recent development in technology has changed things and data consumption has grown. You need to learn how to limit data usage on family and stand-alone plans. Users need to learn how to reduce data usage on Android and iPhone?
The rise of video streaming platforms has changed things a lot. Social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram have also added videos to appeal to new customers. All this consumes a lot of data which is more than enough to push you over the edge and force you to face data overage fees.
In this article, we will teach you how to reduce data usage on Android and iPhone? We have compiled some of the most effective ways you can save your data and not pay an overage fee.
How to Reduce Data Usage on Android?
One of the worst things you can face with your internet plan is the fact to pay extra charges on your internet bill. Here’s how you can save data on your internet plan.
- Limit Your Data Usage in Android Settings
Setting a limit to your monthly data usage is the easiest way to save your data and pay the overage fees. You can limit your mobile data usage on Android via your phone settings.
Go to your phone settings, search for Data Usage >> Billing Cycle >> Data limit and Billing Cycle. From there you can set the maximum data you can use on your device in a month. Let’s say you have a family plan then you can divide the monthly data equally among all the devices.
- Restrict App Background Data
Some apps keep consuming your mobile data even if you aren’t using them. Another way on how to reduce data usage is by stopping these apps to consume data from the background. While background data usage allows you to keep your apps monitored and updated while the screen is off. Not every app needs to use background data all the time.
To restrict background data usage. Follow these steps:
- Go to your phone’s settings.
- Go to Data usage
- You’ll find the list of apps that consumes your data.
- Tap on a particular app
From there you can see both the foreground and background data usage of that particular application. Foreground data is consumed when you’re using the application, background data is consumed when you aren’t using the app.
If you find an app that is too high for an app, you don’t need the app to stay open in the background. Just tap on “Restrict app background data” and that app won’t use your data in the background.
- Use Data Compression In Chrome
Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers in Android. It has a feature that can reduce data consumption on Android devices. This is another step on how to reduce data usage on Android. When the data compression is turned on, all your traffic is passed through a proxy run and maintained by Google.
Your data is compressed and optimized before being sent to your phone, this leads to lowers data consumption and also increases the speeds of page loading.
To use data compression:
- Open the Chrome application on your phone.
- Tap on the 3-dot menu on the right-hand side.
- Find settings
- Scroll down to Data Saver
- Switch the toggle to turn on Data Saver.
How to Reduce Data Usage iPhone?
Just like Android, iPhone devices also consume a lot of data. You can learn how to reduce Data usage iPhone, you just have to take control of the things that consume data. Here are all the steps on How to reduce data usage?
- Restrict iTunes and App Store Downloads
You can prevent iTunes and the App Store from downloading music, movies, apps, etc whenever you are not on a WiFi signal. To do that, you need to:
- Go to phone settings
- Tap on iTunes & App store
- Toggle off User Cellular Data
That’s all you need to do if you wish to learn how to reduce data usage iPhone.
- Disable Background App Refresh
iOS apps can update in the background, they grab new content as they aren’t being used. Once you open the application, they will show you all the new features. Apps being updated in the background will use unnecessary data which may lead you to pay overage fees. How to reduce data usage iPhone, you just have to follow the steps listed below:
- Go to your phone’s settings
- Tap on General
- Find and select Background App Refresh
From there, you can turn off the background app refresh completely or go application by application to choose the apps you want to keep being updated.
- Disable WiFi Assist
WiFi assist is a great feature if you have a weak WiFi signal. This feature allows your mobile data to give a hand to the WiFi network to prevent the pages to load slowly. If you’re using a WiFi network all day long, then using WiFi assist can cause you to lose more data than you need.
To disable WiFi assist, follow these steps:
- Go to your phone’s settings
- Tap on Cellular
- Scroll all the way down and turn off WiFi Assist
How to Limit Data Usage on AT&T Family Plan?
If you’re on the AT&T family plan then you know how expensive going over your data limit can be. AT&T offers the Secure Family App for anyone with a cellphone plan, including non-AT&T customers. By using the app you can learn how to limit data usage on AT& family plan.
Using the app can allow you to set data blocks, pause, and resume internet access. You can even impose data use restrictions for anyone in the family. While the app costs $7.99/mo., it will still help you in saving data if you are currently paying an overage fee every month. With AT&T, you have to spend a minimum of $15/mo when your family goes over your data limit.
How to Limit Data Usage on Verizon Family Plan?
Just like AT&T, Verizon also offers an application that helps you learn how to limit data usage on Verizon family plan? Verizon Wireless customers can track and control their family’s data usage. That’s not all, you can even view your children’s online activity, manage their calls & texts, and block content you want to.
The basic version of the app costs around $4.99/mo., but for an additional $5, Verizon Wireless customers can gain access to location tracking for all devices in their plans. If you want to keep track of your children’s whereabouts then this should be suitable for you.