- Connect to WIFI hotspots whenever you can The most effective way to save mobile data on your device is by connecting to WIFI whenever you get a chance. If you are going to be streaming HD content or updating your apps, you might as well do it on a WIFI connection.
- Stream in Low quality Most people don’t know this but popular streaming apps like Netflix and YouTube have settings that allow you to lower the content quality from HD to SD, that way if you must stream on mobile data, you can lower the quality and get access to the content for less data, try this one on YouTube, you will not be disappointed.
- Limit background usage for specific apps Some apps operate and use up data in the background, this can be remedied by a quick visit to the Settings app > Apps > then select the individual app and adjust its background data usage.
- Turn on Data Saver While this one is not ideal, it is very effective. It will stop all of your Android device’s data usage by preventing ALL apps from running background data. This can be a problem as it can affect apps that send push notifications like email apps, instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger but in critical times this setting can be very effective as a way to limit data usage.
- Turn off Auto Updates Some phones will automatically download certain app updates, or even entire firmware updates. This is a major cause of shock to some, after loading up data on their phone only to find out an hour later that its already 80% through a 1.5gb firmware update. Best way to avoid this is buy completely switching off any auto updates for apps and firmware. Just as a reminder though some apps like Google Play Store may still push some critical updates through for safety, which is understandable.
- Disable Auto Downloads of Images and Videos in messaging apps Apps like WhatsApp and Telegram allow you to choose whether you want to auto download videos or images. if you are in many groups and have people constantly sending you videos, audio files and pictures, this can quickly run up your data. Instead, turn off the auto downloads, that way you can receive the prompt that there is a video and then choose whether or not you want to download it, trust me this saves both your mobile data and space on your phone.
- Steer clear of dubious APKs and malware As a rule of thumb, only get your apps from Google Play Store, to avid any malicious apps that can run up your data or even steal your personal information like contact list and monitor your phone calls in some instances. If your must install APKs from unknown sources for any reason, make sure to check its permissions and that you have a solid antivirus on your phone to combat any malware.
