5 Quick Tips for Using Less Mobile Data
There are two significant concerns every smartphone user has to contend with: Battery life and data. Although there are many ways to extend battery life (power saver settings, turning off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi when not needed, etc.), stretching out your mobile data is a bit trickier.
Take a look at these five tips on how to dramatically cut down data usage, so you don’t suddenly find your bandwidth throttled when you need it most.
1) Modify Your Gmail Settings
Many of us rely upon Gmail as our default email platform — the app is quick, responsive, and has a relatively light android footprint, but did you know that you can modify how Gmail downloads attachments to save scads of data?
Google allows you to use a Wi-Fi connection to download Gmail attachments automatically. If you frequently receive emails with attachments this toggle could save you big on data usage! To adjust this setting go to the Gmail menu, then settings, select your Gmail address, then check the box ‘Download attachments’ to auto-download attachments in received messages solely by Wi-Fi.
2) Disable Auto-play for Facebook Videos
Facebook has modified the Android app so that videos are automatically played in the newsfeed, whether you want them to or not. For some serious data savings, avoid unintentionally downloading videos by:
- Going into the Facebook Left Navigational Panel
- Select Settings
- Go to General Settings
- Select Auto-Play videos on Wi-Fi only
3) Use Data Compression Apps
Save even more on your monthly bill by downloading a data compression app. The quality of videos and images will be reduced, but you’ll enjoy faster load times within apps that connect to your mobile network. If you often use image-heavy applications like Instagram, you’ll see a healthy reduction in your monthly data usage.
An excellent choice is Opera Max; it’s a free app that automatically reduces your data usage by up to 50 percent by compressing data downloaded over your mobile network. It works well with the most popular apps like:
- Google Chrome
- Spotify
- Pandora
- YouTube
- Netflix
You can use Opera Max to manage mobile data access, monitor data consumption within individual apps and lots more. Opera Max is currently only available for Android phones.
4) Cut Chrome’s Data Usage by Half
Chrome is one of the most often used browsers in the world, but did you know that you can change one setting to use Google’s servers and condense data traffic by as much as 50 percent? Just tap the three-dot menu on the top-right corner of Chrome and select the ‘Settings’ entry. Scroll down a bit and choose ‘Data Saver’ to toggle the service on.
5) Take Advantage of Free Wi-Fi
Develop a habit of checking for free Wi-Fi when you’re anywhere new to realize a significant drop in data usage. After going through the hassle of connecting the first time you’ll be connected automatically whenever you’re in range.
If you fly frequently, take advantage of the free Wi-Fi most airports offer passengers. Then, once in the air, you can stay connected with no impact on your data plan by taking advantage of phone plans that give you free Gogo In-Flight Texting. Delta and many other airlines are adding Gogo Wi-Fi access to their flights. You’ll have:
- Unlimited texts
- Unlimited picture messaging
- One hour of free Wi-Fi access
Saving you loads of data after you board your flight and keeping your monthly data costs down.
