Posted On 21 Dec 2021
At one time, smartphone plans were all about how many minutes you could make calls and how many SMS you could send, while data was unlimited. Today, it’s the opposite. When carriers realized that what customers truly wanted was data, they reversed gears and began offering unlimited minutes and texts with data caps.
Here are several quick and painless ways to cut down on your data use.
When feasible, use Wi-Fi whenever it’s accessible
There’s a good chance you’ll have access to Wi-Fi at home, at work, and in many public areas. Some providers may expect you to agree to terms and conditions before connecting, but many do not, and after you connect the first time, it will reconnect automatically whenever you are in range. If you make it a practice to check when you’re in a new place, you’ll see a significant reduction in your cellular data use.
Keep background data to a minimum.
Background data is one of the most insidious drains on your data allowance that you may be unaware of: new messages are synced as they arrive in your inbox, and your phone downloads all new app updates immediately. Is it possible to postpone all this till you have access to Wi-Fi?
Download maps to your computer
Navigation apps can consume a lot of data. Consider downloading a map you may need ahead of time— for example, if you’re visiting a new city. This is straightforward on Android. Simply open Google Maps, search for the location you want to get, press the information at the bottom of the screen, and then tap the three-dot menu in the top right to locate Download Offline Map.
Modify your browsing behavior
When utilizing a mobile device, it’s always advisable to use the mobile version of the website rather than the desktop one. Also, although taking up a lot of space on your phone, the browser cache is beneficial in this situation. You won’t have to download photos from commonly frequented websites every time you view them if you save your cache.
Subscribe to streaming services that allow you to watch content offline
Videos use up a lot of bandwidth, so if you watch a lot of YouTube videos, consider paying $12 per month for YouTube Premium. It has a built-in music service as well as the ability to save videos on your device. You can make playlists for offline listening using apps like Apple Music, but you’ll need some storage space. Spotify even allows you to download all your saved tracks, saving you a lot of streaming time. Consider purchasing a podcast app like Pocket Casts if you enjoy listening to podcasts on the go (Android or iOS). It features a large collection of accessible podcasts (including several of our favorites) and allows you to access new episodes when connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
