I don’t have unlimited data on my carrier plan. I have to make a budget cut somewhere, and paying for unlimited or larger data plans is where I do it.
But I have made mistakes in the past where I accidentally went over my limit, and the bill was pretty high.
So keeping my data usage low is important to me. Plus, my data-saving practices recently saved me during a two-day power outage.
While my trusty Samsung phone is my primary driver, these options are available on most Android phones and aren’t necessarily carrier-locked.
Set a data warning cap
Keep track of how much you’re using without going over
I now pay for 30GB of data a month, but there was a time when my data limit was much lower.
My rule of thumb is to set a warning around the halfway mark. When I had my 5GB data limit, I would set mine around 2GB.
The reason is that if there were ever an accident, like, say, you turned off your Wi-Fi connection and never re-enabled it, you don’t want to go over three-quarters of your data by mistake.
I’ve done this when I added a warning limit to my 5GB plan. I used a lot of data early in the month, but it didn’t reset until the end, so I only had 1GB to work with.
So that’s why I strive for half or slightly less. That way, I can adjust my usage before it gets too tight. It’s also very simple to do.
On your Android phone, go to Settings > Network & Internet. If you’re using a Samsung phone, navigate to Connections.
Scroll down to SIMs or Data usage.
Choose Data Warning & Limit or Billing cycle and data warning.
Toggle on Set data warning, and tap Data warning below it. Then, select a number and tap Set to confirm.
After choosing the value, if you’re near this set data warning limit, you will see a notification on your phone indicating that you have reached it.
The data is based on how much data you used on your device rather than on what your carrier measures.
You can choose to pair this warning with your carrier’s options to double-check the exact amount you’ve used, but this method is at least guaranteed to send you a custom early warning if needed.
Set apps to use Wi-Fi only
Not all need to consume your mobile data
One way to save data is to be selective about which apps can access your data while you’re on the go.
For me, I want my trusted GPS-oriented apps, like Google Maps and Pokémon Go, to have access to my data so they can work properly when I use them.
But other apps, like my social media ones, don’t need to stay updated since they aren’t as important.
On a Samsung device, go to Connections > Data usage. Then, tap Allow networks for apps, and choose the apps on the list.
You can set it to use Wi-Fi only, Mobile data preferred, or Mobile data or Wi-Fi.
Since I am all about properly managing my data, I always select to use Wi-Fi only for specific apps that I never want to update over my data while I am away from my network.
Then I select Mobile data or Wi-Fi for apps I do not mind using on my plan.
For Pixel phones, navigate to the Apps section, select an app, and choose Wi-Fi data usage. Toggle off Background data and Unrestricted mobile data usage to keep it Wi-Fi only.
I stay away from the Mobile data preferred option entirely, since why use my data when I am connected to a secure network?
Take advantage of data saver mode
It can be used in a pinch
When I bounced around, only having 1GB of data to work with, that’s when it came down to the crunch: being very judicious and careful about when I accessed my mobile network.
Unfortunately, it does happen. You have to use it, especially if you need to check something online when you’re away from home, and you can’t wait.
Essentially, when the mode is enabled, it restricts background activity for all apps unless you whitelist them.
It can also prevent web pages from unnecessarily consuming data if loading images drives data usage.
This option isn’t one I often use, since it is an emergency one and I already carefully manage those apps I don’t want running rogue on my phone.
Still, some slip through the cracks, like recently opened apps or new ones you’ve installed.
Data saver mode is very simple to enable: on a Samsung device, navigate to Connections > Data usage, then choose Data saver. You’ll find this option under Network & internet > Data Saver on a Pixel.
Toggle on Turn on now or Use Data Saver. Selecting Apps that can always use data takes you to a section where you can toggle on the ones you’re whitelisting.
If you drive with Waze or Google Maps, you’ll want to toggle those on so they can function properly, or a health app you use for tracking steps, if you don’t use a smartwatch to sync it.
It’s just as easy to turn it off as it was to turn it on. When you are done being frugal with your data, toggle off Turn on now or Use Data Saver in your settings.
Set a specified data limit to avoid over-capping
Your absolute fail-safe option to fall on
I prefer to follow practices that keep your data usage low, but if you don’t want to manage anything in the last week of your billing cycle and want to go big, add a data limit — you’ll thank yourself later.
Also, creating a cap will not interfere with your warning. Ideally, you’ll want to ensure the warning is before the cap.
To do this, on your Android phone, go to Settings > Network & Internet or Connections if you are on a Samsung.
Scroll down to SIMs or Data usage. Then, navigate to Data Warning & Limit or Billing cycle and data warning.
Choose Data limit. Enter a value, then select Set to confirm.
You do not need to enter whole numbers for your limit. You can enter decimal values if you prefer to stay as close to your cap as possible without going over.
Change your habits on your favorite apps
Spotify has an array of data management settings you can change
Some apps can use a surprisingly large amount of data if you let them go unchecked while on your mobile device.
For example, apps that stream high-quality video will use more data than apps that stream only audio.
But a good workaround is to download videos offline if you can. Netflix has this option on its mobile app, and so does YouTube if you have an active YouTube Premium subscription.
For me, the app that uses the most data when I am away from Wi-Fi is Spotify.
Though it’s not all grim, there are some settings you can toggle in the app to reduce your data usage — and the best part is, it doesn’t require a subscription (which I don’t have).
When you’re on the Spotify app, tap on your Profile icon in the upper-left corner of the screen. Then choose Settings and privacy and scroll down to Data-saving and offline.
You’ll want to ensure data saver mode is always on. It should default to automatic, but leaving it that way means it’s tied to whether you have your device set to data saver or to whether it detects a slower connection.
I would rather it be consistent, since I am not guaranteed to be in data saver mode every time I go for a walk around the neighborhood or make a quick trip to the store.
After selecting Always On at the top, scroll down to the Downloads and streaming section, toggle off Downloads over cellular, and toggle on Audio-only downloads for video podcasts and Audio-only streaming for video podcasts.
Next, return to your Spotify settings page and choose Media quality. Then, change the Audio streaming quality and Video streaming quality to Low or Normal.
I choose Low when I feel that I should absolutely budget my data. I select the Normal option when I don’t (I have some breathing room to work with).
Saving your data also saves your battery
I have noticed that being mindful of how much data I use has also helped my device last longer between charges.
As someone who is hyper-conscious of my battery-saving practices, I have found being careful with my data to be a win-win for my phone’s hardware health.
The fewer apps that continuously access my data, the fewer demands they place on my device’s CPU/GPU.
