IN last years mobile use data has increased dramatically. Applications have become more hungry and are constantly pushing new versions to update. Previously, web surfing was used primarily for text. Now video streaming services have gained widespread popularity, and platforms social networks, such as Facebook and Instagram, have also integrated video services as a mainstream focus. It's harder to reduce your data usage on Android.
Here we have collected some of the most effective ways saving Android data.
8 Best Ways to Reduce Data Usage on Android - Save Data on Android
Limit data usage in Android settings
Setting a limit for your monthly data usage is the simplest thing you can do to avoid using excessive amounts of data without your knowledge. You can limit mobile data usage on Android using the Settings app. Switch to settings and press " Usagedata">> Billing Cycle >> Data Limits and Billing Cycle. There you can set the maximum amount of data you are going to use in a month. Additionally, you can choose to automatically disconnect from the network once your data limit is reached.
Restrict app's raw data
Some applications continue to consume mobile data even when the smartphone is not in use. Background data allows you to monitor and update apps while multitasking or when the screen is off. But every app doesn't have to use background data at all times.
Go to " Settings >> data usage», and you can see the statistics for which app is consuming most of the data.
Click on an application and you can see both foreground and background usage for that particular application. Foreground data usage is the data consumed by an application when it is actively being used by you when you open it. Background data is the data you consume when you are not using an app and the app is running in the background. It does not require action and occurs automatically. This could include things like automatic app updates or synchronization.
If you find that the background data is too high for the app and you don't need the app to be in the background all the time, click " Restrict app background". This ensures that the application will only consume data when it is opened and thus use less data.
Use data compression in Chrome to save traffic on Android
Google Chrome is one of the most popular browsers for Android. It has a built-in feature that can significantly reduce data consumption on Android.
When data compression is enabled, all your traffic is sent through a proxy server run by Google. The data will be compressed and optimized before being sent to your phone. This results in lower data consumption and faster page loading times without making significant changes to the web content.
To use data compression, open Chrome, click the 3-dot menu in the top right corner, click " Settings" and scroll down to " Data store". There, you can click on the top right corner to enable the data saving feature.
Enabling the Save Data feature also implements Chrome's Safe Browsing system to detect malicious pages and protect against malware and harmful content. As you can see in the screenshot above, Chrome managed to retain 17% of data over a period of one month.
You can view this settings panel in Chrome to see how much data you have saved over a certain period.
How to save traffic on Android - Updating applications only via Wi-Fi
One of the most effective ways to reduce mobile data consumption is to turn off automatic app updates in Play Store. Go to Play Store and click " Menu" >> « Settings" >> « Automatic application updates." Make sure you select " Automatic app updates via Wi-Fi only" Alternatively you can select " Not fulfill automatic application updates", but this is not recommended since you need to remember app updates manually from time to time.
Limit your use of streaming services
Streaming music and videos are the hungriest for content, as well as high-quality images. Try to avoid them when using mobile data. You can choose to save music and videos locally in your storage or download them when you are connected to WiFi. While streaming data to mobile devices you can reduce the stream quality to reduce data usage. Youtube consumes a lot of data, so make sure you lower the video resolution when using mobile data on Android.
Keep track of your apps
Using data-dependent applications can have a serious impact on your mobile network data consumption. You may not understand that Google app Photos can sync your photos in the background with every click. Social media apps like Facebook and Instagram consume a lot of data. Try to avoid watching videos and GIFs on these apps.
Try using alternatives to some apps that will still perform the required functions while consuming less data. For example, Facebook Lite is a very lightweight alternative for the Facebook app. Moreover, it saves time battery life and use of data. TweetCaster is a similar option for the Twitter app.
Cache Google Maps for standalone use
Did you know that you can save maps in the Google Maps app? Caching Google Maps For offline use, it can save both your time and data. Once the map is loaded, you can even navigate when your phone is offline simply by using your GPS. This turns out to be handy for daily commutes and commuting as you can never be sure if some places will have network coverage. This good idea to download a map of your home area and the regions you travel to frequently.
So, next time you're on Wi-Fi, open Google Maps, go to the menu and select " Offline Maps".» . There you can click " Choose your own card” and zoom in or out to select the area where you want to be offline.
Once you decide the area, click " Download ».
Optimizing sync settings account
Your account settings are synced by default. Don't turn on automatic sync for data-dependent apps like Facebook and Google+, which use sync services to sync files like photos and videos, consuming a large number of data in progress.
Google constantly syncs your data when changes are made. Most of these synchronization services may not be required. This background synchronization affects both data consumption and battery life.
To configure the sync setting, open " Settings >> Accounts». There you can configure synchronization settings for different applications. To optimize Google sync, click on Google and disable the options you don't need. For example, I don't need Google Fit data, Google Play Movies and Google Play Music for synchronization. So I switched them, leaving the other services in sync.
- Download large files when you are on Wi-Fi.
- Do not clear the system cache unless you have another way to free up space.
- If necessary, turn off mobile data.
- Turn off notifications for apps you don't want to notify.
- Set a longer refresh interval for home screen widgets that update frequently.
Have you found these ways to reduce data usage on Android to be useful and found the answer to the question - how to save data on Android? Share your feedback and suggestions in the comments below.
Not many mobile network operators provide unlimited access to the Internet, so we, as a user, have to set an Internet traffic limit. Many users may say that this requires downloading special applications, and I agree with them to some extent. But now I’m going to talk about a method for which you don’t even need to download any applications, because Android has such an option.
So let's look at how to set an Internet traffic limit and how to use it correctly.
To do this you need to take a few simple steps:
- Step 1: go to system settings and find the “Data transfer” item;
- Step 2: in the menu that opens, select the desired network (in two SIM versions of smartphones there will be two of them, as in this case);
- Step 3: check the box next to “Set limit” and agree to the notification that appears;
- Step 4: now it remains to set the Internet traffic limit on the chart, the one you need. The orange line is responsible for a warning, and the red line is for turning off the Internet when the set limit is reached.
This method allows you to set an Internet traffic limit for an entire month. If you need a daily limit, then you will need to change the start date of the statistics period every day, and set the limit value itself to what you need for one day. Yes, don’t forget to set your Internet traffic limit according to the tariffs of your operator.
Example 1. Your Internet provider provides you with 5 GB of Internet traffic for a month. Everything is simple here, go to the settings, check the “Set limit” checkbox and set the desired Internet traffic limit on the graph.
Example 2. Let's say your mobile operator gives you 50 MB per day. We check the box next to “Set limit”, set the desired limit for the day (first set a warning, and then the limit value), and then set the date of the statistics period for the day you need. Don’t forget to change the start date of the statistics period every day.
But that's not all the possibilities. In this menu, you will have access to detailed statistics on Internet traffic consumption; to do this, you need to scroll down. Using these statistics, you can find out which application uses the most traffic. Oh yes, I almost forgot, there is also such an item in the limit settings - “Show when blocked”. This item is activated automatically when the limit is enabled. With this option, an air circle appears on the lock screen displaying information about traffic consumption. For myself, I always leave this option enabled.
This is the functionality Android has. I hope the article was useful for you. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments.
Stay tuned, there is still a lot of interesting things ahead.
In this article we will discuss the issue of saving traffic on Android.
Navigation
Despite the popularity of the Internet, mobile transmission data remains quite expensive. This becomes especially noticeable if you significantly exceed the amount of allocated traffic according to the tariff or are in roaming. In this case, the excess amount of data can cause significant waste.
Checking the traffic used by applications
In this article we will discuss the question of how to save mobile traffic on Android. But first you need to understand which applications need it most. For this, the system has special tool, which can be called differently - Traffic Control, Data Usage, Data Transfer.
Saving traffic on Android
How to save traffic on Android?
Here you will find the programs that consume the most traffic, and you can also set a monthly data download limit for them. When the threshold is reached, the mobile network will turn off. Tapping any app will reveal detailed information about your mobile data usage. You can also set a limit on background data transfer by checking the appropriate box.
This can be done either for all programs at once, or for individual ones. To do this, open the data transfer section and select additional add-ons. Check the box to limit receiving traffic in the background. Don’t forget about the option that completely prohibits data transfer while roaming. It is located in the SIM card settings.
When you study the list of all applications, you will notice that there are not very many using traffic. As a rule, these are websites in the browser, listening to music, navigating and downloading videos. Below you will find several practical advice to save traffic.
Browser
To save traffic on website surfing, use a special browser that has an information compression function. This is, for example, Opera or Chrome. Before reaching you, the page will be compressed through a special intermediate server, which makes it possible for it to become significantly smaller.
Video
It is dangerous to watch videos on the Internet, especially if you have limited bandwidth. For watching just one movie good quality You may lose your entire monthly limit, so take care of this in advance. YouTube is often used to watch videos and therefore consumes more traffic. To prevent this from happening, restrict the application's access to the Internet.
Music
Mobile traffic on Android - how to save?
If you store all your music files in the cloud and don’t want to lose access to them even when the Internet is off, then follow a few steps. In almost every music application you can adjust the broadcast quality. For example, in Google Play Music you need to go into the settings and allow downloading only over Wi-fi, which prevents the use of the Internet to create a cache of music files. Moreover, you can immediately adjust the sound quality over the mobile network or prohibit it altogether.
Cards
Save mobile traffic on Android
Loading maps introduces another problem, which often arises when roaming. This can be solved by caching the required part of the map. This feature is provided by Google Maps and Yandex.Maps.
In addition, there is always the opportunity to use special programs that do not require an Internet connection. For example, OsmAnd or 2Gis.
Use Opera Max
If the above methods only slightly resolve the situation, then Opera Max solves the problem more broadly. It allows you to see which programs require the most data, and can compress videos and photos in any application you use. Due to this, traffic is saved almost twice.
Video: 5 ways to save mobile Internet traffic
As users move more and more towards services cloud services, traffic savings become important element for increase bandwidth Internet. In addition, some tariff plans today require payment for the amount of downloaded data. This is especially true for mobile providers.
What kind of traffic saving program can actually be implemented? Below are some effective ways.
Blocking websites with streaming content
The first thing you should do is block access to streaming media sites (such as Netflix, YouTube and MetaCafe). Of course, viewing short video on YouTube won't make a significant difference and won't make your internet connection slow, but large volumes of such content require a lot of bandwidth. By disabling access to all resources of this kind, you will notice that saving traffic is very possible.
Stop a cloud backup application
If you're always running in the cloud, check to see if your application has a throttling mechanism. Such a service will require a lot of traffic and take up most of the bandwidth. This won't be noticeable if you make small files (such as Microsoft Office documents) throughout the day. But when you start uploading bulk data to the cloud, the initial backup must be created only on your computer. If constant throttling is left unchecked, it can have a significant impact on your data usage.
Limiting VoIP Use
VoIP is another traffic intensive one. If you plan to use this technology, you should limit the duration of calls as much as possible. If you talk for a long time and use any of its extensions when working with the service, saving traffic will not be effective.
Using a cache proxy
A cache proxy can help limit the amount of traffic generated by your web browser. The basic idea is that when a user visits a website, the content of the page is cached on the proxy server. The next time the user visits the same page, its content should not be loaded again (since it already exists in the cache). Using a cache proxy not only saves bandwidth, but can also give users the illusion that the Internet connection is much faster than it actually is. This useful quality, no matter what tariff plan you are using.
Centralization of application updates
Today, almost every application is configured to download periodic updates over the Internet. You can save a lot of bandwidth by centralizing the update process. For example, instead of allowing every device in your home to connect to Microsoft Update, you need to download all the updates and then make them available to individual gadgets. This way, the same updates won't be downloaded over and over again.
Using Hosted Filtering
If you manage your own mail server, then excellent traffic savings will be provided by using Hosted Filtering. Thanks to this service, the data will be downloaded on the cloud server, and not on your email server. This server receives all mail that is intended for you, filters out spam or messages containing malicious content. software. The remaining messages are sent to their destination. You can save a lot of traffic (and mail server resources) by not receiving a lot of spam messages.
Active scanning for malware
Malware can use up a lot of traffic without your knowledge by using your computer as a bot. Be diligent in your efforts to keep all your online devices free of infection.
Using QoS to Reserve Traffic
QoS stands for quality of service. This mechanism (bandwidth reservation), which was first introduced in Windows 2000, continues to be relevant today. If you have applications that require a certain amount of bandwidth (for example, video conferencing applications), you can configure QoS to reserve the required amount of data bandwidth for that application. This traffic saving only applies when the application is actively used. In other cases, the amount of data reserved for the application becomes available for use for other purposes.
Make sure you're not overpaying for traffic
As noted above, many factors affect the Internet, so you cannot expect to be able to connect to every website at the maximum speed of your connection. However, your Internet connection should provide performance that is fairly close to what you pay for.
It is very unlikely that a provider will intentionally provide someone with a slower connection than what is provided for in the contract and payment, but there are often cases in which the connection ends up being split across multiple devices. In case of such general connection The activity of the user of one of the devices can directly affect the speed of data loading. If your internet connection isn't as fast as it should be, try to sort out all the connections on your network.
In addition, it is necessary to regularly monitor the traffic that you spend while working on the Internet. If you notice significant overspending, you should think about which services you are using too much. If the traffic savings are quite noticeable and you do not consume most of the data provided by the provider, you can think about switching to a lighter tariff plan.
Opera browser and Turbo mode
The well-known “Turbo” mode, which is available in any version of the Opera browser, as well as in Yandex.Browser, can be used not only to speed up downloaded data, but also to reduce traffic volumes. The essence of its work is that when loading pages, the servers of the browser itself are used, and due to this, the amount of data downloaded when connecting is reduced. Therefore, if it is important for you to save data transfer volume, work only in Turbo mode.
In this case, there will be no problems with how to disable traffic saving. Just go to the appropriate settings and disable the above option.
Savings on mobile devices
Unlimited tariff mobile operator It is much less common, and many people use the 3G function. How can traffic savings be achieved on a smartphone?
If you have an Android device, you can set a traffic limit that can be consumed in a certain period of time. There's even an alert setting available that can be placed on your desktop as a widget. You don't even need a special application to save traffic for this.
To make such settings, you need to go to the “Settings” menu, select “ Wireless network" and in further paragraphs find the "Traffic Control" tab. Depending on the Android OS version, the names of menu items may differ. Once in the specified setting, you need to set a limit on the amount of data that you allow for use. If you exceed the limit you specify, the Internet will simply turn off.
Traffic savings: beta versions of special mobile applications
Nowadays there are also more and more special programs and browser extensions designed to save traffic. One of the most famous is Opera Max beta, which is specialized software that compresses any transmitted data. Thus, the beta program saves traffic not only through the browser, but also through information from instant messengers and other applications running on the Internet.
You guess the hidden dangers that every user is exposed to operating system Android, monthly leak of Internet traffic, incomprehensible megabytes of data sent by background applications and processes.
Fortunately, Google developers have provided a number of tools for Android users related to data saving and these tools are available to users, which is very good.
So if you feel like your Android device spends more internet traffic than you need, or you just want more control over your use of Internet information, get these five simple tips and use them as you wish.
1. Use traffic compression in the Chrome browser.
Hidden in the Settings menu of the Chrome browser is an excellent Internet traffic saving feature. Enabling this feature will allow the browser to compress all incoming traffic, as a result, the volume of incoming traffic from the Internet is reduced, and the quality remains virtually unchanged compared to normal browsing. This can shave off a lot of data from your monthly traffic, putting it to good use. To activate this option, you just need to go to Chrome settings, find Traffic compression at the bottom of the list of settings, and activate this switch function.
2. Turn off synchronization of data you don't use.
An excellent way to save Internet traffic is to disable data synchronization, while you will also save battery power. Most Android device users connect to them various accounts of Internet services, social networks and services. Many accounts require regular synchronization of information. Let's look at the example of a Google account. To work with accounts, you need to go to Settings - Accounts - Google. Next, disable those account settings items that you do not use. For example, a calendar, documents, photos, tables, notes.
We do the same for all other accounts.
3. Set a limit on the amount of traffic used.
Android Data Transfer menu, a real goldmine for various options saving and traffic control. First of all, you need to set the maximum monthly Internet traffic limit and warning threshold using horizontal limiters.
Then click the three dots button and select the "Limit background data" option. As a result, applications will curb their appetite for traffic, and you will receive significant savings. Fans of social networks should not use this item, otherwise you will only be able to receive messages and notifications when you activate the application!
And finally, look at which of the applications you don’t use are absorbing Internet traffic, draw conclusions and delete them.
4. Update applications only via Wi-Fi.
This advice is quite obvious. Do not use your Internet connection through a cellular operator for automatic installation app updates! It is much faster and more productive to do this with Wi-Fi assistance connections!
So, open the Google Play application, open the Settings menu (pull to the right) and select Auto-update applications. Select "Turn off automatic app updates" or "Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only."
5. Use of area maps offline.
This tip will be useful for those who are going on a trip. Download all map data to the Google Maps app on your device before you hit the road! It is very easy. Simply open the Google Maps app and enter the name of the place you intend to visit into the search bar. When the result is displayed, click on it and expand the map to the required size and detail. Then select properties (“three dot menu”), and click “Save offline maps”. You did it!
I hope these simple tips will allow you to save traffic, money and time.