Our friendly little mobile buddies are there for everything. Your device is there when the winning pass is caught by your home team, they are there when you get rejected, or just to take a selfie with your cat (you know, for your collection), and it will be there for you again when you welcome your firstborn into this world. Unfortunately, wile it is there to share very moment with you, and help you share with everyone else, it is eating up your data.
Even companies who offer unlimited data will often slow you down after you have used up a certain amount for the month, so ho do we keep from unintentionally ripping a hole in the space-time-continuum? Rest easy. You don’t have to be socially inverted or completely retrain your brain to take control of your data usage. Take a look at some of the simplest ways to reduce data usage without losing touch.
Remember the 6 Rules of Data
- Use Wi-Fi. Always opt for using Wi-Fi in place of your network connection whenever possible. This is especially needed for streaming video, streaming music, and updates.
- Close unused apps. Many apps continue to use up data, even if they are not currently in use. Close up any apps that are running in the background.
- Browse Mobile. The mobile version of most websites are simplified and optimized to load faster and use less data.
- Turn off Push. Unless it is absolutely necessary, turn off most auto-updates, pushes, and data grabs from your smartphone. Often times mail, social media, and other platforms will search for and download data automatically, even when you don’t need it to. If you need the notifications, keep them on, but rethink which apps you can check yourself.
- Clean House. You know how you look back at your apps, the ones that get shuffled to the back of the list, or the last page of your phone, and you’re like- did I really download that? Yeah, we are all guilty. Pitch it. Apps like this may still be taking up memory and data with updates, stored data, and more.
- Cache in. Keep you cache. Many people would tell you to clean it out, but it can also act as a bridge for data that has already been downloaded and displayed from frequently visited sites. In many case, your phone will allow you to clean it manually, selecting to keep data from certain browsing history.
App for That? Of course, there’s an app for that. All of this, including monitoring data usage for families, and more. Some phones and platforms even have data monitoring built-in. For those who do not, go ahead and download one. Just remember that it is taking up data itself, and if you find yourself no longer using it, pitch it.
Whether you are a data junkie, or just want to better understand your usage, these simple steps and tips can help you take back the reins of your data wagon.