How to trick Android into using less data
Apps are moving to the cloud. Streaming services like Spotify are really big. And just about every one of us is addicted to social networking. Everything looks like a dream apart from...our data plans.
With unlimited plans dwindling, most customers are stuck with tiered options that sometimes make data usage more stressful than fun. Anyone who's been with an exorbitant charge knows this feeling.
But if you're own Android, you've got a little more wiggle room, thanks to plenty of data-restricting settings. With the proper configurations you can find yourself using data at a much slower rate.
Even if you think you know everything about it which in some cases is true, say hello to Gary (if he reads it, I almost see the smile coming..........right.......about now on his face) there is a lot to consider and this blog should come very handy to deal with potential customers.
With unlimited plans dwindling, most customers are stuck with tiered options that sometimes make data usage more stressful than fun. Anyone who's been with an exorbitant charge knows this feeling.
But if you're own Android, you've got a little more wiggle room, thanks to plenty of data-restricting settings. With the proper configurations you can find yourself using data at a much slower rate.
Even if you think you know everything about it which in some cases is true, say hello to Gary (if he reads it, I almost see the smile coming..........right.......about now on his face) there is a lot to consider and this blog should come very handy to deal with potential customers.
Tame hungry apps
Whether you're actively using them or not, apps love to eat up data. They're checking for updates, running ads and refreshing your user content in the background. The good intentions are there, but most times, the conveniences these practices bring don't outweigh the depleted data reserves. It's time to tame those apps.
Whether you're actively using them or not, apps love to eat up data. They're checking for updates, running ads and refreshing your user content in the background. The good intentions are there, but most times, the conveniences these practices bring don't outweigh the depleted data reserves. It's time to tame those apps.
Updates only on wi-fi
Head to the Google Play store and tap Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps. Here, be sure that "Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only" is selected. You also have the option to choose "Do not auto-update apps", but it's less preferable, since you'll have to remember to update apps manually.
Configure in-app data settings
To give you a fluid experience, many apps ping servers in the background to keep their content updated. A good example would be Google+ that backs up your photos and videos as they're captured.
These conveniences are great, but they come at a cost, so dive into the app settings and disable the data-sucking options you don't absolutely need.
Head to the Google Play store and tap Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps. Here, be sure that "Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only" is selected. You also have the option to choose "Do not auto-update apps", but it's less preferable, since you'll have to remember to update apps manually.
Configure in-app data settings
To give you a fluid experience, many apps ping servers in the background to keep their content updated. A good example would be Google+ that backs up your photos and videos as they're captured.
These conveniences are great, but they come at a cost, so dive into the app settings and disable the data-sucking options you don't absolutely need.
Restrict background data
Even apps that don't allow you to fine tune data settings could still be loading background data. In Ice Cream Sandwich and later versions of Android, one way to find out which ones are guilty is to go to Settings > Data Usage, and scroll down to reveal a list of apps with accompanying data usage stats.
Then, tap an app to view its usage data, and take a look at the two numbers next to the pie chart. "Foreground" refers to the data used when you're actively using the app, while "Background" reflects the data used when the app is running in the background.
If you notice that an app is using too much background data, scroll down to the bottom and check "Restrict background data". Just note that this setting overrides any conflicting app behavior.
Take advantage of pre-loading and caching
As we become increasingly frugal about mobile data usage, more apps offer caching (or pre-loading), letting you download content on Wi-Fi and view it at any later time. Spotify, for example, lets you download playlists. Similarly YouTube pre-loads subscriptions and videos on your Watch Later list and Chrome does the same with the webpages. Don't let these options go unnoticed — they'll save you heaps.
The majority of apps that offer pre-loading are the ones that need it most. So use it. Head into the settings menu of any app (especially streaming-media apps), to see if the option is available. Alternatively, you might find that an app allows you to lower streaming quality while on a mobile data connection like does it YouTube for instance.
Even apps that don't allow you to fine tune data settings could still be loading background data. In Ice Cream Sandwich and later versions of Android, one way to find out which ones are guilty is to go to Settings > Data Usage, and scroll down to reveal a list of apps with accompanying data usage stats.
Then, tap an app to view its usage data, and take a look at the two numbers next to the pie chart. "Foreground" refers to the data used when you're actively using the app, while "Background" reflects the data used when the app is running in the background.
If you notice that an app is using too much background data, scroll down to the bottom and check "Restrict background data". Just note that this setting overrides any conflicting app behavior.
Take advantage of pre-loading and caching
As we become increasingly frugal about mobile data usage, more apps offer caching (or pre-loading), letting you download content on Wi-Fi and view it at any later time. Spotify, for example, lets you download playlists. Similarly YouTube pre-loads subscriptions and videos on your Watch Later list and Chrome does the same with the webpages. Don't let these options go unnoticed — they'll save you heaps.
The majority of apps that offer pre-loading are the ones that need it most. So use it. Head into the settings menu of any app (especially streaming-media apps), to see if the option is available. Alternatively, you might find that an app allows you to lower streaming quality while on a mobile data connection like does it YouTube for instance.
Download files on Wi-Fi only
Unless you absolutely have to, refrain from downloading songs, movies or large files while using a mobile data connection. It's common sense, but be sure to do any downloading while you're on Wi-Fi.
Cache maps before travelling
With its new offline feature, Google Maps now allows you to cache maps. It takes some time to download them, and does require a chunk of storage space, but once a map is downloaded, you'll be able to view and navigate it without using your data connection.
Check sync settings
With automated syncing, Google makes sure your accounts are updated any time a change is made. Unfortunately for your data plan (and battery life), that means your phone is constantly pinging the server to find out if new content needs to be downloaded (or uploaded.) There are a couple of ways to temper this.
Unless you absolutely have to, refrain from downloading songs, movies or large files while using a mobile data connection. It's common sense, but be sure to do any downloading while you're on Wi-Fi.
Cache maps before travelling
With its new offline feature, Google Maps now allows you to cache maps. It takes some time to download them, and does require a chunk of storage space, but once a map is downloaded, you'll be able to view and navigate it without using your data connection.
Check sync settings
With automated syncing, Google makes sure your accounts are updated any time a change is made. Unfortunately for your data plan (and battery life), that means your phone is constantly pinging the server to find out if new content needs to be downloaded (or uploaded.) There are a couple of ways to temper this.
Fine-tune sync settings
During the initial phone configuration, you probably opted into account syncing. By default, everything is set to sync, including things like photos, the Play Store, and other Google apps. You don't necessarily need all these items syncing — especially data-heavy ones like photos.
To adjust sync options, head to Settings > Accounts > Google, and select an account. Here, uncheck the boxes next to the items that don't absolutely need to be synced. Repeat the same process for other accounts. After that, you can manually sync accounts by visiting their respective apps using wi-fi connection.
Temporarily switch off sync
Going out for the night? Sitting at your desk? Prevent your phone from unnecessarily syncing data by disabling syncing, either from the notification bar or by going to Settings > Data Usage > Menu > uncheck "Auto-sync data".
During the initial phone configuration, you probably opted into account syncing. By default, everything is set to sync, including things like photos, the Play Store, and other Google apps. You don't necessarily need all these items syncing — especially data-heavy ones like photos.
To adjust sync options, head to Settings > Accounts > Google, and select an account. Here, uncheck the boxes next to the items that don't absolutely need to be synced. Repeat the same process for other accounts. After that, you can manually sync accounts by visiting their respective apps using wi-fi connection.
Temporarily switch off sync
Going out for the night? Sitting at your desk? Prevent your phone from unnecessarily syncing data by disabling syncing, either from the notification bar or by going to Settings > Data Usage > Menu > uncheck "Auto-sync data".
Minimise browser data usage
If web browsing is eating your data allowance, no surprise here. Some websites have yet to be optimized for mobile, while others eat into data with bulky advertisements.
The simple answer to these woes is data compression. With it, a web page is first compressed in the cloud before being sent to your phone, significantly reducing the download size. In case you're wondering what's SPDY (on the picture), is a networking protocol developed primary by Google. The goal of SPDY is to reduce web page load time and improving web security. There are some drawbacks, however you should know before committing. First, even though your data is encrypted and anonymised, the browser must still process your activity while it compresses it. Not everyone is comfortable with that. Secondly, compression means sacrificing quality, leaving you with slightly altered web pages. Even so, the option can be worthwhile for anyone on a tiered plan (or times when you're on a slow connection).
Opera, a much-loved browser, is one such app that offers compression. Just head to the Settings menu to enable it. After some use, Opera will tell you just how much data you saved.
If you prefer Chrome, Google might launch very handy new data compression feature, that you'll be able to switch on from the settings. To do so, head to Settings > Bandwidth Management > Reduce data usage. For now when you go into it you can preload web pages over wi-fi network.
If web browsing is eating your data allowance, no surprise here. Some websites have yet to be optimized for mobile, while others eat into data with bulky advertisements.
The simple answer to these woes is data compression. With it, a web page is first compressed in the cloud before being sent to your phone, significantly reducing the download size. In case you're wondering what's SPDY (on the picture), is a networking protocol developed primary by Google. The goal of SPDY is to reduce web page load time and improving web security. There are some drawbacks, however you should know before committing. First, even though your data is encrypted and anonymised, the browser must still process your activity while it compresses it. Not everyone is comfortable with that. Secondly, compression means sacrificing quality, leaving you with slightly altered web pages. Even so, the option can be worthwhile for anyone on a tiered plan (or times when you're on a slow connection).
Opera, a much-loved browser, is one such app that offers compression. Just head to the Settings menu to enable it. After some use, Opera will tell you just how much data you saved.
If you prefer Chrome, Google might launch very handy new data compression feature, that you'll be able to switch on from the settings. To do so, head to Settings > Bandwidth Management > Reduce data usage. For now when you go into it you can preload web pages over wi-fi network.
Monitor data usage
Last words of wisdom. One of the most useful Android feature is the Data Usage tool. With it, you can view your monthly activity, see which apps demand the most megabytes and configure usage warnings. Pay attention to it and follow the previous advises and in no time you will get full control over your data usage.
Last words of wisdom. One of the most useful Android feature is the Data Usage tool. With it, you can view your monthly activity, see which apps demand the most megabytes and configure usage warnings. Pay attention to it and follow the previous advises and in no time you will get full control over your data usage.