Android's mobile data usage has increased in recent years. Apps consume lots of data and keeps requesting updates for new versions. When web technology hasn't evolved much, browsing the web was mostly text-based and as such requires less data, but video streaming services are very popular today, and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are also integrating video services as mainstream attractions so reducing data usage on Android is becoming more and more difficult.

Here are some of the most effective ways to reduce your Android data usage:

Setting monthly data usage limits is the easiest way to avoid unknowingly using too much data. You can use the Settings app to limit the use of mobile data on Android. Go to Settings and tap SIM Cards and Mobile Networks >> Data Settings & Data Usage >> Data Plan Settings.

Here you can set the maximum amount of data to use in a month. In addition, you can automatically disconnect from the network after reaching the data limit.

Some apps continue to consume mobile data even when you're not using your smartphone. Background data allows you to monitor and update your app during multitasking or when the screen is off. However, not all apps need to always use background data. Go to
Sim Card & Cellular Network >> Data Settings and Data Usage >> Set Data Plan to see statistics for apps using the amount of data (below the graph).

Tap an app to see both foreground and background data usage for that particular app. Foreground data usage is the data consumed by an app when it is actively used while it is open. Background data is the data that is consumed when you are not using the app and the app is running in the background. No action is required and it is automatic. This includes automatic updates and syncing of apps. If your app's background data seems too high and you don't need to keep your app in the background all the time, turn off background data. This consumes less data because it only consumes data when you open the app.

Google Chrome is one of the most popular Android browsers. It has built-in features that can significantly reduce data consumption on Android. If data compression is enabled, all traffic will be routed through a proxy run by Google. The data is compressed and optimized before being sent to the mobile phone. This reduces data consumption and speeds up page loading without significantly changing web content. To use data compression, open Chrome, tap on the 3dot menu on the upper right corner, tap on Settings, and scroll down to Lite mode.

Turning lite mode on also implements Chrome's Safe Browsing System to detect malicious pages and protect you from malware and harmful content. As you can see in the screenshot above, Chrome managed to save 4.82MB of data over the period of one month. You can revisit that settings panel in Chrome to see how much data you've saved over a period.

One of the most effective ways to reduce mobile data usage is to disable automatic updates for your app in the Play Store. .. Go to the Play Store and tap the icon on the top right.

Tap Settings >>Network and preferences>>Auto Update Apps .

Make sure you have selected "Automatically update apps only via Wi-Fi". Alternatively, you can select Don't update apps automatically, but this isn't recommended because you may need to remember to update your apps manually.

Streaming music and video, like high-quality images, are the most data-intensive content. Try to avoid these when using mobile data. You can choose to store your music or video locally in your storage or download it when you connect to WiFi.
While streaming over mobile data, you can reduce the quality of the stream and reduce data usage. Youtube consumes a lot of data, so be sure to reduce the video resolution when using mobile data on Android.

Many Android streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube Go provide a smartphone data saver mode that effectively reduces data usage.

Using data-intensive apps can have a serious impact on your data usage on your cellular network. You may not be aware that the Google Photos app may sync your photos in the background every time you click on them. Social media apps like Facebook and Instagram consume large amounts of data. Avoid watching videos and GIFs with these apps. Try using some app alternatives that perform the required functionality while using less data. Facebook Lite, for example, is a very lightweight alternative to the Facebook app. In addition, it saves battery life and data usage. TweetCaster is a similar option for the Twitter app.

If you're sharing data via a hotspot with someone who just implemented option number 4 (set the app to update only via wifi),man you're in for some data suction extravaganza 😀. For this reason, we recommend that you set a one-time data limit. When the limit is reached, the hotspot is automatically turned off to prevent data loss. You can go to Settings >> Hotspots and Tattering >> Personal Hotspots >> One-time Data Limit and set the required data limits from there.

The account sync settings are set to sync automatically by default. Use sync services to sync files such as photos and videos, and for data-intensive apps such as Facebook and Google+ that consume a lot of data in the process, leave auto-sync turned off. Google always syncs your data as changes are made. Most of these synchronization services may not be needed.

This background synchronization service affects both data consumption and battery life. To adjust your sync settings, go to Settings >> Accounts. Scroll down to turn off automatic data synchronization. You can also tap the accounts individually. There, you can fine-tune the sync settings for different accounts. To optimize Google sync, tap your account connected to Google and uncheck the options you don’t need.

In addition to the usual Android apps on your smartphone, there may be other reasons why your data limits are exhausted every time. Use a good antivirus app to regularly scan your Android smartphone for malware. Malicious apps can consume bandwidth in the background while sending valuable information to an attacker. In this way, you can also speed up your Android phone.

• Download large files when using WiFi. • Do not clear the system cache unless there is no other way to free up disk space. • Turn off mobile data if you don’t need it. • Turn off notifications for apps that don’t need to be notified. • Set a longer update interval for frequently updated home screen widgets.

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