A smart device such as a phone or tablet lives on data, and while they allow you to really stay connected and informed, it can sometimes feel like your data allocation isn’t touching sides.

Fortunately, there are a number of things that can be done to reign in a device’s data consumption.

Using data sparingly on a computer

PCs and laptops come from an age before mobile broadband. And, these devices have kept their old habits: online services on a Blaque_DataDonglePC or laptop often assume they have access to a fixed-line connection such as ADSL or a company network. Modern computers have become more internet-friendly, but some aspects – specifically updates – are still very heavy-handed. With this in mind, when using a PC with a 3G dongle or other mobile broadband devices, keep an eye that it doesn’t automatically start downloads that may quickly kill your data bundle. It knows not what it does. In some cases, you can set your PC to only download after midnight, and nite specific mobile data gives you cheaper access to do just that.

Computers have very different data expectations to smartphones and tablets. Mobile services are designed to use as little data as possible, but a PC or laptop rarely has that in mind. So avoid treating them as the same.

 

Delete under-used apps

Applications make smart devices so much more effective. But there is a dark side to them. Apps tend to load in the background – Blaque_Deletingeven if they aren’t used or even started. A common but highly underappreciated reason for battery drain is because there are too many apps on a device. Those apps can also drain data surreptitiously. Get rid of any apps not being used. Also, investigate if the web version is as good: services such as Facebook and Twitter have very good mobile browser versions that will not run persistently in the background since they are accessed through the browser. Some apps have push notifications to let you know when something is happening, sometimes turning that off using the settings within the application will save you data.

 

Apps also need to be updated

Applications and phone software also need to be updated from time to time, to make sure they are always secure, don’t pose a security risk and any new features are loaded. More often than not, customers have their applications set to automatically update. Ideally, customers should update over Wi-Fi, and most phones will allow you to set your applications to download only over a Wi-Fi connection. Remember, free applications sometimes push software updates or advertising, which consumes data. Reading the review of an application before downloading will provide you with useful tips about the application.

App updates are very important because they may contain security patches. But not every update is so important that it has to happen right away. Set the device to only update on Wi-Fi and, when you reach a hotspot, give it a chance to quickly catch up. 

Use apps to track data consumption

 Data can be tricky to keep track of. Even though smart devices can give basic data consumption statistics, one of the best ways to really make sure you get an accurate picture is with a third party data tracking app. There are several options, both free and paid, on the various app stores. A good tracker will give a lot of insight, as well as separate between mobile and Wi-Fi use.

 

Don’t auto-play videos

Videos use a lot of data. They are fun to watch but consume megabytes in no time. Even stopping a video may not be enough as the video will continue to buffer – download data – in the background. That is simply data down the drain. Well-designed apps have options to stop videos from auto-playing or, at least, reduce how much data they use. The latter approach will result in a lower-quality video, but unfortunately, that can’t be avoided. The better quality a video or image, the more data it uses. This also applies to downloading music or podcasts: the higher the quality, the more data will be required.

Blaque_iPhone PictureTone down photos and videos

Another drain on data can come from the photos and videos being uploaded. Recording a high definition video or taking a photo at the biggest format looks good. But that quality is proportional to the amount of data required: a high-quality image is larger and requires more data if uploaded. It’s a bit like packing the contents of a closet: if there are only a few items, one box will suffice. But more items require more boxes.

 

Use data-saving browsers such as Chrome

Not all browsers are created equal. Even though every smart device comes with a built-in Web browser, there are better choices. Specifically, the Chrome mobile browser is renowned for their data-saving features. Both use special data saver technologies that reduce the size of the information a device downloads. This also tends to deliver high browsing speeds.

Blaque_Chrome

 

Keep in-bundle

Data bundles exist for a reason: to manage network performance. When someone buys a certain amount of data, a mobile network can anticipate that the data will be used within a certain period and keep an eye on demand. This is why out-of-bundle data rates are higher, so keep data costs low by purchasing bundles. Data bundles also provide better value to customers.

Going out of bundle is a very expensive choice. Any good operator will inform their customer if a bundle is about to be depleted. If you keep running out of bundles, consider buying larger ones. It will work out cheaper than buying smaller quantities of data all the time.


Data usage is the lifeline of smartphones – the 21st-century innovation that has taken over our lives. More often than not, consumers are tied in knots of frustrations because of “disappearing data” and a shortened lifespan of data. Are the network providers to blame or can consumers develop a couple of savvy skills to keep their data for longer? Luckily Cell C provided these awesome data saving tips.

Leave a Reply