With the arrival of smartphones, users discovered several solutions in a single package. Unfortunately, we also had to inherit new problems. The most publicized is battery life, but there is another one that is very close: the consumption of the data package. Pouring all possible load towards WiFi is a logical decision, but if that is not enough, here we remind you of some elementary steps to reduce the digital hunger of your phone.
A new alert on your smartphone indicates that the data package has run out, forcing you to load more credit, or pay an excess. Let's start with the obvious: The companies are not going to help you. Their business is selling a handful of megabytes at exorbitant prices, and with that in mind they encourage consumers to devour video and music via streaming. Then we must add the constant notifications from social networks, WhatsApp messages, app updates, map synchronization, and a long et cetera. If the duration of the data package has become a crisis, it is time to make some adjustments…
Video? No.
Do everything possible to turn it into a mantra: “Without WiFi no video, without WiFi no video”. The first step is to “cauterize” YouTube. Enter the app, deactivate the high-quality mobile function, specify that uploads are only via WiFi, remove the checkmark for sending statistics and receiving notifications, and activate the preloading options if you want (to give more responsibility to WiFi). If you have the Facebook app installed, you should go to the Videos section in its settings and deactivate autoplay, or at least, limit its functioning to WiFi networks. And if you can't escape Skype, start voice conversations, or better yet, use text.
War on notifications
The truth is that you do not need to know every 60 seconds if someone uploaded a photo to Instagram. That same extends to Twitter, and to Facebook itself. WhatsApp might be a more critical app these days, but notifications are not a product of divine grace, but they consume data. In the case of Android 4.x or higher, you have to visit the Applications section, enter each app, and remove the checkmark from the corresponding box. On the iOS side, the settings for applications allow disabling the use of background data (more info in the next step), and full notifications. As if that were not enough, eliminating notifications also reduces battery consumption.
Sync = Nothing (or almost)
Our smartphones love to keep our email accounts synchronized, make very frequent backups of the contact list, download updates for apps out of nowhere, and generate backup copies that (depending on the configuration) can end up stored in the cloud. In addition to blocking this behavior, it is also necessary to reduce background consumption for applications. With some variants between Android versions, it is possible to reduce that type of consumption, or block it completely. On iOS, the section known as “Background App Refresh” enables an “app by app” control of transfers.
Offline maps, if possible
Personally, I am not a big fan of looking at maps on a four-inch screen, and I think it is a more complete solution to have a dedicated GPS device, but I know there are many users depending daily on maps on their smartphones. The number one option is Google Maps, and in more modern Android versions it offers download entire maps for local use, while in earlier builds there is the preload via WiFi option, like in YouTube.
Time to compress...?
If the data consumption goes more towards browsing, all roads lead to Opera Mini. Unfortunately it is not the browser most compatible to use these days (many pages break during loading), but the data savings can be considerable. As an alternative, programs like Onavo Extend and Opera Max appear, however, user reports are very polarized. The mobile version of Google Chrome has a compression function just like Opera Mini (Settings - Bandwidth - Data Saver).
Finally... don't forget the nuclear option. If nothing we have said above manages to help you, perhaps the restriction must become total abstinence, deactivating the mobile data transfer. Different widgets and applications allow direct control of this aspect, but in the end I know it's not for everyone. Good luck!
