Seven basics for saving data, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
Singapore

Seven basics for saving data

This article is more than 12 months old

Six ways to conserve your mobile data usage

Are you getting enough mobile data?

If you are constantly bursting your data limit, racking up big bills that you have to pay at the end of the month, here are some tips to help you reduce your data consumption.

IDENTIFY YOUR DATA BURNERS

Some apps use data conservatively, allowing you to accumulate a modest amount of usage at the end of each month.

But some apps appear to burn through your data like wildfire, especially video and image heavy apps like Netflix, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram.

So consider taking a rain check on that hilarious cat video if you're still on the go.

Where can you see the data consumption of your various apps? On Android, look for Data Usage in settings. On iPhone, it is Mobile Data.

DISABLE AUTO-PLAY

Videos consume data more than anything else. The Facebook app consumes a load of data for scrollers. As feeds are video-heavy these days, you could easily bust your daily limit.

Stopping your app from auto-playing videos is not as difficult as you think. Open your Facebook app and in App Settings, select "Auto-Play" and "On Wi-Fi Connection Only".

DISABLE PUSH NOTIFICATIONS

Some apps stay constantly connected to the Internet and use more data than necessary. Apps, like Gmail, can be limited to connect only when you wish, reducing unnecessary data usage.

On Gmail, you can also prevent images from loading. Tick "Auto-download attachments to recent messages via Wi-Fi" in settings.

DISABLE AUTO-UPDATE FOR APPS

A single app update could cost you 100MB worth of data. If 10 of those update at the same time, that makes 1GB. Disabling auto-updates is a simple but effective move.

USE DATA COMPRESSORS

With apps that are video and image heavy, consider using data compression software like Opera Max or Onavo Extend.

Opera Max, for instance, is capable of reducing up to 50 per cent of data when browsing Instagram.

NAVIGATE OFFLINE 
(ON GOOGLE MAPS)

Navigating on the go obviously requires some data usage. Try saving some locations to use maps offline. While connected to the Internet, search for a map you would like to download and tap "More" (the triple dot button) and click "Download".

For more tips go to tnp.sg

phoneDatasocial mediamobile