Tips to minimise your mobile data usage

[Krystle]

Tips to minimise your mobile data usage

Mobile plans these days come with a great deal of included data – check out TPG’s plans at https://www.tpg.com.au/mobile - however, it’s still important to get the most of our data quota so we can use it for the things we love best.

Here are some tips to keep track of your usage, make the most out of your mobile plan, and avoid running out of mobile data.

Track your data usage

• Monitor and keep track of your usage via TPG My Account https://www.tpg.com.au/account. Remember, with TPG’s month-to-month mobile contracts, you can always upgrade and downgrade to a plan that suits your needs
• TPG will alert you when you’ve used 50%, 85% and 100% of your quota
• Set mobile data alerts or data usage limits on your mobile handset. Once set, these can offer peace of mind with your smartphone helping to help keep your usage in check. Settings vary for handsets and software versions, but look for these settings:
  • For Android, look in Connections -> Data Usage -> Mobile Data Usage -> Settings (Icon) > Billing cycle.
  • For iPhone, it’s a little more manual. Set a reminder each month to check and reset your data usage counter (as it doesn’t auto-reset each month) throughout your TPG mobile billing cycle is an option.
• Remember that uploads and downloads are counted in your mobile usage

Use Wi-Fi whenever you can

• When you’re at home, work, or at a friend’s place, connect to trusted Wi-Fi networks
• Turn off Wi-Fi Assist or Wi-Fi Booster settings (these help boost the download/upload speed when connected to weak Wi-Fi networks)
• Get into the habit of taking a quick look for the Wi-Fi icon at the top of your phone, especially before you watch videos
• Turn off Mobile Data on your smartphone to be 100% certain you aren’t using it
• Set important updates, downloads or syncing to happen at times when you’re connected to Wi-Fi and not using your device (like when you’re asleep)

Apps using data when you’re not using your phone

Be aware that apps can use data in the background, even when you’re not using them!

• Your smartphone settings can tell you which Apps are being used the most
• Check your smartphone settings for Apps you’ve authorised to use your location (such as Maps) 
• Disable or decrease the frequency of apps that pop up notifications on your handset. It’s great to be connected, although how connected can be tailored to your lifestyle instead of the default settings. Whether you’re more focused on social updates, news feeds or work e-mails, changing when and how you receive these can help with your data usage as well
• Disable automatic updates and sync. Software updates, Google Play, iTunes, email sync, photo back-ups and app auto-updates are some examples of data usage that can run and update in the background

Change autoplay functions and video quality on streaming apps

Facebook’s news feed is great for staying social, however the auto-playing videos can take a sizeable chunk out of your data. Disabling this feature can significantly cut back on your data usage – in Facebook, click Settings, then click Videos, then click the dropdown menu next to Autoplay Videos and select “off”.

YouTube’s Full HD video quality is great for your eyes and ears. But you may want to check out the settings in the YouTube app to limit mobile data usage, restrict auto-play and change the playback quality. Some of the settings to look for are called “Play HD over Wi-Fi only”, “Upload over Wi-Fi only” and “Upload quality”.

Download at home to play/watch online later

Did you know that you can change settings in Google Play, Browser, Maps and Gmail (to name a few) to  download files so you can access them while offline? 

Downloading Netflix content to watch later offline (if you have the storage space on your phone) can allow for hours of entertainment. Spotify has offline streaming too, allowing you to download albums and playlists to play later without hurting your data quota.

Global Roaming overseas

TPG offers global roaming which you can activate online via TPG My Account https://www.tpg.com.au/account. Global roaming can be much more expensive than your normal mobile plan. If you do choose to use global roaming, be aware of the costs and how much data you’re using, and use Wi-Fi as much as possible. For more information and tips visit https://www.tpg.com.au/support/international_roaming. 

Parental Controls

Did you know that you can set up parental controls in most smartphones? Creating user profiles and enabling restrictions gives you the freedom of sharing your device while limiting the data used by those who borrow your device.

Thanks to our team members Richard A. and Leo C. for their contribution to this article!