Simple ways to reduce mobile data use without giving up your favourite apps, videos or streaming on the go
If you’re trying to stretch your gigabytes a little further each month, you’re probably wondering how to save mobile data.
Thankfully, reducing your mobile data use doesn’t have to mean cutting back on everything you enjoy online. With a few smart tweaks, you can use your mobile data more efficiently while still streaming, scrolling and staying connected.
Here are some practical tips for how to save mobile data on iOS devices and Android.
Quick links:
- Use Wi-Fi whenever possible
- Limit background data
- Set data usage limits or alerts
- Download content ahead of time
- Adjust video streaming quality
- Turn off auto-play on social media
- Use a data-saving browser
- Keep an eye on app updates
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Find out more1. Use Wi-Fi whenever possible
It sounds obvious, but it’s worth repeating: use Wi-Fi when you can. Whether you’re at home, in the office or at a café, connecting to Wi-Fi instead of mobile data saves gigs.
Tip: Check if you’re connected to Wi-Fi Assist (iPhone) or Adaptive Connectivity (Android). These settings allow your phone to switch to mobile data if the Wi-Fi signal is weak, which can lead to unintentional usage. You can disable these in your settings to stop this happening.
2. Limit background data
Many apps use data in the background, even when you’re not actively using them. This can include checking for updates, refreshing feeds or syncing content.
How to save mobile data on iPhone
- Go to Settings > Mobile, then scroll down through your apps to see how much data each one is using.
- You can turn off mobile data for any app you don’t need to run in the background.
- Enable Low Data Mode (which reduces background activity) under Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options
How to save mobile data on Android
- Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage, then tap App data usage to see what’s using data.
- You can restrict background data for specific apps here.
3. Set data usage limits or alerts
Most smartphones allow you to monitor or limit your data use each month. Setting alerts or limits helps prevent accidental overuse.
On iPhone
While there’s no built-in data limit setting, you can reset your statistics monthly in Settings > Mobile Data to track usage and spot trends.
On Android
You can set a mobile data warning or limit by going to Settings > Network & Internet > Internet > Settings > Data warning & limit > Data warning. Then enter a number and hit set.
4. Download content ahead of time
Streaming music, videos or podcasts while on the go can chew through data fast. Instead, take advantage of Wi-Fi to download content before you leave home.
Apps like Spotify, Netflix and YouTube all offer offline download options. A few episodes or playlists downloaded over Wi-Fi can save hundreds of megabytes.
How to save mobile data when you’re travelling: download Google Maps of specific areas on Wi-Fi before you head out.
Home Wi-Fi not giving you the range you want? Here’s how to fix it. >
5. Adjust video streaming quality
Watching videos in high definition can use more than 1GB of data per hour. Most streaming apps let you change the default quality.
- YouTube: Tap your profile > Settings > Data saving, and enable ‘Data saving mode’.
- Netflix: Go to App Settings > Playback settings and choose a lower quality when on mobile data.
Even social media apps like Instagram and Facebook offer data-saving modes in their settings.
6. Turn off auto-play on social media
Auto-playing videos on social apps can drain data quickly. Fortunately, most platforms allow you to disable auto-play when using mobile data.
- Facebook: Settings & Privacy > Data saver > On
- Instagram
- iPhone: go to your profile and tap Menu in the top right. Scroll down and tap Media quality then toggle on Use less mobile data.
- Android: Go to your profile and tap the more options menu in the top right. Scroll down and tap Data usage and media quality, then toggle on Data saver.
As well as reducing data use, this can also improve battery life.
7. Use a data-saving browser
Some browsers like Opera Mini or Samsung Internet compress pages to save data. While Chrome removed Lite Mode, it still handles efficient page loading.
8. Keep an eye on app updates
App updates can be large, especially for games and media-heavy apps. Make sure your phone is set to update apps only over Wi-Fi.
On iPhone
- Go to Settings > App Store > App Updates and disable ‘Use Mobile Data’.
On Android
- Go to the Play Store > Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps and select ‘Over Wi-Fi only’.
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Need more? Upgrade your plan
If you’ve tried all the data saving tips and still find you’re barely making it through the month, you might want to upgrade your plan. Check out our amazing-value 100GB mobile data plan to give yourself enough data to go and go and go. Get unlimited talk and text in Australia and bank up to 300GB of data.
