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Data Management Tips for Android users
Here are some tips on managing your data usage when on Android.
Track your Data Usage
You can manage your data by tracking your usage through the Android data tracker. A good way to go about this is to monitor your data usage every thirty days. If you're a Postpaid user, you can instead track how much data you use within one billing period as well. Just make sure to manually reset all data statistics after every monitoring period.
Step 1: Go to Settings
Step 3: Set your date and mobile data (mobile data must be turned on to see these options)
Step 2: Tap Data Usage.
Update Apps on Wi-Fi Only
Auto-updates for apps can take a significant chunk of your data usage. To make sure you don't accidentally use mobile data when your apps update, set data updates to Wi-Fi only.
Step 1: Open Play Store.
Step 3: Go to Settings.
Step 5: Select Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only.
Step 2: Tap the hamburger button.
Step 4: Tap Auto-update apps.
Prevent Background Data from Running
Some apps actively run in the background without you knowing it. This means that even if you don't open them, they may still connect online. In Ice Cream Sandwich and later versions of Android, you can check which of your apps have background sync and adjust them accordingly.
Step 1: Go to Settings
Step 3: Scroll down and check "Restrict Background Data". This will prevent background sync when you are not connected to a Wi-Fi network.
Note: Turning Background Data off may override the behaviour of certain apps that require a constant update of information (like an app that updates your credit information hourly), and may cause the app not to work. Make sure you only turn off Background data on apps that do not require this.
Step 2: Tap Data Usage and scroll down to view the list of apps