Tips to Manage Data Usage on Android Devices

[Dimo-X]

We all know Android comes in many flavours but the following will apply to most versions.

Here are some tips on how to manage data use and utilize the native Android "Data usage" manager on a Samsung Galaxy S6 (look for similar options on your phone):

First:

• Tap on Settings
• Tap on Date Usage

Restricting mobile data

Next, mobile data is enabled by default but you can cater it to your usage behaviour:

• Toggle Mobile Data on to use cellular data
• Toggle off to disable cellular data
• Note that by disabling mobile data, any app requiring data connectivity will cease to work. MMS (picture and video messaging) will also stop working

Enabling Mobile data limit

You can also configure Android to automate data management for you:                    

• Toggle on or off to set a user defined limit  
• Set your "usage cycle reset date" to the day after your bill closes
• Set your bill cycle range date  to your bill start date ending on the date your bill closes

Setting your data usage thresholds

Define when you want to be notified about nearing your data bucket and establish the upper limit at which data is automatically disabled:

• Drag the orange bar to reflect how much data is included in your rate plan. Mobile data automatically shuts off after hitting this threshold. In this example, we've set the bar to reflect a 3 GB plan.
• Drag the grey bar to reflect the threshold at which you would like to receive a notification bar warning that you are nearing your data plan limit.

Determining which apps consume the most data

Scroll down to "App Usage" to view a breakdown of apps that have used mobile data during the user-defined bill cycle range.

If you're seeing abnormally high usage from any one app, you can force close it by tapping on:

Settings > App > Name of app > Force Close.

You may also consider uninstalling the culprit app.

If you are unsure what your bill cutoff date is, log into your online account and click on "Billing". Here you'll see your bill date range listed under your account number.

You can also find out what your bill cutoff date is by contacting us. 

[NFtoBC]

Great tip, @Dimo-X 

Here's another in similar vein:

On iPhones, go to Settings and then Cellular, and at the bottom of the screen, turn off Wi-Fi assist. This will prevent your phone switching to cellular data if the Wi-Fi signal weakens.  It does not turn off cellular data when you leave your Wi-Fi and venture out into the great cellular outdoors, but does prevent problems when thinking you are connected to Wi-Fi, particularly at home.