HOW TO MINIMIZE YOUR DATA USAGE ON ANDROID OR IOS

Nigerians using Android or IOS smartphones have been complaining of high data consumption which might not augur well with their pockets. 

Detailed analysis of mobile data usage suggests that connectivity rates remain comparatively pricey in Nigeria. Mobile Internet use has been on the rise and has been predicted to account for 26 percent of global media consumption in 2019, according to a report by Zenith's Media Consumption Forecasts 2017.According to the Research and Development Unit of Yudala, data has become a critical commodity that must efficiently be minimize, especially in view of the tiered data plans currently used by service providers. 

With the growing popularity of social media, we are in an age of information overload; one in which content is not only king but also predominantly ubiquitous.



In addition to music streaming, watching videos online and other activities that drain your data, most smartphones are also loaded with tonnes of data-hungry apps. If not checked, you may find your mobile data bills burning a huge hole in your expense sheet on a monthly basis. Below are tips you can follow to minimizing your data usage on your smartphone:

Set data alerts and limits
You can check your data usage on iOS devices by going to Settings > Cellular > Apps using WLAN & Cellular. These data stats do not reset each billing period automatically, so you'll have to remember to do it yourself. If you're looking for a more tailored way of tracking data usage on your iPhone or iPad, we recommend you look at some third-party apps. My Data Manager keeps track of your usage and even allows you to set custom alarms when you exceed a certain amount of data in a month.

how to reduce your data usage on Android 4.0 or later, you can check your data usage just like iOS, but also set alerts and limits. Go to Settings, and under Wireless & Networks, tap on Data usage (you might need to look around on a different Android skin, but it should still be under your Wi-Fi connection settings). You'll see a table showing your data usage for a specific period of time. You can toggle Set mobile data limit and then move the black and red lines to set alerts. The black line will trigger a notification that you're approaching your limit, while the red line represents the threshold where your Android device shuts off cellular data. Again, Android has some apps tailored to tracking your usage, but unlike iOS, Android's built-in controls are good enough that you shouldn't need to use anything but the baked-in settings.

Another option is using your carrier's mobile apps. How your carrier accounts for your data usage might be different than what iOS and Android say, so we'd recommend you keep an eye on your data here for the most accurate information.

You should also consider turning mobile data off whenever you don't need it.

 Exercise caution with online video streaming
This is a known fact. But as much as we hate to admit it, the fun things consume most of your mobile data. Excessive streaming of videos, music, high-quality images or GIF files, are things you need to avoid if you really want to minimize your Internet usage.

While we know these things are not entirely avoidable, there are some other ways to stay entertained responsibly. If you can't avoid the entertainment your smartphone brings, you can set the quality at lower rates or decrease resolution in the Settings menu of your smartphone.

Use Wi-Fi connection for updates or downloading heavy contents
While some may require you to accept terms and conditions in order to connect, many do not, and once you connect the first time it will connect automatically when you're in range. Get in the habit of checking when you're somewhere new, and this will lead to a substantial drop in cellular data usage.

Even if you don't have hotspot access from any of the above, you can still take advantage of the hundreds of thousands of free Wi-Fi hotspots around the world. The app WiFi Finder Free (Android, iOS) is one possible app to find these hot spots.

Restrict background data
Some applications use up a lot of data even when the phone is not in use.  This is a brilliant feature of the smartphone: allowing background data to keep the applications on your phone updated. However, not every app needs to stay active at all times.

You can stop the constant update by going to your settings option to select the app you want to be restricted or simply disable background app refresh in your settings. This helps reduce data consumption and also preserves the battery life of your device.

Preload and cache
Despite the anxiety over cellular data, developers have made things easy and included options that make smartphone apps less demanding. A very good example is a cache, a hardware or software component that stores data so future requests for that data can be served faster.The data stored in a cache might be the result of an earlier computation or the duplicate of data stored elsewhere.

These days, certain apps allow you to store data temporarily so you can cache as much content as possible. Caching is enjoyable on a Wi-Fi network which enables you to enjoy preloaded content at any time, without using your cellular data.

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