Practice you often avoid unnecessary downloads and live streams to limit data usage on your Android device? But can't figure out why a large volume of your mobile information withal rapidly goes down the drain?

Here's the thing: some apps suck up data regularly, even when you're non actively using them. But no worries, Android provides a style to finish any app from using information in the background. Third-party apps can even make this a lot easier and aggrandize your options.

Hither are the diverse methods to restrict data usage on Android.

Android's Congenital-In Option to Restrict Background Data

You can restrict apps from using data on Samsung, Google, OnePlus, or any other Android phone with these steps. Note that the menus may exist different depending on your phone's manufacturer, merely the basic steps should be the same.

  1. Caput over to your phone Settings. You lot tin can do this past swiping down from the top of your phone's screen. And then tap the settings icon in the corner.
  2. Go to Network & Internet > Data usage or Connections > Data usage, depending on what device you're using. You lot'll see the amount of data you've used at the peak of that carte.
  3. Select App or Mobile data usage to see how much data each app has used recently. Apps that eat almost information are typically at the top of the list.
  4. Check through the listing and tap the app that uses the most data. You'll encounter the data usage stats for that app, including background app consumption. For instance, you may be surprised by how much information YouTube alone uses.
  5. Toggle off Permit background data usage to plough off cellular data for specific apps.
  6. Besides, turn off Allow data usage while Information saver is on if it'due south not off already. This ensures that the app doesn't use mobile data whenever your telephone'south data saver is active.

These steps enable you to prevent bandwidth-heavy apps similar YouTube and Chrome from using mobile data when running in the background. Plus, information technology helps restrict them to Wi-Fi only.

Still, if you're more than desperate to keep your information use in cheque, head dorsum into the Data usage menu and select Data saver. Turn on the toggle to the right of Turn on now if it's not active already. That pick restricts your overall use of mobile data.

Prepare a Data Alert and Usage Limit

While the above are essential steps for restricting your mobile data usage, you should consider setting a data warning and usage limit too. To exercise this:

  1. In your phone's settings bill of fare, tap Connections or Network & Net.
  2. Go to Data usage > Billing cycle and information alert.
  3. Toggle on Prepare data limit (you may need to tap a Settings icon first).
  4. Become to Information limit. Select either GB or MB from the dropdown to the right. Then set a value for your data usage limit, say five, for instance.
  5. Toggle on the Set data warning selection likewise.
  6. Tap Information warning. And then enter a data warning value as you did while setting a data limit.

When you set up a data limit, it automatically turns off your mobile data when your data usage reaches the value y'all specified. A data warning only tells you that your data usage has striking the threshold yous set earlier.

Notwithstanding, the data warning value tin can be inside the range of your data limit. But you lot might want this value to be a footling less than the data limit value. For instance, if your monthly data warning limit is 8GB, yous can set the limit of data you can use in a month every bit 10GB.

A Third-Political party Option to Restrict Data Usage on Android

Although at that place are other third-party options that tin help yous keep your data usage in cheque, we recommend using NetGuard.

NetGuard is a firewall app that non only prevents apps from using cellular information but tin also stop them from connecting over Wi-Fi. In essence, it lets you lot cull which app connects to the net and which shouldn't.

So, in improver to saving your mobile data, these features reduce bandwidth, salvage battery life, and tin can help you prevent app notifications, pop-ups, and ads.

Download: NetGuard (Free, in-app purchases available)

How to Limit App Information Usage With NetGuard

NetGuard displays all your apps in alphabetical lodge. To the right of each app are toggles for Wi-Fi and mobile data. So y'all tin disable mobile data or Wi-Fi employ by borer either or both connection types next to any app as you lot prefer.

For instance, to limit mobile information use for an app, tap the cellular information icon to its farthermost right.

Otherwise, tap the Wi-Fi icon next to information technology to restrict the app from running on a Wi-Fi network. Select both icons to end an app from using data at all. You'll see a strike on any connexion blazon you've disconnected.

For more specific controls and exceptions, tap the dropdown arrow to the left of each app. Once you tap the dropdown:

For instance, if y'all've deactivated mobile data, you tin cheque the box to the left of Allow mobile when screen is on to allow the app to apply cellular information merely when the screen is on.

A similar process applies to Wi-Fi if you simply disallowed Wi-Fi for an app. But this time, the selection will exist Permit Wi-Fi when screen is on. Further, y'all can choose to block data when roaming or permit it in lockdown mode.

For simplicity, the app doesn't brandish pre-installed apps. Still, to let NetGuard brandish system apps:

  1. Tap the three vertical menu dots in the acme-correct corner of the screen.
  2. Select Settings > Avant-garde options.
  3. Toggle on Manage system apps.

You lot can limit data usage on specific mobile network connections if need be. Or you can allow unlimited use on 3G but limit LTE or 5G. There are settings for Wi-Fi every bit well, in case yous're dealing with a metered connexion.

To access these options, become to Settings > Network options, then toggle on or off the available options in that carte du jour every bit yous like.

NetGuard'south options aren't limited to blocking mobile data only. You tin can likewise utilise it to monitor when apps attempt to access the cyberspace. This can requite you lot insight into how apps use cellular data.

Enabling these settings can help yous avoid sudden data loss. For example, yous can go along apps like games that require an internet connection to play in check. However, remember that you lot can download games that don't require an internet connexion also.

Take Control of Information Usage and Save Money

Failure to manage data usage on your Android device can result in extreme data drain. However, putting your information usage in check tin exist helpful, especially if you tin can't beget unlimited information plans, which are quite expensive and unavailable in some places.

If you need more alternatives, you can besides bank check out some extra tips for curbing heavy data usage to save money.

10 Useful Tips to Reduce Mobile Data Usage and Relieve Money

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About The Author

Idowu Omisola (147 Manufactures Published)

Idowu is passionate virtually anything smart tech and productivity. In his free time, he plays effectually with coding and switches to the chessboard when he's bored, but he also loves breaking abroad from routine once in a while. His passion for showing people the style around modern tech motivates him to write more.

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