First and foremost, you may want to log in to your provider's website or app to see how much data you use on average each month. With data rollover, you'll still be able to use all the data you pay for, so you'll have something to fall back on. These tips don't take much time or are particularly difficult to get used to. They can be particularly useful when travelling abroad.
1. Switch off background data
No, it's not the case that we only use data when we're in the app. Here's how to switch off background data:
Android: Settings --> Data usage --> Tap the three bars in the top right corner of the screen --> Restrict background data
Apple: Settings --> General --> Background refresh --> Pull the switch at the top to "off"
Windows: Settings --> Data sensor --> Limit background data --> Pull the switch to "off"
2. Use wifi where possible - especially for downloads
You probably have access to Wi-Fi either at home, at work or at school. Even many public places have well-functioning internet connections. Some places require you to enter some information about yourself. Admittedly, this will rarely affect anything other than the adverts that appear in an already fussy Facebook feed.
Not only is it incredibly easy to download playlists in, for example, Spotify or most podcast apps, if you need maps, for example, you can also download them in advance in Google Maps. If you search for a specific area, you'll be able to save it on your phone and have it easily accessible at a later date.
3. Switch off automatic synchronisation of photos
It goes without saying that photos that are automatically synchronised to Google Photos, Dropbox or other cloud services require data. If you take a lot of photos, this can also make a significant difference. How you change these settings depends on which service you use. For the most part, it will be as easy as opening the app that syncs photos, going to settings and selecting the option called "backup and sync" or similar.
Some apps will also display a pop-up the first time you open the app, asking you to synchronise photos automatically.
4. Check which apps use the most mobile data
This is generally easy to get an overview of. If you go to settings and then mobile data, you should be able to navigate to an overview of mobile data usage (depending on your operating system). On Android, go to Settings -> Network and Internet -> Data usage -> Mobile data usage.
Here you'll also be able to see how much data the various apps are using, and usually there are one or two apps that really eat up data.
5. Choice of browser
Some browsers will be able to compress data and give you the content much faster, even with an unstable internet connection. For many people, this can be a particularly good idea if you're travelling abroad.
Opera Mini is probably the "go-to" browser when it comes to data compression. It also offers many different modifications to save more data, such as image quality. This is also the disadvantage of using such a browser, that the user experience can be somewhat reduced.
UC Browser is another browser, albeit only compatible with Android. This will, among other things, load pages it thinks you will visit in advance, to avoid reduced speed.
Yandex Browser, Apus Browser and Dolphin Browser may also be worth checking out.
6. Update apps via wifi only
You're unlikely to miss much by delaying an update for an hour or two. At the same time, you can save both mobile data and battery by waiting until you get Wi-Fi access. You can easily do this in either the Google Play Store or in the settings on your iPhone.
For Android, navigation to the settings is identical in Google Play, Maps, Photos, Drive or any other Google app. The same procedure applies here; tap the three dashes in the top left corner of the Play Store app and select settings, here you will find the option to only update via wifi.
If you are loyal to your iPhone, you can go directly to the settings and scroll down to iTunes & App Store. Here you will also find the same option.
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