How to monitor and limit your data usage on an Android phone

While many data plans nowadays are advertised as "unlimited," most have a threshold when your data flow will drastically slow down. If you do not want to pay the increased price charged by the "unlimited" plans, it is even more important to avoid exceeding the maximum allowed limit, otherwise you risk high penalties. Be that as it may, it's a good idea to monitor your data flow, not only to make sure you do not exceed your limits, but also to determine if you need to rethink your current data plan.

It's not difficult to do this using tools built into current versions of Android or a third-party application. Here are some strategies you can try. (Note: These instructions are for an Android-based Pixel XL 9. The interface of your phone may vary a lot, depending on the manufacturer, model, and version of the operating system.)

Set a data limit

Your phone may issue a warning if you approach the limit of your data before the end of your monthly billing cycle. You can even set a limit beyond which your phone will no longer use data.

• Go to settings
• Go to "Network and Internet"> "Data Usage"> "Warning and Data Limit".
• Tap "Cycle Usage Data Application". This will allow you to set the day of the beginning of the monthly cycle of your account.
• Save and enable "Set Data Warning". You can then enter the data limit – say 4 GB – that you want for your phone.

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On the same page, you can enable "Set Data Limit". This will completely disable your mobile data, regardless of the limit.

Use Data Saver mode

If you have Android 8.0 or later, your phone must have Data Saver mode, which activates the system when you are not connected to Wi-Fi and ensures that applications and services that are not used Active will not be able to broadcast data. background.

It is very easy to turn on and off the Data Saver mode.

• Go to settings
• Go to "Network & Internet"> "Data Usage"
• Select "Data Saver". Switch "Use Data Saver" to.

You may want to allow some applications to use background data, even when Data Saver mode is enabled. For example, you may want to receive Twitter notifications wherever you are.

• Go to the "Data Saver" page (see above)
• Tap on "Unrestricted data"
• Scroll through the list of applications for which you want to enable data in the background, even when Data Saver mode is enabled. Switch them.

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Use a data management application

Although Data Saver can help you manage applications that are allowed to run in the background, you may want more detailed control of your data. In this case, an application such as Google Datally, My Data Manager, or one of the available data management applications can help you.

For example, the date, for example, will automatically prevent applications from running in the background, but will also allow you to set a daily data limit and sleep mode, create an emergency database (in case you would run too low towards the end of the year). of the month) and monitor the use of hot spots (which, as I know to my regret, can very quickly destroy the processing time of a month).

My Data Manager, another popular app, tracks the use of data on one or more devices, organizes alerts, checks the use of data in a family package (so you know who used 75% of this month's data reserve) and tracks consumption. you can determine if you need to move to another plan.

The advantage of all these applications lies in the fact that you can treat them as forgotten configuration tools, allowing them to do their work in the background, or you can adjust them permanently to meet your needs as you go. and as you go. In both cases, you and your data plan are the winners.

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