If you don’t have an unlimited cellphone plan, it’s easy to go over your data limit. Here’s how you can avoid this.
Most telecommunications companies try to sell you on unlimited plans, whether you’re paying for your own smartphone or you’re a part of a family plan. It makes sense: the more advanced your smartphone is, the more data it tends to demand, and the more time users spend on these devices.
But there are still plenty of plans out there that put a cap on data usage, making it easy for you to end up paying extra fees for breaking the terms of your contract. Here’s what you can do to prevent this from happening:
Use Wi-Fi
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Instagram stories are time consuming, making it really easy for you to waste all your data in a particularly boring afternoon. If you don’t want this to happen, the first thing you should do is connecting to Wi-Fi. Be safe when doing this though, avoiding the use of bank services or other delicate platforms when not in your house or a trusted friend’s place. Public Wi-Fi spots like coffee shops aren’t safe places to access delicate information.
Keep an eye on your data usage
If you’ve received a notification from your cellphone provider about your data usage, it’s important to find the source. This might be an obvious one, like binging shows on your phone with no Wi-Fi, or they may be less obvious, such as scrolling through Instagram for long periods of time.
For iPhone devices, check out this guide. For devices that run on Android software, you can learn more here. You can also download your cellphone provider’s app to keep track of what’s consuming most of your data, and how much data you have left on your monthly bill.
Manage your app settings
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After you’ve learned what goes on behind each app, you can try setting limits on them. When it comes to social media or streaming apps, which might autoplay videos as you scroll, you can go to the settings and turn off this feature. Avoid streaming without Wi-Fi since this consumes tons of data.
For apps like Spotify and Apple Music, make sure that your settings are set so that you can only download music and podcasts when connected to Wi-Fi.
Change your data plan
Lastly, if none of this works or sounds too extreme, you might have to change your data plan. Recurring penalties tend to be more expensive than paying for an unlimited plan, so make a budget and go through your best options. You can also try looking into a smaller telecommunications company which might provide your same plan with better pricing.
