IN recent years Mobile data usage has skyrocketed. Applications have become more hungry and are constantly pushing new versions to update. Previously, web surfing was used primarily for text. Now video streaming services have gained widespread popularity, and platforms social networks, such as Facebook and Instagram, have also integrated video services as a mainstream focus. It's harder to reduce your data usage on Android.
Here we have collected some of the most effective ways saving Android data.
8 Best Ways to Reduce Data Usage on Android - Save Data on Android
Limit data usage in Android settings
Setting a limit for your monthly data usage is the most simple thing, which you can do to avoid using excessive amounts of data without your knowledge. You can limit mobile data usage on Android using the Settings app. Go to settings and click " Usagedata">> Billing Cycle >> Data Limits and Billing Cycle. There you can set the maximum amount of data you are going to use in a month. Additionally, you can choose to automatically disconnect from the network once your data limit is reached.
Restrict app's raw data
Some applications continue to consume mobile data even when the smartphone is not in use. Background data allows you to monitor and update apps while multitasking or when the screen is off. But every app doesn't have to use background data at all times.
Go to " Settings >> Data Usage", and you can see the statistics for which app is consuming most of the data.
Click on an application and you can see both foreground and background usage for that particular application. Foreground data usage is the data consumed by an application when it is actively being used by you when you open it. Background data is the data you consume when you are not using an app and the app is running in the background. It does not require action and occurs automatically. This could include things like automatic app updates or synchronization.
If you find that the background data is too high for the app and you don't need the app to be in the background all the time, click " Restrict app background". This ensures that the application will only consume data when it is opened and thus use less data.
Use data compression in Chrome to save traffic on Android
Google Chrome is one of the most popular browsers for Android. It has a built-in feature that can significantly reduce data consumption on Android.
When data compression is enabled, all your traffic is sent through a proxy server run by Google. The data will be compressed and optimized before being sent to your phone. This results in lower data consumption and faster page loading times without making significant changes to the web content.
To use data compression, open Chrome, click the 3-dot menu in the top right corner, click " Settings" and scroll down to " Data Warehouse". There, you can click on the top right corner to enable the data saving feature.
Enabling the Save Data feature also implements Chrome's Safe Browsing system to detect malicious pages and protect against malware and harmful content. As you can see in the screenshot above, Chrome managed to save 17% of data over a period of one month.
You can view this settings panel in Chrome to see how much data you have saved over a certain period.
How to save traffic on Android - Updating applications only via Wi-Fi
One of the most effective ways to reduce mobile data consumption is to disable automatic app updates in the Play Store. Go to Play Store and click " Menu" >> « Settings" >> « Automatic application updates." Make sure you select " Automatic app updates via Wi-Fi only" Alternatively you can select " Not fulfill automatic application updates", but this is not recommended since you need to remember app updates manually from time to time.
Limit your use of streaming services
Streaming music and videos are the most hungry for content, as well as high-quality images. Try to avoid them when using mobile data. You can choose to save music and videos locally in your storage or download them when you are connected to WiFi. When streaming on mobile devices, you can reduce the stream quality to reduce data usage. Youtube consumes a lot of data, so make sure you lower the video resolution when using mobile data on Android.
Keep track of your apps
Using data-dependent applications can have a serious impact on your mobile network data consumption. What you might not realize is that the Google Photos app can sync your photos in the background with every click. Social media apps like Facebook and Instagram consume a lot of data. Try to avoid watching videos and GIFs on these apps.
Try using alternatives to some apps that will still perform the required functions while consuming less data. For example, Facebook Lite is a very lightweight alternative for the Facebook app. Plus, it saves battery life and data usage. TweetCaster is a similar option for the Twitter app.
Google Maps cache for offline use
Did you know that you can save maps in the Google Maps app? Caching Google Maps For offline use, it can save both your time and data. Once the map is loaded, you can even navigate when the phone is offline simply by using your GPS. This turns out to be handy for daily commutes and commuting as you can never be sure if some places will have network coverage. This good idea to download a map of your home area and the regions you travel to frequently.
So, next time you're on Wi-Fi, open Google Maps, go to the menu and select " Offline Maps".» . There you can click " Choose your own card” and zoom in or out to select the area where you want to be offline.
Once you decide the area, click " Download ».
Optimizing account sync settings
Your account settings are synced by default. Don't turn on automatic sync for data-dependent apps like Facebook and Google+, which use sync services to sync files like photos and videos, consuming large amounts of data in the process.
Google constantly syncs your data when changes are made. Most of these synchronization services may not be required. This background synchronization affects both data consumption and battery life.
To configure the sync setting, open " Settings >> Accounts» . There you can configure synchronization settings for different applications. To optimize Google sync, click on Google and disable the options you don't need. For example, I don't need Google Fit data, Google Play Movies and Google Play Music for synchronization. So I switched them, leaving the other services in sync.
- Download large files when you are on Wi-Fi.
- Do not clear the system cache unless you have another way to free up space.
- If necessary, turn off mobile data.
- Turn off notifications for apps you don't want to notify.
- Set a longer refresh interval for home screen widgets that update frequently.
Have you found these ways to reduce data usage on Android to be useful and found the answer to the question - how to save data on Android? Share your feedback and suggestions in the comments below.
Long gone are the days when Internet providers everywhere kept track of the megabytes spent by users on the Internet. Tariff plans for home Internet these days differ mainly in speed. But cellular operators are in no hurry to provide completely unlimited Internet and, as a rule, allocate only a certain amount of inexpensive traffic.
But today not only people, but also smartphones themselves cannot live without the Internet: it happens that he himself downloads something in the middle of the night, updates a couple of applications, and in the morning there is no more prepaid traffic left to download attachments from mail. Well, let's think about how we can deal with this and how to save on the still expensive Internet.
⇡ Traffic control using standard operating system tools
First, let's see what we can do without installing additional applications. In the Android settings there is a “Traffic Control” item, with which you can separately monitor data transfer via Wi-Fi and via mobile networks. You can also turn off data transfer altogether, that is, the use of mobile Internet.
The operating system displays a graph of traffic usage for a selected period of time (you can change it by moving the sliders along the graph) and shows which applications consume the most data. By clicking on an application, you can see a consumption graph generated specifically for it.
On the mobile Internet tab, you can also set a limit on traffic consumption for a certain period. The limit is set on the same chart, and a threshold is selected using a separate slider, upon reaching which the system will display a warning about the imminent exhaustion of the limit. If the traffic ends, the device will automatically turn off data transfer.
Many Android applications communicate with the Internet in the background and, as a result, traffic is consumed even before the phone owner has time to wake up. To prevent this from happening, you can disable individual applications from using mobile traffic in the background. To do this, click on the application name in the traffic consumption window and check the Restrict Background data box.
This feature can also be disabled globally. To do this, being in the “Traffic Control” section, go to the settings and check the box of the same name. You can also disable automatic data synchronization here. True, with a global ban on downloading through mobile internet Some important applications—such as your email client—may not work as expected.
A lot of traffic is spent on application updates. To prevent downloading updates from eating up expensive traffic, you can go to the Google Play settings and in the “Automatic application updates” section, select updating only via Wi-Fi or (as an option) disable automatic updating altogether.
By the way, don't forget to check the settings of your favorite applications. In many, you can enable synchronization and downloading of data only via Wi-Fi.
⇡ Traffic control in Google Chrome
Data compression function is also available in mobile version Google Chrome browser. It works like this: the content of web pages is first sent to Google servers, where it is optimized and loaded in a compressed form. The quality of the images, of course, suffers, but much less traffic is consumed.
You can find and enable this option in the “Settings → Traffic Control → Traffic Reduction” menu. Depending on what web pages you view on your mobile device, the savings can be significant - up to 50%. True, data compression will be useless when loading web pages that use traffic encryption - Google will not be able to send such data to its servers. In addition, it is worth keeping in mind that compression will not be performed even if you enable incognito mode in the browser.
To save mobile traffic in Google Chrome, you should also disable the function of preloading web pages. It is located in the same “Traffic Control” settings section. You can allow the browser to download pages in the background only when there is an active Wi-Fi connection, or disable downloading altogether.
⇡ Control over traffic consumption using specialized applications
The main purpose of mobile traffic accounting applications is to help you save money. For this purpose, both simple consumption statistics and restrictions on different periods time.
Perhaps the most simple program for traffic accounting - Internet Speed Meter Lite. It only performs monitoring and statistics collection functions. The application monitors mobile and Wi-Fi traffic consumption in real time. The current data transfer speed can be seen in the notification panel, and if you expand the notification menu, you can also see the name of the current network and the amount of traffic that was consumed today.
The application window shows how much traffic has been used over the past last month by day, the amount for the last seven and thirty days, as well as the total number since the beginning of the current month. Mobile and Wi-Fi traffic is counted separately.
The Data Usage application is interesting because it can count not only mobile, but also Wi-Fi traffic. And not only count, but also notify when a specified limit is exceeded, and also block data transfer when a certain value is reached. Why might you need Wi-Fi traffic metering? For example, some hotels practice providing free Wi-Fi access within a certain limit. If it is exceeded, you must pay additionally.
In the application settings, you can specify how much traffic (mobile and Wi-Fi separately) is provided for a given period. Data Usage will not only collect statistics for the day, for the week and for the reporting period, but also calculate how much traffic should be consumed ideally so that the Internet does not cost a penny. It also shows predicted consumption, separate statistics on received and transmitted data and, most importantly, how much free traffic remains until the end of the reporting period.
Data on mobile Internet and Wi-Fi are shown on separate tabs, but you can view the total history of traffic consumption on a visual graph.
Data Usage can warn you that your prepaid traffic is about to expire. Moreover, there may be three such warnings. The default is when using fifty, seventy-five and ninety percent, but this parameter is configurable. In addition, the application can completely turn off the Internet when a certain value is reached (99% by default) and automatically turn it on when the next reporting period arrives.
Another traffic monitoring application that may be useful is “My Internet Manager” (My Data Manager - Data Usage. Its feature is the ability to set separate data plans for roaming and mobile Internet. You can set a traffic limit, as well as the date and plan start time.
As for data received via Wi-Fi, it is impossible to set a traffic limit here, but you can specify when the number of downloaded data is reached, the program should notify the user. “My Internet Manager” displays information about traffic consumption in a convenient form, with each type of connection located on a separate tab.
A full report of total data consumption can be seen in the graph. Also, information on consumed traffic is displayed on the notification panel.
The app also keeps track of the data consumption of different apps. This information can be presented in chart form or as a list.
TO nice bonuses Applications include the ability to backup data to an SD card and quickly restore it.
⇡ Non-standard approach: not only control, but also traffic reduction
Even before the advent of smartphones, mobile browsers from Opera Software were extremely popular. And one of the most popular features of Opera Mini was traffic compression. Thanks to this, on the one hand, the loading of web pages on a slow connection was accelerated, and on the other hand, mobile Internet bills were reduced.
The same compression technology that was used in the Norwegian company's older products forms the basis of the Opera Max application for Android. It is currently being tested, but is already available for free download from Google Play in our country. The main difference between Opera Max and the corresponding function in the browser is that it works with all applications. That is, if Opera Mini compresses only the content of web pages, then Opera Max works with any browser, as well as applications for viewing video content, reading RSS, downloading photos, etc. In particular, with the help of Opera Max, traffic in the VKontakte, Viber, and Odnoklassniki applications is significantly saved.
Technically, Opera Max works through a VPN network. All network traffic from a mobile device passes through Opera servers, where it is compressed whenever possible. Thus, the user downloads much less data.
How much data has been saved is shown in the application window. Detailed statistics by date and by application are also available. As our testing has shown, web pages and photos are best compressed; with video, the situation is worse. But the application does not work with Facebook and Twitter at all - this is because these social sites use an encrypted connection. Accordingly, the application is unable to intercept this traffic in order to send it to Opera servers. It's also worth keeping in mind that the app is useless for compressing web pages if you use Google browser Chrome with data compression enabled. In this case, you cannot save even more. Opera Max also does not compress application updates or files downloaded to the device.
Opera Max only works with mobile Internet. As for Wi-Fi traffic, it is not taken into account and is not saved. But the application has a convenient option for banning the use of mobile traffic for individual applications. This can be handy since the Wi-Fi update option may not be found in all apps.
Finally, when using Opera Max, it's worth keeping in mind that the app works offline for seven days. For its further operation, you need to “recharge”, that is, click on a special button on the corresponding tab of the application. For now (at the testing stage) it is free, but in the future, most likely, you will have to pay to extend the service.
However, if Opera Max becomes paid in the future, it is worth keeping in mind that this application is not unique. The same functions have been available for more than two years to users of the lesser-known Onavo Extend program, the developers of which came under the wing of Facebook in 2013.
Like Opera Max, it free application works through a proxy server and compresses all mobile traffic from the device. When you turn on Wi-Fi, it turns off automatically. In the application you can see statistics on saved traffic for a week and a month. And in the settings you can control the quality of graphics, as well as set the cache size for saved graphic elements. This is true if you constantly load the same web pages. Onavo Extend saves the graphics from them, they are not re-downloaded, resulting in even greater savings.
⇡ Conclusion
I really hope that in five to ten years the demand for all applications for saving mobile traffic will decrease. Perhaps very soon they will become as rarely used as programs for monitoring traffic on a PC are now rare. And just as inexpensive internet via cable came to our homes without taking into account traffic, so our smartphones will receive inexpensive unlimited access to the Internet.
The Internet has become an integral part in our time, and many people cannot imagine their life without mobile Internet. But there are problems with the Internet.
Almost all Android device users are wondering why Internet traffic runs out so quickly? This is especially noticeable for those users who switched to Android from other operating systems.
Why does this happen to Internet traffic in Android? This system constantly works on the network, she is oriented and tuned to such work. Almost all applications are aimed specifically at using the Internet, and this is the Android mobile Internet. This focus is an obvious advantage of this system.
Although this plus works mainly where there is cheap or free and accessible mobile Internet, for example, where there are free Wi-Fi networks. In reality, everything is somewhat different; free Wi-Fi is not available everywhere, and mobile operators are in no hurry to reduce the price for Internet access. For this reason, there is a question of saving Android traffic.
Let's try to figure out what leads to a constant decrease in Internet traffic, and how to prevent it.
1 Applications in the background
In my opinion, main reason quick loss traffic in Android are Internet applications running in the background. Many background programs do not require the Internet, but they constantly contain advertising that is loaded from the Internet. This leads to unplanned traffic consumption. How to prevent some applications from working with the Internet?
Let's look at this using Android version 4.4.4 as an example.
1.1 How to disable Android mobile Internet
Rice. 1 Android Settings
To disable mobile Internet in Android version 4.4.4:
- you need to go to “Settings” (1 in Fig. 1),
- in “Settings” select “Data Usage” (2 in Fig. 1),
- uncheck “Mobile data” (Fig. 2) (completely prohibit the use of Internet traffic from the mobile operator).
Rice. 2 Disable mobile Internet in Android 4.4.4
By disabling the mobile Internet, we completely disconnect Android from the mobile Internet. There will be no traffic consumption, but there will also be no opportunity to work with the Internet and Internet applications on Android in the absence of Wi-Fi networks.
These restrictions apply only to mobile Internet. Everything will work fine on free Wi-Fi networks once you connect to them.
1.2 Traffic limitation in Android
Instead of completely disabling the mobile Internet, sometimes it is better to simply limit it so as not to completely exclude the possibility of working with the mobile Internet in the absence of free Wi-Fi networks (see Fig. 3):
Rice. 3 Limit mobile traffic
In “Settings”, return the checkbox next to “Mobile data” (Fig. 3) to return the ability to work with the mobile Internet.
To set restrictions, do the following. On the graph (Fig. 3), we move the yellow bar for limiting the amount of data used, for example, to 2 GB, if, say, our tariff from a mobile operator provides a maximum volume of 3 GB per month, and check the “Mobile data limit” checkbox. Then we will receive a warning when the traffic reaches 2GB.
1.3 Restrictions for Internet applications
You can not check the “Mobile data limit” checkbox (Fig. 3), but you can manually set restrictions for each application. This will limit the Internet traffic of each individual Android application.
Rice. 4 Traffic for Internet applications
To do this, click on the application icon (for example, Google Drive) on the “Data Usage” page (Fig. 4). In the window that opens, check the “Limit background data” checkbox (Fig. 5).
Rice. 5 Limiting mobile Internet for applications
From now on, the Google Drive app will only go online when Android is connected to Wi-Fi (assuming by default that Wi-Fi is free for the user).
Similarly, you should manually set restrictions for all applications that, in the opinion of the Android user, should not consume paid mobile Internet traffic.
This is not done quickly, but it gives good effect. After this, only the remaining applications, for example, only Google Chrome, will be able to use mobile Internet traffic under the control of the Android user.
1.4 Disabling data while roaming
In order not to waste very expensive Internet traffic while roaming, you need to uncheck the “Data Usage” - ... - “Data in Roaming” box (Fig. 6).
Rice. 6 Disable data usage while roaming
In this case, for example, abroad, Android is guaranteed not to use the Internet traffic of an expensive foreign mobile operator, and not for any applications.
2 Widget updates
Another reason for the consumption of Internet traffic is updates to widgets that use the Internet for this. Of course, if your desktop is strewn with various widgets, such as weather, reminders, news, etc., then traffic leakage cannot be avoided.
These applications are automatically updated using the Internet, which leads to increased traffic. Therefore, it is simply recommended to remove all unnecessary things from the desktop, and this will already lead to savings.
You can also use the above recommendations for limiting traffic for each individual widget (Fig. 4) and (Fig. 5).
3 Android updates
The Android system itself is also updated automatically. Updates are important, so you don't need to disable them completely.
But you need to make sure that updates are installed only when working on a free Wi-Fi network.
Rice. 7 Looking for where Android Updates are located
To configure the use of Internet traffic for Adroid updates, go to “Settings” – “About device” (Fig. 7) – “Software update” (Fig. 8) – uncheck “Auto-update”, check “Wi-Fi only” ( Fig. 8).
Rice. 8 Update Android only when Wi-Fi is available
From now on, our Android will receive and install updates only when it is on a free Wi-Fi network. Mobile traffic will remain untouched; it will not be wasted on fairly frequent updates.
4 Android market
The Android market also consumes a lot of traffic, especially after the function has recently appeared there automatic update. It can also be controlled by disabling the “update automatically” feature. However, it remains possible to make updates manually when you have access to a free Wi-Fi network.
To prevent unnecessary advertising from wasting your traffic, before installing any new applications, you should check for advertising in these applications. This often occurs in paid versions of applications. If possible, it is better to disable advertising.
Some people put an Internet shutdown widget on their desktop. To do this, download from the Android market, for example,
- APN Switch
- or APN OnOff,
- APNdroid.
With their help, it is easier to control Internet traffic without going to the Settings menu.
Sometimes, again instead of standard Android settings, they use an application
- 3G WatchDog.
It allows you to avoid unplanned waste of traffic by controlling it and setting a limit on Internet use. But I prefer Android's default Settings menu over similar apps.
5 Unlimited Internet
And of course, the simplest and reliable way- this is the purchase of unlimited Internet. For example, a mobile operator provides this opportunity. Also, many well-known operators offer tariffs for 150 rubles and more with fairly high traffic restrictions from 500 MB to 3-5 GB or more.
This helps you save a lot on mobile Internet, and, equally important, control your traffic costs. It is also important here that, as a rule, the options offered by cellular operators also work in intranet roaming. This means that when moving from place to place (for example, from one region of the Russian Federation to another), you can continue to use the provided traffic without additional payment. This is very convenient for mobile users who go on business trips or vacations.
6 Useful habits
It is important to make it a rule to connect to the Internet only in zones free Wi-Fi, especially if you plan to download a large amount of information (downloading new applications, watching videos, etc.)
And one more thing. When installing any new attractive application, you need to pay attention to how much Internet traffic this application will require for its operation. All kinds of “useful” applications about weather forecasts, horoscopes, taxis, etc. require constant updating and pumping of new relevant data. And this will happen at the expense of the Android user’s traffic, at the expense of the money of the user who installed these applications on his smartphone (tablet).
By adhering to these rules, you can significantly reduce your Internet traffic consumption and save on the Internet.
In general, mobile Internet is far from the most expensive in Russia. Those who have had experience using mobile Internet abroad simply dream of such options as mobile Internet for a fixed fee, or generally unlimited mobile Internet traffic, for example from Yota. Analogues of such services are difficult to find anywhere else.
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IN modern society It’s hard to live without mobile Internet, gadgets, smartphones and other equipment that attracts users. But as practice has shown, “any” technology turns into a “brick” without Internet access, so today we want to tell you how to save mobile traffic using 5 interesting applications.
List of programs participating in today's review: Opera Max, Onavo Extend, Data Status, Osmino Wi-Fi and WeFi Pro.
Developer: Opera Software ASA
Version: 1.0.225.113
Onavo Extend
Developer: Navo
Version: 1.4.6-0ex
Onavo Extend is a simple and easy-to-use application that perfectly compresses data of any kind. The principle of operation of the program is as follows: mobile phone contacts the operator providing the connection, then the data goes to the Onavo server, and after that you receive compressed data, which, in fact, is several times smaller than the original, and the quality does not suffer from this. Before you start using the program, you must allow the program to send mobile data to Onavo servers, after which you can start working. The application itself works through a VPN connection, which allows you to save data and also safely use the global network.
Data Status
Developer: Flavor Monkey
Version: 6.21
Data Status– a convenient program that allows you to save mobile traffic, which will also pass through third-party servers and compress it. The program will delight you with its clarity; on the start screen you will see all the graphs, scales, comparative indicators, various numbers and much more, which makes it clear how and where your traffic is going. It is not necessary to run the program in order to make sure it works; you can simply pull out the curtain and see how many megabytes were compressed and how many megabytes were spent by the user. Despite English language application, it is very easy to use.
Osmino Wi-Fi
Developer: RIWW
Version: 5.25.03
Osmino Wi-Fi is a useful program for Android, which is a Wi-Fi network manager with community support. According to the developers, their application you will no longer have to worry about high-speed Internet on your device, since the program itself will find the desired Wi-Fi access point and connect to it, even if you do not know its password. We launch the applications, click on the large round button located in the center of the display and our smartphone/tablet will connect to the available network itself, while skipping settings and entering a password. You can also view a list of available Wi-Fi hotspots on a city map located near you, test your connection speed, and even view the location of nearby augmented reality hotspots (with your camera turned on). The program is in Russian, it is easy to use, and its effectiveness has been proven by hundreds of positive reviews in the Google Play store.
WeFi Pro
Developer: WiFi
Version: 4.0.1.4200000
WeFi Pro is an application that will automatically connect to the most available Wi-Fi hotspots. It’s immediately worth noting a very nice feature - automatically turning Wi-Fi on and off to save battery power. That is, Wi-Fi will automatically connect in places where there is a constant signal (for example, at home or at work) and disconnect where there is none. There are convenient Push notifications about open networks, as well as networks that have passwords. If you wish, you can specify public networks that should be avoided (a blacklist, in other words). If you travel often, but do not want to pay for mobile traffic, then use this application completely free.
The list of applications given is not final; on Google Play you can find huge amount similar programs, each of which will be unique in its own way and will allow you to save mobile traffic.
Cellular networks provide faster and faster access to the World Wide Web, and traffic consumption by mobile devices is only growing. However, mobile Internet is still not a cheap pleasure: many people still use tariffs with a traffic volume of 4 GB, and many people travel, and the Internet while traveling is much more expensive.
In this article we will look at seven ways to save mobile traffic, from the simplest ones available in the Android settings, to means of compressing transmitted data, complete ban on data transfer and completely unobvious approaches, such as installing an ad blocker.
1. Standard Android tools
A few simple steps can help reduce the amount of data transferred.
- Go to the Play Store settings and in the “Auto-update applications” option, select “Never”. Uncheck the box next to “Availability of updates”.
- Go to Settings → Location and turn off Location History.
- “Settings → Accounts”, “Menu” button, uncheck “Auto-sync data”. Internet usage will decrease noticeably, but mail and application notifications will stop coming.
- Now go back to settings and go to “Data Transfer”. Click "Menu" and select "Limit background activity." As a result, the battery life of the smartphone will increase and Internet consumption will decrease, but notifications from instant messengers will no longer be received. Therefore, a better solution would be to go through the list, find not very important applications and limit their access to background data and/or data on cellular networks.
- Open Google Settings and go to Security. I don’t recommend disabling “Check for security problems,” but unchecking the “Anti-malware” checkbox would be the right decision. At your own peril and risk, you can disable “Remote device search” and “Remote blocking”.
- In the same “Google Settings”, go to “Data Management” (at the bottom of the list) and set “Application Data Update” to “Wi-Fi Only”.
- Go back and open Search & Google Now. Go to the “Personal Data” section and turn off “Send statistics”. In the menu “Voice search → Offline speech recognition”, download the package for offline recognition and disable its auto-update or select “Only via Wi-Fi”. You can also go to the “Feed” section and turn it off. The Ribbon is the left "Google Start" screen or home screen Google apps. Here you can disable “Screen Search” (Google Now on tap). Well, at the very bottom, turn off the “Recommended applications” item.
- Don’t forget to turn off auto-checking and auto-downloading updates in “Settings → About phone.”
2. Get rid of advertising
Oddly enough, one way to reduce traffic consumption is to block ads. The indispensable program AdAway will help with this. It completely denies access to ad servers, blocking it at the system level. In other words, when an application accesses an address that is in its database, the request goes nowhere. By the way, activity tracking services (those that monitor user actions) are also blocked. The application requires root rights(and S-OFF on HTC).
When the blocking is enabled, problems may arise with the operation of some applications for making money from advertising (for example, NewApp, AdvertApp, CoinsUP - the latter did not show anything at all until recently). Other incompatibilities are also possible: six months ago, the Weather Underground application did not work due to AdAway. IN latest versions everything was fine (either Weather Underground changed something, or AdAway corrected the host addresses).
3. Save using your browser
There are not so many browsers with a built-in data saving mode. I selected five and tested them by opening seven web pages.
Firefox
Used for benchmark testing. There is no saving mode here.
Consumption: 13.33 MB
Opera Mini
The most economical browser. Allows you to save up to 90% of traffic (on average up to 70–80%). The data is compressed so much that you can browse the Internet on Edge or even GPRS networks. This all works by using its own engine, which represents web pages not as text, but as binary code. And Opera servers are responsible for converting pages into this code. Plus a built-in ad blocker, video and image compression.
There is also a super-saving mode, which includes aggressive compression methods, which in some cases break pages. For example, the Eldorado store website did not open at all in this mode, YouTube opened in the WAP version, the map could not be viewed on the OpenStreetMap website, and article c opened with distortions. With the super economy mode turned off, these problems disappear.
Consumption: 12 MB
Opera
It differs from the Mini version in a different interface and the absence of a super saving mode. But it works faster.
Consumption: 12.15 MB
Chrome
This browser also has a data saver, but no ad blocker. According to the developers, savings average 20–40% depending on the content. But in practice, in almost a month I saved as much as 4%.
To activate, you need to go to settings and enable the “Traffic saving” item. There are no settings, statistics on saved megabytes can only be assessed by traffic, there are no statistics on sites, there is no ad blocker and there is no support for extensions (for installing the blocker).
The saving mode itself works completely unnoticed. The quality of the pictures does not suffer, and the page loading speed remains almost unchanged. That is, Chrome remains one of the fastest browsers. And he turned out to be the most gluttonous.
Consumption: 15.5 MB
Puffin
Desktop versions of YouTube and Play Store sites opened instead of mobile ones. But the savings are obvious.
Consumption: 5 MB
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