Safaricom is arguably the best mobile service provider in the country. I say this heavily inclined towards their excellent data service (I don’t call/text much). It has the largest coverage of the 3G network in the Kenya making high speed data connection available in most parts of the republic.
As much as this is an awesome thing, access to high-speed internet brings forth the pain of users experiencing an upsurge in data usage on their handsets and tablets. This is annoying as it is expensive. The good thing is that with just a few adjustments you can put a cap on your mobile data usage.
Here are some smart tweaks to tame your handset and trick it into using considerably less data.
Tweak the In-App data Settings
Installed applications will in most instances be the culprits behind the huge data use. For the best performance, most will constantly connect with their servers and pass data back and forth. A practical example is the Google+ instant upload feature.
A practical tweak to this, is turning off such features and turning them occasionally when you actually need them. This will not only keep your data usage at its minimum but also save you some battery juice.
Fine Tune Synchronizing Services
Keeping stuff updated on your phone is a practical way to boost your productivity. However, this comes at a cost, an abnormal data usage. To achieve a tradeoff you should fine-tune what you need synced up. For example, keep email sync off during the weekends and only turning it on during the weekdays. This will save you a couple of MBs.
Updating of Apps
Google will occasionally notify you of installed apps that need to be updated. This is a useful feature but can lead to high data usage.
It is advisable to update an app when you really need to e.g a new feature added or a security patch.
Additionally, check mark auto update only when on Wi-Fi feature. Alternatively you can choose the ‘do not auto update apps option’.
Minimize Browser Data Usage
The bulk of data usage can be attributed to the browser. For frugal living, stay shy of data hungry browsers. Opera Mobile has an excellent data saving feature ‘the off road’ option.
What it basically does is save you on the data usage by compressing the web pages in its servers before loading them up on your browser.
Install a Data Usage Monitor
Android version 4.0+ comes with an inbuilt data usage feature. However, some apps provide some decent data management features to help you accurately trace you data usage and determine the culprits behind the high data usage.
A perfect example is the My Data Manager App. It offers a detailed and by far accurate data usage analysis and will help you pin point data hungry apps that need taming.
Closely Related: Safaricom Tricks 101: Buy Cheap Safaricom Data Bundles Online
Kevin is a tech enthusiast and the lead writer at MobiTrends.co.ke. He has been writing about smartphones and tech related topics since October 2012. About Us | Contact Us
