Merely two decades ago no one could have imagined that they would be able to perform complex calculations, video call their friends thousands of miles away, play high-performance multi-player games, or even stream video content using supercomputers that fit into the palm of their hands.
Yet this is the exact reality most of us live in today. Smartphone devices have radically altered each and every aspect of our modern-day lives.
Stare-of-the-art devices coupled with lightening paced mobile internet connections have brought several conveniences to our fast-paced lives.
Today, over 287 Million Americans routinely use their phones to access the internet, a number that is set to cross the 300 Million mark in the next five years.
Smartphones have even started replacing desktops, laptops, and even tablets as America’s device of choice to access the internet.
By the end of 2022, more than half of America’s internet traffic was routed through mobile phone devices exceeding all other forms of web-enabled devices put together.
And if these stats were not enough to establish the centrality of internet-enabled smartphone devices, here are some more.
Every day Americans spent a little less than four and a half hours staring down at their mobile screens.
This is because popular activities ranging from video streaming to social media usage have all shifted to mobile devices.
For instance, most social media apps are optimized for mobile usage and America has over 270 Million people who use these apps.
And when it comes to streaming videos or playing music, smartphones again top the list of America’s favorite devices.
In addition to these entertainment activities, Americans have started relying on their mobiles for financially sensitive activities like paying bills, shopping, and even bank management.
And even though smartphones make up only one-third of all e-commerce being carried out in the States, their rapidly accelerating usage points towards dominance in these sectors as well.
Our extreme reliance on our mobile devices to access the internet takes a huge toll on our mobile data plans.
It is worth mentioning that mobile data plans tend to be slightly more expensive when compared to home networks.
For this reason, it is essential to optimize your mobile data usage so that you can perform essential tasks without having to spend huge chunks of extra cash.
So, let’s take a quick look at some of the techniques you can employ to better manage your mobile data plan to save money.
Postpone Data-intensive Activities To When You Are Connected To The Wi-fi
There are several activities that you need to perform on the go and cannot wait until you get home.
But several other activities like mobile operating system updates and large software or app downloads can always wait.
Never perform these activities on mobile data. Wait until you get home and are connected to your home WI-FI.
Because installing just one update might eat up half of your mobile data and leave out nothing for more essential activities.
Monitor Your Mobile Data Usage And Hold Yourself Accountable
Do not wait around for your mobile data provider to tell you that your mobile data package has been depleted.
Take out the time to set up mobile data usage caps on your phone. Also, make a habit of constantly tracking your usage so that you have a better idea of when to scale back.
In short, hold yourself accountable so that you can use your precious data more responsibly.
Get An Internet Service Provider That Has Mobile Hotspots
Keeping in mind the increasing importance of smartphones several established internet service providers (ISPs) like Spectrum have set up a vast network of mobile hotspots that clients can connect to even when they are not home.
Just find a Spectrum Hotspot, move in range and your phone will automatically connect to it, helping you conserve your mobile internet data.
Use Data Compression Apps And Data-free Versions Whenever Possible
Several easily available browsers like Opera Mini help you save up on data while browsing the internet by compressing web pages.
In simple terms, using these data compression browsers will allow you the same internet experience while eating up less of your data.
Similarly, some social media platforms like Facebook allow offline scrolling. Yes, the experience is not the same because some media files will not pop up but at least you’ll get to feed your social media scrolling addiction without having to spend internet data.
Prevent Data Leakages By Actively Monitoring The Apps On Your Phone
Several mobile phone apps tend to have a mind of their own. They keep running in the background even when we have closed them.
They automatically sync themselves across all our devices even when have not asked them to do so. Similarly, some of these apps keep installing tiny features without asking for permission.
Make sure that monitor the data each app on your phone is using. And if an app is siphoning off too much internet data, go to its setting and remove permissions to cut it down to size.
Final Thoughts
Internet-enabled mobile devices have become almost essential to the smooth functioning of our day-to-day lives.
But while over-reliance on smartphones has brought several conveniences to our lives, it also means that we eat through mobile data plans much faster, which can end up costing large amounts of money.
This write-up offers several practicable solutions to individuals who are looking to save some money by better managing their mobile internet usage.
