Trying to Decrease Data Usage on Your Phone? Here’s How

Smartphones allow us to access Internet connection wherever we are and whenever we want. With cell phone towers seemingly everywhere broadcasting high-speed connectivity on-the-go, it's easy to stream music, browse the Internet, endlessly scroll through social media feeds, and even video chat with our friends, family, and colleagues.

But, all of that connectivity requires mobile data usage, which can cost a lot of money if you don't have an unlimited data plan with your cell phone carrier. Even if you have an unlimited plan, you might still want an idea of how much data you're using (in case you switch off an unlimited plan in the future).

Don’t fret, though. There are ways you can learn how to decrease data usage on your phone, which we’ll describe in more detail below.

Identifying Phone Data Usage

First, it's important to understand how much phone data you're currently using. This could help you determine whether you're using too much, as well as how much data you need on your monthly cell phone plan.

If you’re using an Android-powered smartphone, there are a few different ways you can discover this information depending on your specific mobile device.

For Samsung Galaxy devices, you can view your overall data usage by navigating to Settings, Connections and then Data Usage. To see your per-app data usage on these devices, go to Settings, Apps and then click on each individual app.

If you're using a Pixel device, go to Settings, then tap on Network & Internet, and SIMs. This page will then show you the total amount of data you use. You can also click App data usage to drill down to figure out which apps are using the most data, which could help you figure out how to decrease data usage on an Android.

If you have a different Android device, go to Settings, then tap on Network & Internet, and then Internet. Your carrier will be listed here. Tap Settings next to it, and you'll see the total amount of data you use. You can see the data usage by app by tapping App data usage.

On an iPhone, you can see your data usage by going to Settings and then Cellular. On this page, you will see how much data you've used during the current period. Below that, you can see the data usage by app, so you can figure out how to decrease data usage on an iPhone.

By browsing through the list of apps on your phone, no matter what type of phone you have, you’ll be able to figure out why your phone is using so much data, and what apps might be draining your phone data.

General Tips for Reducing Data Usage

If you want to figure out how to decrease data usage on your phone, there are some general tips that you can follow.

First, only use data - or use as much data as possible - when you're connected to a trusted WiFi network. When you're connected to WiFi, you won't be using the data from your mobile plan. This is the same as when you connect your computer to a WiFi network.

Of course, you won’t always be connected to WiFi. A good suggestion, then, is to save the big data-heavy processes for when you’re connected to WiFi, like using music and video streaming services.

Even if you're trying hard to learn how to decrease data usage, your phone may still be draining your data. This is why it's important to close out any apps that are running in the background, and even disable this feature.

You can even disable your GPS when you don’t specifically need it, so that your phone isn’t constantly using data to let apps know where you are.

On an iPhone, go to the Settings app, then Privacy & Security, then Location Services. Once there, click off Location Services.

On an Android device, open Settings, then click Personal, Location Access and turn Access to my Location off.

Finally, you can turn your phone into airplane mode, but this will require WiFi connection to use any data at all — even for phone calls.

Decreasing Data Usage on iPhone

There are some additional steps you can take to figure out how to decrease data usage on an iPhone.

First, activate Low Data Mode. This will restrict apps from background data usage, and you can turn it on for WiFi, cellular or dual SIM connections.

To do so, go to Settings and tap Cellular, then Cellular Data Options and Data Mode. There, you will find an option to turn on Low Data Mode.

You can also consider adjusting the quality of your streaming. Reducing the quality of the videos significantly can reduce your data usage.

You also can use some maps programs such as Apple Maps and Google Maps in offline mode to save data, as long as your device runs iOS 17 or later. You'll need to download the maps while you're online to use this feature.

Decreasing Data Usage on Android

There are some similar steps you can take to learn how to decrease data usage on Android. Turn on Data Saver mode so that you don't use as much mobile data. Simply open Settings, then click Network & Internet and then Data Saver.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, the process is slightly different. Open Settings, Connections, Data Usage, Data Saver, and then click the switch next to "Turn on now."

You can also ensure that apps only sync when you're connected to WiFi. To do this, open Settings and tap on your name at the top. Tap Samsung Cloud, then tap any app. Tap Sync using and then Choose WiFi only.

For some apps, you may need to follow one additional step. Open Settings and then select Synchronization Settings, then Sync methods. Select Local over WiFi, and that will ensure that your apps only sync if you're connected to a WiFi network.

For Pixel phones, turn off auto-sync by going to Settings and then Accounts. Then tap "Automatically sync app data."

Finally, follow some of the same suggestions from above with the iPhone — using as many apps as possible in offline mode if it’s available.

Consider Upgrading Your Phone

The steps above are just a few ideas for how to decrease data usage on your phone. If you have an older phone, though, you may not have the same options to either track your data usage or to reduce how much you use.

If this is the case, it might be time for you to get a new phone or upgrade your data plan.

Thinking of trying out an unlimited plan so you don't have to worry about your data usage? Check out Optimum Mobile's unlimited plan options.