How to Get the Most Out of Your Mobile Data

Getting everything you need from your mobile network?

Data availability is an amazing thing for activities like photo sharing, video downloading, streaming, playing games, etc. On the flip side, mobile data can get quite expensive, and it can be stressful when your data starts slowing down or running out.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to use your cellphone more efficiently so that you can utilize the fun activities at your fingertips without having to worry about receiving subpar service.

Here are our suggestions for best practices:

It is a good idea to regularly check your usage through your phone carrier’s mobile app or by texting a designated line that can provide you with this information.

It is also a good idea to watch your data usage over the course of months to see how much you and your family typically use. If you find that you frequently go over it, it might not be a bad idea to upgrade your plan to one with more data.

One way to avoid overage charges is to choose a plan that makes it unlikely that you will to run out of data.

If you find that you consistently run out, an unlimited data plan might be your best option. This takes away the hassle of worrying about whether you will run out of data, as well as dishing out money for more data unexpectedly.

In your phone settings, you can opt to have your phone automatically connect to a secure WiFi network, whether that be the one in your home, at your office, or both.

Making this change is easy - just go to your device's settings, make sure that WiFi is on, and log on to your wireless network. You can even set it so that your phone automatically connects to your chosen network when it is in range.

Picking and choosing which notifications and alerts are of interest to you is a great analysis to conduct on your mobile phone. By going into your phone's settings, you can decide which apps you want to receive push notifications for and which ones you do not.

For example, you may want to receive alerts when you get a Facebook message, whereas going up a level in your favorite mobile game might not be of as much interest to you.

Disabling push notifications, automatic app updates, and your device’s GPS when it is not necessary can save you a decent amount of data and reduce any sense of information overload you might be getting from your phone daily.

An easy way to reduce data usage is to close out apps when you are no longer using them. Many of them, especially ones that utilize location services, will continue sending and receiving data even when they are not in use. Not only does this waste precious data, but it wastes your phone battery also!

Furthermore, it might not be a bad idea to delete applications you seldom or never use. Review which apps you currently have installed and decide which ones are no longer necessary to have. Getting rid of them can also mean more efficient phone performance.

It is best to not download large files or stream while connected to your mobile data. Downloading large apps and files can eat up data quickly, seeing as some files can be larger than 100MB. Streaming uses a lot of data also, especially if you are trying to indulge in 4G video. This will typically run you 350 MB an hour.

You can go into the app associated with your mobile carrier to get a better idea of how much data is included in your plan and how much you are regularly using.

Optimum Mobile users can review all their plan information in MyMobile to get a synopsis of how much data was used and how much is left in the current billing cycle. You can even add a data top-up directly in the app if you find that you are running out or have run out already.

We hope these tips and tricks prove to be useful when it comes to making the most of your mobile data!

Optimum Mobile offers 5G access at no additional cost for all our mobile plans. Optimum Mobile is on America's largest, fastest and most awarded 5G network. Full coverage is supported on 4G LTE, 5G and WiFi hotspots.

Optimum Mobile carries the latest 5G phones from Apple, Samsung and Motorola. Optimum Mobile leverages T-Mobile 4G LTE and 5G networks. T-Mobile has America's largest 5G network with more 5G bars in more places. Fastest: Based on median, overall combined 5G speeds according to analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data 5G download speeds for Q2 2022. Most Reliable: According to an audit report conducted by independent third-party umlaut containing crowdsourced data for user experience including task completion collected from November 2021 to May 2022. Full details at: www.umlaut.com/en/benchmarking/USA. 5G capable device required; 5G not available in all areas.

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