As mobile data tariffs continue to rise in Nigeria, with providers like MTN and Airtel hiking their prices, users are feeling the impact on their monthly bills. In an age where connectivity is vital, finding ways to conserve data without sacrificing functionality has become more important than ever. Fortunately, your smartphone is equipped with a range of settings that can help you slash data usage significantly.
Whether you’re aiming to extend your monthly data allowance or simply want to steer clear of those unwelcome overage fees, these five crucial phone settings will help you conserve data in 2025!
1. Enable Data Saver Mode
Both Android and iOS devices have a built-in Data Saver mode. When activated, this feature restricts background data usage for apps and limits data consumption by only allowing essential apps to access the internet.
- How to Enable:
- Android: Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage > Data Saver and toggle it on.
- iOS: Go to Settings > Cellular and scroll down to enable Low Data Mode.
2. Limit Background Data Usage
Restricting background data for specific apps can prevent them from consuming data when not in use. This is particularly useful for social media and streaming apps that often run in the background.
- How to Enable:
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > [Select App] > Data usage > Background data and toggle it off.
- iOS: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and choose either to turn it off completely or select specific apps.
3. Disable Auto-Play for Videos
Many apps automatically play videos by default, consuming a significant amount of data. Disabling this feature can help conserve data usage.
- How to Disable:
- Facebook/Instagram: Go to Settings > Media and Contacts > Auto-Play (or similar) and choose Never Auto-Play Videos.
- YouTube: Go to Settings > General and toggle off Autoplay.
4. Adjust Streaming Quality
Reducing the streaming quality for video and music apps can significantly save data usage. Setting videos to SD quality instead of HD is a smart choice when on mobile data.
- How to Adjust:
- YouTube: Go to Settings > Video quality preferences, and choose a lower quality.
- Spotify: Go to Settings > Audio Quality and select a lower streaming quality under Cellular Streaming.
5. Disable Automatic Updates
Automatic updates for apps can eat up data without your knowledge. Setting your device to update apps only over Wi-Fi can prevent unexpected data usage.
- How to Disable:
- Android: Go to the Google Play Store > Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps and select Over Wi-Fi only.
- iOS: Go to Settings > App Store and toggle off App Updates under Automatic Downloads.
Bonus Tip: Manage Location Services
Apps using location services can also consume data. Set your location access to “While Using the App” or disable it for apps that don’t need continuous access.
- How to Adjust:
- Android: Go to Settings > Location > App permissions and adjust settings for each app.
- iOS: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and set preferences for each app.
Compress Data in Browsers: Web browsers like Google Chrome offer a data-saving feature that compresses images and web pages before they load. Enabling this feature can lead to significant reductions in data usage, especially if you frequently browse data-heavy sites.
By implementing these settings, you can significantly reduce your data consumption, making your mobile data last longer, especially in a challenging economic environment, taking control of your smartphone settings is a smart and effective way to slash your data usage in 2025. These settings works well with all Nigerian data service providers: MTN, AIRTEL and GLO
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