Where oh where has my data gone?

The price of data has improved significantly over the past few years, though that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be watching every kilobyte carefully.
It’s important that you understand how and why your data is running out quicker than it should be.
So, in the spirit of careful data spending, we’ve put together a list of the Top 5 reasons your data keeps disappearing and what you can do about it.
1. Background apps.
Even when you aren’t interacting with them, background apps send and receive small data packets to perform certain functions. Messaging apps, for example, refresh intermittently to check for notifications.
Check which apps are running in the background, then change their permission settings. An exception to this would be apps that require a constant internet connection to work, such as the aforementioned messaging apps.
2. Automatic updates.
When a developer wants to improve upon their app, they perform an update. Updates are often necessary additions that make your interaction with the app more enjoyable.
That said, they can also be minor changes that don’t affect you at all, causing more frustration than increased enjoyment. You can change your update permissions to disallow auto-updates on an app or instruct it to perform updates on Wi-Fi exclusively.
3. Your streaming quality.
If you use apps like YouTube or Netflix, you could be streaming your data away unnecessarily. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be enjoying your favourite content!
According to an article from Panda Security, one hour of video streaming at 480p consumes about 700MB. That’s insane when you consider most apps automatically play at 1080 (HD)! Make sure you’re streaming at the lowest resolution you can if you’re trying to save data.
4. Autoplay.
Video content is a staple on content-centric apps like 9GAG, Instagram, and Twitter. Subsequently, they can consume a large amount of data.
Change your auto-play settings so that you only spend data watching the videos you want to watch. Keep an eye out for apps like TikTok, which don’t allow you to turn off auto-play.
5. “Aaah, I thought I’d switched to Wi-Fi”.
You didn’t think we’d let you off that easy, did you? Whether it’s twenty minutes or an entire day, being off the Wi-Fi when you could be saving precious data is a big no-no. Make sure you switch to Wi-Fi wherever possible.
Of course, Wi-Fi isn’t always available. You can change your app and device settings so that certain apps only run when on Wi-Fi. You can do the same for updates and downloads, so be sure to check your device settings.
We hope our tips help to save you some data! If you know a few other ways to save data, let’s connect in the comments.
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