If you don’t have an unlimited data plan, it can be difficult to manage your data without restricting apps and services on your handset. If you need the Internet for work, it makes it even tougher to go without mobile data. Regardless, sometimes it has to be done when you’ve reached your limit for the month. Some providers charge a lot of money for exceeding your plan by small amounts of data, so here’s a guide to setting up limits on your Android device. You don’t want to end up paying for data you could have capped at any time.
Setting a data limit on your Android device
The first thing you’ll need to do is go to the main “Settings” menu on your phone.
Tap “Data Usage” in Wireless & Networks to open a new menu.
From here you’ll be able to see just how much data you’re using on average each day. (Luckily, I have an unlimited plan.) You’ll see a toggle under the Mobile data option named “Set Mobile Data Limit.” Tap it. (You might get a warning message like I did. It’s just telling you what it does when it reaches the limit you’ve set.)
You’ll be able to set your limit by moving the slider up and down. You can make it whatever your monthly allowance is. Remember to set a lower limit because your phone and your provider might have slightly different usage readings.
(For example, in the image above my limit is now 45GB.) My phone will stop using mobile data the moment it hits that limit, and I won’t be charged extra if that was my allowance. As you can see from the second line, you can also set a warning amount so you won’t have to keep checking to see if you’re near your data limit at the end of the month. If you want to get rid of the limit at any point in the future, just tap the toggle at the top of the page once again, and you’ll be able to (data) roam free. That’s it, although you can scroll down and check the app usage page to see what is causing the most amount of data usage. To disable a specific app, tap on it and tap the setting at the bottom to “disable background data.” This will stop the app from using your mobile data while it isn’t running.
Conclusion
It’s easy enough to set a data usage limit, but it can be hard to stick to it when you want to use the latest apps and games. On the other hand, the costs are ridiculously expensive. They can be worse depending on which country you’re in, so it’s worth doing if you’re worried. There’s no point in exceeding the limit if you don’t have to. That covers just about everything you need to know about setting up a data limit. Were we able to help you out? Have you ever been caught by an expensive charge for mobile data? Let us know in the comments! Image credit: HTSABO
