6 ways to reduce data usage on your phone right now

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5 min read

Did you know that the average mobile data plan is a whopping 60MB? And not only that, but over half of us Aussies are actually hitting that limit every single month.

As we use more and more data in our everyday lives, this means higher phone bills than ever before. We say, no thank you!

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to save data and keep those bills manageable.

How much data do you need? Use our data usage calculator to find out how much mobile data you need each month.

What causes high data usage on a mobile phone?

Streaming movies, music, and games is one of the main causes of high data usage on your smartphone, alongside downloading and uploading files, and updating apps. Another big contributor is video calling on apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Zoom.

How do I stop my phone from using so much data?

From closing down background apps to auto-connecting to WiFi there are plenty of ways to keep your data usage in check.

If you’re tired of rationing your data allowance, check out Circles.Life Big Data Plans.

1. Use WiFi as often as possible

Possibly the easiest way there is to reduce data usage on your phone is to connect to WiFi whenever you can. It’s easy to forget to do this manually, so set up ‘auto connect’ at the places where you spend the most time — at home, the office, and your favourite coffee shop.

A word of caution here though: If you’re on an unsecured public WiFi network, make sure you don’t use banking apps or transact online to keep your personal & financial information secure and avoid being a scam victim!

2. Turn off data fetching and close background apps

If you’re wondering why your data is being used so fast, it could be because your phone is using data in the background that you don’t even know about. That’s right; your phone could be in another room to you and still be using data.

It’s called background data and helps keep apps up-to-date and running correctly, even when you’re not using them. Your email also does it too; constantly searching for new mail and pulling it through so it’s ready when you next open your mail app.

As well as impacting data usage, this can also impact battery life. Not good, huh? Especially when apps can just as easily update on WiFi. The good news is that it’s easy to turn off data fetching and close background apps so you can keep your data plan looking healthy.

How to turn off background apps on Android:

Settings → Connections → Data usage → Data saver

How to turn off background apps on iPhone:

Settings → General → Background App Refresh

In terms of what you should turn off to use less data, this will be based on how you use your phone and what apps are important for you.

Explore the right mobile plan to suit your data needs, check out Circles Life Data Plans.

3. Don’t download movies or music without a WiFi connection (and avoid streaming if you can)

While it’s tempting to download your favourite tunes or the latest episode (or nine) of Stranger Things, without WiFi, this will chew through your data faster than a puppy gnawing on your favourite sneaker.

Make sure your settings in apps like Netflix, Spotify, Binge and Stan are set to not download on cellular data, and get all your downloading done when you’re connected to WiFi instead. You should avoid streaming these services too, as this eats up data before you know it. Best practice is to always download what you need via WiFi connection so you can watch and listen guilt free.

4. Avoid playing mobile games without a WiFi connection

If you’ve got your sights set on being one of the elusive players to reach level 1,000 on Fortnite, it might be tempting to keep on gaming whilst you’re on data connection instead of WiFi.

But, with the standard hour of gaming using around 40MB and 300MB per hour, it’s not a smart move if your data plan isn’t up to scratch. Keep your data-powered gaming to the minimum and connect to WiFi instead.

Or, lock in our epic 160GB big data plan and you can play as many games as you like without ever worrying about data usage.

5. Use a data monitoring app

If you’re wondering what causes high data use on a cell phone, a data monitoring app is a great way to find out. These apps measure how much data your phone is using, and what apps/functions are using the most.

Of course, we recommend the Circles Life app, first and foremost - but it turns out, so does Australia. We actually have one of the highest rated telco apps in Australia!

There are plenty of other apps available to choose from including Check Internet Data Usage on Android and Data Manager on iPhone. Remember to download them on WiFi not data.

If you’re not keen to download an app to measure your data, Android and iPhone also have in-built data monitoring options, though the interface is not as user friendly as many of the custom-made apps.

How to check your data on Android:

Settings → Connections → Data usage → Mobile Data Usage

How to check your data usage on iPhone:
Settings → Mobile

This will give you a breakdown of all the apps you’ve used in this billing period and how much cellular data they’ve used (note: the process might be slightly different depending on your phone or operating system so type in ‘data’ in the search bar within settings if you get stuck).

6. Download Google Maps and use offline

If you rely on Google Maps to get you from A to B, you could be using as much as 3MB of data for every five minutes. By downloading the relevant map/s before you hit the road, you could save significantly on data. The only downside of this is that you won’t be getting any real-time traffic updates along the way.

How to download offline Google Maps on iPhone:

Make sure you’re connected to WiFi
Open the Google Maps app
Click your profile picture on the top right hand side
Click ‘offline maps’
Click ‘select your own map’ and choose the area you want
Download the map and you’re good to go

How to download offline Google Maps on Android:

Make sure you’re connected to WiFi
Open the Google Maps app
Click your profile picture on the top right-hand side
Click ‘offline maps’
Click ‘select your own map’ and choose the area you want
Download the map and you’re good to go

Get the data you need

Circles Big Data Plans (100GB and 160GB) have so much data, you’ll never have to worry about running out again. We reckon our plans are up there with the best but don’t just take our word for it - we’ve been awarded Best Sim Only Provider, Large Plans, for three years in a row at the WhistleOut Awards.

Sign up for our SIM-only plans today!

Switch to Australia’s Most Trusted Mobile Plan Provider

Offer ends in

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10GB

$20.00

Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.

No-lock in contracts

Unlimited calls and text

International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

Buy Plan

30GB

$30.00

$25.00

For 6 months*

Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.

No-lock in contracts

Unlimited calls and text

International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

Buy Plan

50GB

60GB

$40.00

$35.00

For 6 months*

Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.

No-lock in contracts

Unlimited calls and text

International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

Buy Plan

100GB

$50.00

$40.00

For 6 months*

Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.

No-lock in contracts

Unlimited calls and text

International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

Buy Plan

250GB

$70.00

$65.00

For 6 months*

Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.

No-lock in contracts

Unlimited calls and text

International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

Buy Plan

*Offer ends 16/08/2024. All for use in Australia. Personal use only and not a broadband replacement. Plans auto renew every month. Roll over your unused base data monthly and build up to a massive 500GB. Data will not expire while plan remains the same, but may be lost if plan is upgraded or downgraded. On selected plans only. T&Cs apply, refer to our Critical Information Summaries and General Terms.

**Additional charges and T&Cs apply for International Roaming and International Dialing.

Switch to Australia’s Most Trusted Mobile Plan Provider

Offer ends in

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30GB

60GB

100GB

250GB

30GB

For 6 months*

eSIM

$25.00

$30.00

Buy Plan

Includes Data Rollover Data rollover lets you carry over any unused data at the end of the month, over to your next month.
No-lock in contracts
Unlimited calls and text
International Roaming and International Dialing packs available**

ABOUT THE ARTICLE

Published Date 2023-09-28

Written by Circles.Life

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Acknowledgement of Country | Circles.Life acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land where we work and live. We celebrate stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.

Acknowledgement of Country | Circles.Life acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land where we work and live. We celebrate stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.

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6 ways to reduce data usage on your phone right now

What causes high data usage on a mobile phone?

How do I stop my phone from using so much data?

1. Use WiFi as often as possible

2. Turn off data fetching and close background apps

3. Don’t download movies or music without a WiFi connection (and avoid streaming if you can)

4. Avoid playing mobile games without a WiFi connection

5. Use a data monitoring app

6. Download Google Maps and use offline

How to download offline Google Maps on iPhone:

How to download offline Google Maps on Android:

Get the data you need

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Offer ends in

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day

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Want more?

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