How to Check Data Usage on Android
The instructions below should get you information about your data use.
Open the Settings app. Tap Connections. Tap Data usage. Tap Mobile data usage. The top of the screen displays your data usage for the current month (as determined by your billing cycle). Tap the date to see previous periods. Scroll down and tap any app to find out how much data it uses and to control whether it can use mobile data, Wi-Fi, or both. Go back to Data usage and tap Billing cycle to set the date when your plan resets the monthly billing cycle. Go to Data usage > Data saver. Tap the toggle to turn on Data Saver.
Third-Party Apps for Tracking Data Usage
There are also third-party apps for monitoring data usage. The four major carriers offer apps (myAT&T, T-Mobile My Account, Sprint Zone, and My Verizon Mobile) that sync with your account.
Other popular data management apps include My Data Manager and Data Usage. Each app can set up limits and alerts, and My Data Manager tracks data usage in shared or family plans and across multiple devices. Data Usage tracks Wi-Fi usage and predicts when you might go over your data allotment based on daily use. You can set daily, weekly, and monthly data limits too.
Tips for Reducing Data Usage
If your plan has a data limit, upgrading it is not the only way to control overages. Here are a few strategies:
Most carriers offer shared plans, so team up with your partner, a trusted friend, or family members to save some money. Go to the data usage section of the smartphone settings to restrict background data on apps, either one by one or all at once. This way, apps don’t consume data when you’re not using the phone, although it may affect how they work. Use Wi-Fi rather than mobile data whenever possible, such as when you’re at home or work.
