Data saving tips

[pc747]

Many are dreading when tiered data will be here. I for one knew it was coming and I think its time to help educate those new users on ways to save data. I have had a d1, d2 and a tbolt and of my two years I have bust the 2 gig mark 3 times.

So lets begin with some tips.

1) if you live in an area where you can get broadband (ie cable company) it may be worth the money to get service and a router. Wifi is pretty fast and if you are a family where every one has a smart phone and a tablet data can rack up fast.

2) turn off background data when phone is not in use.. .ie sleep mode. If you are at work it may not be as important to have Facebook or weather updating while the phone is in your pocket.

3) if you have wifi use it to update apps, download heavy data files, and any thing that requires a lot of data.

4) while you still are on unlimited use you phone everyday as normal and check your useage constantly so you can get an idea what plan would fit you best.


Tier data is here no need to point why or complain about whether is fair or not. This thread is only for data saving tips. Please do not use this thread to debate whether its right for Vzw to drop unlimited data or discuss whether its fair for Vzw to charge for tethering. Discussion of tips only.
Thanks.
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[dezymond]

great thread to start with the dreaded tiered plans coming.

I personally use wifi when i'm at home or at a friend's/relative's house since it is faster. I also turn off any background data.

I'd give some more tips, but you pretty much covered them all

[LifeIsABeach]

I certainly agree with #3. I am a fairly light user. By far the majority of my data usage is updating apps. I think I have too many. lol

[Lenster]

A couple more.....

1. Pick up 3g watchdog (free)

2. I use an app called Automateit It comes in both free and pro versions. It can trigger actions because of events. I use it to trigger turning on WiFi when I start the Google market or Amazon market app so I don't forget and start downloading updates in 3G.

[tcrews]

Mind your widgets.

Facebook, Twitter, News & Weather, whatever.....adjust refresh times to longer spans (every 3 hours instead of every 15 minutes) or just refresh manually.....or don't use the widget, just use the app when checking on friend updates, etc..

Email polling. If possible, have Gmail (server) pull in all your emails to your Gmail account and have them pushed to you. Now you aren't sending a query every set number of minutes just to look for email.

[Rockydoc]

I have the HTC Droid Incredible. How do I check data usage? Does this tiered charges start to increase at 2Gb and above?

rockydoc

[tcrews]

I have the HTC Droid Incredible. How do I check data usage? Does this tiered charges start to increase at 2Gb and above?

rockydoc

You can check online via verizonwireless.com and logging in.

If you have a Droid Incredible now....you have a data plan now. You are grandfathered in and do not have to worry about it as you are on the unlimited plan.

[Arkbird]

Is there an app that turns off data and only uses wifi when you're at home and vice-versa when you're out away from your home? I feel like if I got a Droid, I would forget every time I left my house to turn off wifi or if I was in my house, I would forget to use wifi for data.

[Lenster]

Is there an app that turns off data and only uses wifi when you're at home and vice-versa when you're out away from your home? I feel like if I got a Droid, I would forget every time I left my house to turn off wifi or if I was in my house, I would forget to use wifi for data.

Look at my post above. I have Automateit set up to turn on WiFi based on location. It turns on when I am within 200M of my house and off again when I leave that perimeter. When you turn WiFi on it automatically kills 3G and all your data is done over WiFi. At least on my Droid it does that. You can check on your phone to see if the 3G icon turns off when WiFi is on and you will know.

I think you would need the Pro version for $1.50 instead of the free one and I don't think it requires Root. I never checked since I'm rooted,

Another programs that does the same thing is Tasker, more elegant, harder to learn, more expensive and DOES require root.

There are blogs on Automateit by the Author. Just Google.

Len

[Arkbird]

Thanks, I'll be sure to look into that.