If you’re like most people, you probably use your Android phone for a variety of activities, including browsing the web, checking email, and streaming music. But sometimes you might want to disable background mobile data usage so that your phone can stay idle. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app and select Data Usage.
- Under the “Data usage” section, select “Disable background mobile data.”
- Click on the “Apply” button to make sure that the setting is applied and then close the Settings app.
Data usage, especially on a mobile data plan, is something you might want to keep a close eye on. It’s very annoying if apps you don’t open often are eating through data caps in the background. Thankfully, Android allows you to prevent this.
Android makes it pretty easy to keep tabs on your data usage. You can even set up alerts to stop your smartphone or tablet from going over your limits. Another handy trick is to block specific apps from using mobile data in the background altogether.
RELATED: How to Track Your Data Usage on Android
To get started, swipe down from the top of your device’s screen (once or twice, depending on your phone or tablet’s manufacturer) and tap the gear icon to open the Settings menu.
Next, select “Apps & Notifications.”
Tap “See All [Number] Apps” for the full list of installed apps.
Find the app from the list that you want to restrict background data usage for.
Next, select “Mobile Data & Wi-Fi.”
Toggle off the switch for “Background Data.”
That’s it! The app will no longer be able to use mobile data in the background. It will still be able to use data when you open it, though. For apps that you don’t use very often, this is a nice way to ensure that they don’t eat into your data allowance.
