What is mobile data on android

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What is mobile data, anyway?

This post is a part of an ongoing series about mobile data usage.

During October, we hosted a Data Horror Stories contest, where thousands of individuals who have previously been burned by their data plans submitted tales of past mobile-data-overage woes.

But, what exactly is mobile data? And, how can we understand it to avoid these data horror stories in the future?

Mobile data keeps you connected on the go

Mobile data is one way that mobile device users can gain wireless access to the internet. Depending on how much you use the internet, and where, having a data-enabled device will give you the best of both worlds, giving you on-the-go access to the information you need.

What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and mobile data?

Both Wi-Fi and mobile data do essentially the same thing, and work together to let you access the internet, anytime, anywhere. The primary difference for users is cost.

Smartphones and tablets connect to Wi-Fi through a wireless router – like the one you probably have installed at home, or the one at your local coffee shop that allows its customers free internet access. Wi-Fi only works within the range of its router, but it enables you to access data for no additional charge.

When you use data through your data plan, you can access the same content as you would on Wi-Fi, including all of your apps, games, emails, movies and more. However it goes through your mobile carrier’s (such as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile) network, and it subject to the terms of your data plan. The advantage is that, while Wi-Fi only works within the range of a router, with your data plan, you can access the internet on anywhere within range of a network signal. So, for example, if you’re traveling and need access to your maps app, your mobile data is what will help deliver that app to you.

Mobile data is expensive

Mobile data, however, can get pretty pricey, as we saw from submissions in the Data Horror Stories contest. According to research by the International Telecommunication Union, the average phone plan with 500MB of data costs $85 in the United States, compared to $24.10 in China and $8.80 in the United Kingdom. And, this doesn’t include the surprising fees users can face if they exceed their monthly data plan (or access mobile data while roaming – ouch!).

In our next installment, we’ll discuss some of the most common data horror stories that are plaguing smartphone users.

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What is mobile data and how much data do I need?

What is mobile data?

So, what is mobile data? Well, mobile data is what allows your phone to get online when you’re away from Wi-Fi. Mobile-enabled devices can send and receive information over a wireless cellular connection. As long as you have a cellular connection, you can use the Internet.

We’re going to break down mobile data, cover how mobile data works and when your phone uses it. We’ll also go over some tips for using less data on your iPhone or Android device.

At Ting Mobile, we have a variety of mobile data plans (starting at just $10/month) that are designed to fit every type of mobile user. While we do offer unlimited data plans, we also have set data and pay-as-you-go options as well. Naturally, for those users, the less they use the more they’ll save. And it’s easier to minimize the amount of data you use than you think. All you need to do is understand mobile data.

How does mobile data work?

Mobile data allows your phone to access the Internet even when you’re not on Wi-Fi. Mobile data gives you an Internet connection anywhere as long as you’re connected to a cellular network.

What uses mobile data on a cell phone?

Think apps, your Internet browser, email and syncing to the cloud. Mobile data usage is measured in megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB). There are approximately 1,000 MB in 1 GB of data. Everything you send to (upload) or receive from (download) the Internet will require some amount of data.

One way to understand the question “What is mobile data” and what uses data on cell phones is to take a look at normal cell phone use and the data that corresponds with that use.

What 500 MB of mobile data gets you

These days, 500 MB sounds like far too little data to most of us. However, this is what it actually gets you:

• >1,425 emails (with attachments) sent or received or
• >2,780 web pages or
• 500 minutes of streaming music or
• 250 photos uploaded or downloaded or
• 30 minutes of HD video streaming or
• 125 app downloads

Now, remember that 500 MB doesn’t count towards your bill on Ting Mobile when you’re sending emails, streaming video or downloading apps on Wi-Fi. So when we decide we can actually wait till we get home to check Instagram, or decide to pre-download Netflix episodes over Wi-Fi for tomorrow’s commute, we’re greatly reducing the amount of mobile data we need to pay for. The more you use Wi-Fi, the more you’ll save.

Does cellular data cost money?

In a word, yes. Cell phone providers will charge for mobile data used over a cellular connection. On Ting Mobile, we charge the low rate of $5/GB. It’s as simple as that. We’ll never charge you penalties or overage fees.

Mobile data on or off: what should you choose?

Smartphones give you the option of turning mobile data on or off altogether. This can be a helpful trick if you’re used to using data wherever you are and want to try a more conscious method of consumption.

What happens when you turn off mobile data? Well, you won’t use any cellular data to upload or download to or from the Internet, so you won’t be incurring any charges. You’ll still be able to connect to the Internet on a Wi-Fi network. Let’s talk about how to do that.

Turn off mobile data in iOS

It’s very simple to completely turn your iPhone or iPad’s mobile data off. Simply go to Settings > Cellular and turn the Cellular Data toggle off.

In iOS, you can also turn mobile data on or off for specific apps and reduce data usage for maps, social media apps, email, video streaming and more. For example, you’ll still be able to access downloaded content in Apple Music, but you won’t be able to download new music.

Not sure what to turn off? Looking for an idea of what uses data on iPhone?

Take a quick peek at your Cellular usage for each app. Under each app in the Cellular screen, there will be a number corresponding with how much cellular data it has used since you last reset your statistics. One good tip is to try turning off data for your apps that use the most data. You can even use popular apps like Google Maps completely offline with a little advance planning.

To reset your cellular usage stats, just scroll all the way to the bottom of the Cellular screen and hit Reset Statistics.

Turn off mobile data in Android

It’s just as easy to reduce data usage on Android. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile data > Data Usage in order to turn off mobile data. Unfortunately, you can’t turn off mobile data for individual apps.

A bit about background data

It’s important to note that cellular data isn’t just working when you’re actively using an app. Many apps have built-in permissions that allow them to update in the background when you’re not using them. That means if you’re not on Wi-Fi and you haven’t restricted an app’s ability to update in the background, it might do so over cellular data.

How to turn off background data on an Android phone

In Settings > Network & Internet, you can turn on Data Saver, which prevents compatible apps from using background data. You can also restrict individual apps from using background data.

How to turn off background data on iPhone

Those sneaky background refreshes adding to your iPhone or iPad’s mobile data usage? To reduce your data usage, you can restrict background data globally or for specific apps.

More data saving tips and tricks

Data saving is kind of our thing here on the Ting Mobile blog. If you’re looking for more tips and tricks for using less data, we’ve got you covered. Check out our summer data saving tips and our data saving tips for students. We’ve also a complete guide to lowering mobile data and cutting your bill.

See what you could save

Ting Mobile’s plans start at just $10/month and save people a lot of money. See what you’d save.

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What is background data and how to restrict background data in Android

Reduce mobile data in Android and save money

Understanding and taking control of the way your phone uses mobile data is the best way to save a few bucks on our phone bills. When we’re using our phones away from Wi-Fi, scrolling through our various media feeds, getting directions, streaming music etc, we understand that we’re using mobile data. How our phones use mobile data when we’re not actively looking at the screen, though, can be a bit of a mystery. Taking control and restricting background data in Android is a great way to take the power back and take control of how much mobile data your phone uses.

It’s worth knowing that despite your best efforts, some apps continue to use data in the background even while you don’t have them open. There are many Android apps that, without your knowledge, will go ahead and connect to your cellular network even when the app is closed.

Background data usage can burn through a fair bit of mobile data. The good news is, you can reduce data usage. All you have to do is turn off background data. We’ll show you how to restrict background data on your Android phone and cut any lingering data usage.

When you control your data usage, you’re free to stop overpaying and choose a plan that gives you the data you need. If that’s your goal, Ting Mobile is the perfect carrier.

What is background data?

Basically, background data means that an app is using data even when you’re not actively using the app. Sometimes called background syncing, background data can keep your apps updated with the latest notifications like status updates, Snapchat stories and Tweets.

What uses data on my phone?

Here’s the deal: pretty much any time you’re online and you’re not using Wi-Fi, you’re using mobile data.

Mobile data is different from Wi-Fi. While Wi-Fi is a limited range network and data you use while connected to it won’t count towards your phone bill, mobile data uses the same network as the cell towers that let you make calls. You can use mobile data as long as you have cellular coverage and it counts towards your phone plan’s data use.

Mobile data is reserved for the stuff of the Internet: surfing, social media, email, watching video and more. Check out our complete guide on mobile data to learn more.

What about foreground data?

There are two main types of data usage. Background data and foreground data. Foreground data means you’re actively using data in an app, you’re sending a tweet, you’re watching a Snapchat or you’re streaming a video.

Background data, on the other hand, refers to data that the app uses when you’re not actively doing anything with the app.

Does background app refresh use data?

Apps refresh in the background to regularly check for notifications. This means, when you get an email, message or Tweet, it’s delivered right to your device, whether you’re on Wi-Fi or mobile data. So yes, if you’re not on Wi-Fi, it will use mobile data.

What does restrict background data mean?

It’s pretty simple. Restricting background data means reducing your background data to a bare minimum. When you turn off an app’s ability to run in the background, you get one step closer to cutting your data use altogether and controlling your phone bill.

How to stop apps from running in the background

Now that we’ve answered the question “what is background data,” let’s learn how to use less of it. The Data usage section in Android Settings lets you view the amount of data used by each specific app. If you notice an app using more background mobile data than you’d like it to (Snapchat comes to mind), you can restrict it from accessing the Internet till you’re back in a Wi-Fi covered area. If you’re looking to conserve your bandwidth and lower that monthly phone bill, this feature is definitely worth checking out. Remember, since this will prevent background refreshes, you’ll need to open the app to receive notifications.

Step 1

Open Settings, tap Network and internet, Data usage then App data usage. In Android 11, open Settings, tap Network and internet, Mobile network, Data usage (on some phones) then App data usage.

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Step 2

Scroll down to view a list of your Android apps sorted by data usage. Keep an eye out for the heaviest data users.

Step 3

When you see an app whose background data you want to restrict, tap on it and then turn the Background data toggle to the off position.

The usual suspects

Most popular apps will default to running in the background. Background data can be used even when your device is in standby mode (with the screen turned off), as these apps are constantly checking their servers through the Internet for all sorts of updates and notifications.

Make sure to take a look at Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. All these apps can run in the background if you don’t disable their ability to do so.

For more info, check out Google’s Optimize data usage help article and our own article on how to reduce mobile data usage. Looking to save data on your iPhone? Here’s how to control which apps use your cellular data.

Find this tip useful? Have anything to add? Share what you think in the comments below.

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