Data usage is how much data your phone uploads or downloads using mobile data. To make sure that you're not using too much data on your data plan, you can check and change your data usage.
Use less data with data saver mode
On Android 7.0 and up, to help automatically use less mobile data on a limited data plan, learn to use data saver mode.
Learn how to use Data Saver with a step-by-step guide.
Check your mobile data usage
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet
Internet.
- Next to your carrier, tap Settings
.
- At the top you'll see how much total data you use.
- To see graphs and details, tap App data usage.
- To pick a time period, tap the Down arrow
.
- To see how much data each app uses, look below the graph.
- To pick a time period, tap the Down arrow
Internet.
.
.Set mobile data usage warning or limit
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet
- Next to your carrier, tap Settings
.
- Tap Data warning & limit. If needed, first turn on Set data warning.
- Tap Data warning.
- Enter a number. To switch between megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB), tap the Down arrow
- Tap Set.
.When your usage reaches the level you picked, you'll get a notification.
Important: Some features won't work when mobile data is turned off.
To set a data usage limit:
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet
- Next to your carrier, tap Settings
- Tap Data warning & limit.
- If it's not already on, turn on Set data limit. Read the on-screen message and tap Ok.
- Tap Data limit.
- Enter a number. To switch between megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB), tap the Down arrow
- Tap Set.
When you reach your limit and your data automatically turns off:
- You'll get a notification.
- To turn mobile data back on, follow the steps above and turn off Set data limit.
Change your settings to save data
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet
- Next to your carrier, tap Settings
- Turn Mobile data on or off.
To use less data, turn off auto-sync. If you do this, you’ll need to sync your apps manually. Learn how to off auto-sync and sync manually.
You can control how apps use data on your phone. Learn how to change app permissions.
Use less data with data saver mode (Android 7.0 & up)
To help use less mobile data on a limited data plan, learn to use data saver mode.
Restrict background data usage by app (Android 7.0 & lower)
Important: Restricting background data usage can affect an app's performance. For example, you could get no messages from an app until you next open that app.
Before restricting data usage from your phone's Settings app, check whether you can restrict data usage from the app's own settings menu.
To view and restrict background data usage by app:
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet
- Tap Mobile data usage.
- To find the app, scroll down.
- To see more details and options, tap the app's name.
- "Total" is this app's data usage for the cycle.
- "Foreground" is how much data the app has used while you’re using it.
- "Background" is how much data the app has used while you’re not using it.
- Change background mobile data usage.
- To restrict background data usage for this app, turn off Background data.
- To allow unrestricted mobile data usage when data saver is on, turn on Unrestricted data usage.
Important: Data roaming may be the only way to connect to the internet in some places. Some carriers charge extra for data roaming.
- Open your phone's Settings app.
- Tap Network & internet
- Next to your carrier, tap Settings
- Turn Roaming on or off.
Troubleshoot mobile data usage settings
Important: Your phone measures the data usage shown in your phone’s Settings app. Some carriers measure usage differently. We recommend checking with your carrier for its measurements and your plan limits.
- Check that you have a SIM card inserted in your device.
- Check that you have mobile data.
Check that you've assigned mobile data usage to one SIM. Learn how to assign activities to SIMs.