How to track your data usage on Android

As smartphones have become more popular, data plans have become more limiting. Many people need to keep a close eye on data usage to avoid surprise invoices. We will show you how to do this with Android's built-in tools.

All Android devices have a basic set of tools to monitor data usage. Many devices also allow you to set warnings and usage limits to help you avoid using too much data.. Setting up these tools can help you control their usage and avoid costly fees..

On your Android phone or tablet, swipe down from the top of the screen once or twice and then tap the “Gear” to open the menu “Setting”.

The location of the configuration “Use of data” varies by device, even though the tools are mostly the same. On Samsung Galaxy phones, will go to Connections> Use of data> Mobile data. For this guide, we use a Google Pixel phone.

Please select “Red and Internet” at the top of the menu “Setting”.

Touch “Mobile Network”.

At the top of the screen, you will see how much data you have used this month. To see which apps are using the most data, Touch “Use of application data”.

You will see a graph and a ranked list of apps sorted by data usage. To prevent an application from using mobile data, touch it.

Turn off the power switch “Background data”. This will prevent the app from using mobile data when it is in the background. You will still use mobile data if you open the app.

The next thing we can do is configure a warning and a data limit. Return to the overview page with your data usage at the top of the screen. Touch “Warning and data limit”.

First, flip the switch to “Determine data warning”.

Next, select “Data warning” and enter a number for your data usage warning. When I get to this number, you will receive a warning notification about its use. Touch “Decide” When it's over.

Finally, if you want your phone to cut data usage completely when it reaches a limit, flip the switch to “Determine data limit”. A message will explain that mobile data will be disabled when it reaches the limit.

Touch “Data limit” and then enter a number to cut your data. Touch “Decide” When it's over.

That's what you can do with the built-in data usage tools on most Android devices.. If that's not enough or your device doesn't have those tools, we suggest a free app called “GlassWire. “

GlassWire is well designed and has the same tools mentioned previously. Unlike the tools built into Android phones and tablets, GlassWire can also show you Wi-Fi usage. It's a good app if you need to keep a close eye on all data usage.