Hack of the Day: Track and limit Android data hogs

'The Times of India' brings you 'Hack of the Day'—a new weekday series of quick, practical solutions to everyday hassles. Each hack is designed to save you time, money or stress, using tools and features within your reach—from government websites to everyday apps. In simple terms, it's simple fixes for smarter living.'

Smartphones rely heavily on mobile data for everyday tasks such as browsing, streaming, messaging, and app updates. Over time, many users notice their data packs running out faster than expected, often without a clear idea of which apps are responsible. Some apps continue to use data in the background, even when they are not actively in use, while others consume large amounts during regular usage. Android phones offers built-in tools that allow users to check how much data each app is using and over what period of time. Knowing where your data is going can help you manage usage better, avoid unexpected charges, and make informed decisions about limiting background data or changing app settings.

Here’s how to track apps consuming more data

Android smartphone users can view the amount of data used by each app for selected date range. Here’s a step-by-step guide

Step 1:- Open Settings
Step 2:- Tap on Data usage
Step 3:- Select date range and view the total data used for the given period
Step 4:- Scroll down to view list of App sorted by data usage

How to manage mobile data usage

To manage data usage, users can follow the steps below

Tap on an app from the data usage list and turn off Background data to stop the app from using mobile data when it is not actively in use.
Enable Data Saver mode from the main Data usage screen. This reduces background data usage across apps, while allowing you to choose which apps can still use data freely.
Set a data warning or data limit from the Data usage menu. This helps you get alerts when you are close to your data limit and can automatically turn off mobile data once the limit is reached.