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[NEW]Blog Post: Data Consumption

J_PM
Public Mobile
Public Mobile

How Does Data Consumption Work? A Guide to Managing Your Mobile Data

From streaming music to navigating new routes, your phone can do so much. But have you ever stopped to think about how much data you're using for all these activities? Knowing how your data gets used can help you make smarter choices and avoid those dreaded overage charges. Here's a handy guide to help you understand the ins and outs of data consumption.

What is Data Consumption?
Data consumption is the digital information your phone uses when you browse the web, stream media, or use apps. Each activity requires different amounts of data, and understanding this can help you select the right mobile plan and avoid overage charges.

How Different Apps Consume Data
Knowing how much data you consume can help you choose the right mobile plan for your needs. It can also help you avoid purchasing data add-ons. Different apps have different data needs. Here's a quick rundown:

  • Streaming Apps: Streaming video and music consume a lot of data. Apps like Netflix and Spotify are heavy data users.
  • Social Media: Apps like Facebook and Instagram are medium-level data consumers. But autoplay videos and high-resolution photos can add up quickly.
  • Navigation Apps: Apps like Google Maps use less data, especially if you download maps for offline use.
  • Messaging Apps: Text-based apps use very little data. However, sending images or videos will use more.

Understanding Data Measurement Units
Before we dive deeper into how to manage your data usage effectively, it's essential to understand the units in which data is measured. Data is usually quantified in bytes, with commonly used units being Kilobytes (KB), Megabytes (MB), and Gigabytes (GB).

  • 1 Kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 Bytes
  • 1 Megabyte (MB) = 1,024 Kilobytes (KB)
  • 1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 Megabytes (MB)

How to Track Your Data
You can monitor your data usage through the Public Mobile app. Just log in and go to the ‘Subscription Usage’ section to see how you're doing. You'll also get notifications when you've used 75% and 95% of your data.

Background Data Usage
Did you know that some apps on your phone consume data even when you're not actively using them? This is called background data usage. For example, email apps may periodically check for new messages, or social media apps might refresh content, all of which can use data. To restrict background data for individual apps:

  • On Android: Go to 'Settings' > 'Network & internet' > 'Data usage' > 'App data usage'
  • On iOS: Go to 'Settings' > 'Cellular' > Scroll down to view each app's data usage and restrict it

By managing your background data, you can make your data amount last much longer.

Data Trends: Apps Need More Data Than Ever
As apps get more advanced, they often require more data to run smoothly. Even a basic search might lead to loading more images and autoplay videos, requiring more data than you think. So, it's worth keeping an eye on your usage and updating your plan if needed.

Data Rollover and Add-On
At Public Mobile, we understand that sometimes you need a little more. That's why we offer data add-ons that supplement your existing plan. These add-ons maintain the same speed as your existing plan. For instance, if you're on a 5G plan, any add-on you purchase will also operate at 5G speeds. Some things to note About Data Add-ons at Public Mobile:

  • Data add-ons only work within, unless you purchase a plan or add on that supports roaming. 
  • If you change your plan, your data add-on will no longer be valid, and you'll need to purchase a new one.

To purchase a data add-on, simply navigate to the Public Mobile app or log in to 'My Account' on the website.

Tips to Manage Your Data

  • Disable Autoplay: Turn off autoplay in social media apps to save data.
  • Use Wi-Fi When Available: Automatic updates and background refreshes can consume a lot of data. Stick to Wi-Fi for these tasks.
  • Limit Streaming Quality: Many apps allow you to adjust the quality of streaming to save data.

By understanding how data consumption works, you can use your phone more wisely and make informed decisions about your mobile plan. So go ahead, take control of your data and make the most of your mobile experience.

7 REPLIES 7

Korth_
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

I'm rather surprised that @J_PM did not mention Telus Wireless Network Experience Optimization. (An implementation of Enea/Openwave streaming media optimization.)

It's basically embedded in the (Telus) network machinery. Subscribers on the network (like us) get it whether we want it or not, no end-user options or settings are provided. (It is a good package, overall, very clever. But it does impose a small network performance hit and it does have other minor tradeoffs/downsides to end-users.)

I am uncertain whether or not it's present in Bell's equipment (which all Telus and Bell subscribers have access to because of the Telus/Bell network sharing agreement.) Rogers apparently has their own implementation, but Public Mobile subscribers do not normally use the Rogers network.

In effect, this machinery automatically "adjusts the media quality sliders" for us. It limits the maximum resolution and frame rate our devices can request (and which the network will transport) to the device's maximum display resolution. It also imposes additional limits based on current network performance metrics (it'll adjust streaming video quality on the fly to offer an "optimized" steady flow of data while network conditions keep changing).

It already conserves bandwidth (data).

dabr
Mayor / Maire

@J_PMwrote:   

" Data Rollover and Add-on
At Public Mobile, we understand that sometimes you need a little more. That's why we offer data add-ons that supplement your existing plan. These add-ons maintain the same speed as your existing plan. For instance, if you're on a 5G plan, any add-on you purchase will also operate at 5G speeds. Some things to note About Data Add-ons at Public Mobile:

  • Data add-ons only work within, unless you purchase a plan or add on that supports roaming. 
  • If you change your plan, your data add-on will no longer be valid, and you'll need to purchase a new one"

@J_PM   Just curious about the bolded line in your post and would appreciate some clarification regarding the point that "if you change your plan, your data add-on will no longer be valid, and you'll need to purchase a new one".   Does this mean anyone purchasing 30 day data add-on just before their renewal and opts to change their plan at renewal, will lose that data add-on even though it should remain on their account for the 30 days?  If that's the case, then that really sounds unfair unless I'm totally misreading that line, of course.  Hopefully, this wouldn't be applicable for customers with grandfathered non expiring data add-on either..

Also since data no longer rolls over, maybe "Data Rollover" in that paragraph heading is not necessary...

@Korth_ , thank you for sharing that informative post! I felt like I was panicking reading your message! 😮

This is why I use iPhone now, my mind can’t seem to find where everything is on an Android phone anymore! I would need to make a post on here for help with it!

Thats also the very 1st thing I do when setting up a phone! I connect to Wi-Fi right away, disable the data & every thing else related! With limited data it helps a lot!

Korth_
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

I just got a new Samsung. Android 13. Bells and whistles. Meh.

The first thing I did after opening the box and turning it on is wait for all the stupid loading screens/etc before turning off cellular data. Turning off cellular data with three different controls in three different places, lol. I then went through all the apps top to bottom, uninstalling every data-eating app I could, disabling and halting every one I couldn't uninstall, denying permission to access data (or anything else) for each item on the list.

160MB of data consumed (at my plan's "slow" 3G speeds) within minutes. Before I could even start to gain control over the phone's built in data usage, background data usage, sync data usage, update data usage, notification data usage, telemetry data usage, etc. Without ever submitting an email address or a login to anything anywhere, without ever opening a browser, without doing anything other than dig through Settings.

Just telling my story so that new subscribers beware. If you don't lock your phone down - fast! - then your phone will burn through your precious cellular data at an alarming rate. This is all wasted data, wasted money. It doesn't actually do anything for you, it's just automation running automation, going through the digital motions on your dime.

Properly configuring your phone is the single most important thing you can do to keep your data from being leeched away. It's not really about moving your media quality sliders down, it's about halting the thousand little hungry mouths which each want to nibble "your" data away.

LitlLdy
Mayor / Maire

@J_PM , it seems like your post should be in the ‘Get Support’ section not ‘The Lounge’! 🤔 🙂

LitlLdy
Mayor / Maire

On my iPhone in ‘Settings’, ‘General’, ‘Background App Refresh’ I have it set to ‘Wi-Fi’.

In ‘Settings’, ‘Cellular’ under ‘Cellular Data’ I only have the necessary apps selected that I need to use data. I have ‘Wi-Fi Assist’ & ‘iCloud Backup’ unselected.

Also, my Cellular Data is disabled until I need it.

hTideGnow
Mayor / Maire

Great tips, @J_PM !!!

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