Protect your wallet and your phone this summer: avoid data shock with these summer saving tips

Every year, we see mobile data use spike in the summer. That’s because more people are away from Wi-Fi. Most of us are out and about, at the beach or on a road trip, enjoying the warm weather. The problem is, we bring our phones with us, and are more likely to use Google Maps to navigate and stream our favorite playlists on Spotify.

The same way you wouldn’t go outside in the summer sun without sunscreen, a hat and water, there are a few simple saving tips and tricks you can take with you to protect your phone and your bill too.

Save data in six simple steps

• Save data in Google Chrome
• Save data in Google Maps
• Save data in Gmail
• Save data in music streaming apps
• Save data in Facebook
• Save data usage with compression

You don’t have to sacrifice the convenience of a connected smartphone just to save money on mobile data. Here are six things that’ll take you five minutes to do and can save you a ton of money each month.

Your smartphone is indispensable. There are a ton of varyingly data-hungry apps that improve your mobile experience. Cloud storage, audio and video streaming, rich browsing, turn-by-turn navigation and so on can put a heavy demand on your mobile data connection. Fortunately, though, it’s easy to cut down on mobile data use without hindering your mobile experience.

If you have already figured out that “unlimited” and, high-cap plans are a ploy, you’ll love these simple tips that will teach you how to save data usage each month.

How to use Google Maps offline

Navigating with Google Maps over a mobile data connection can rack up a ton of data usage over time. Most of Google Maps data use is incurred when initially searching for the destination and charting a course. Fortunately, Google Maps for iOS includes a feature that lets you download entire regions of the map for offline use later.

By downloading your routes over a Wi-Fi connection, you can save big on the amount of mobile data used during navigation. Turn-by-turn navigation, location searches and establishment info can all be accessed without a data connection.

Knowing how to use Google Maps offline also makes sure you have a consistent experience through areas with low reception. Taking a wrong turn due to a network delay will be a thing of the past.

Free Wi-Fi calling

You can make voice calls from Hangouts on Android and Hangouts on iOS to any number across North America. For free.

You may be thinking, “doesn’t Google Hangouts use data?” How can it be free?

In short, jump on a Wi-Fi connection and any call you make to any number across the US and Canada is entirely free. These calls won’t count toward your voice minutes and can help you lower your monthly bill if you’re with a pay-for-what-you-use provider like Ting.

The latest Hangouts 4.0 update brings caller ID to your outbound calls, too! No longer will you show up as “Unknown” – your friends and family now see your Ting number when you give them a ring.

Not familiar with Google Hangouts? It’s similar to Skype or iMessage (messaging, voice calls and video chat), except, as we’ve pointed out, Wi-Fi calling North American phone numbers through Hangouts Dialer costs absolutely nothing. Hangouts also supports animated GIFs… need we say more?!

It’s worth noting that you can lower your monthly bill even further by routing incoming calls (and texts) through Hangouts. Just remember that if you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, you’ll be using your mobile data plan, not your voice minutes.

Restrict background data and save money

At Ting, we like to think that anyone can save on their mobile bill by changing their mobile habits. One big way to save is to ask yourself if you can restrict background data and limit how much mobile data you use every month.

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 wrack up quite a bit of MB. 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.

Wrangle your usage and save big. Some people spend as little $20 a month on one phone. Now there’s a smartphone plan that makes sense. Reducing background data is a great place to start.

How to update Google Play apps over Wi-Fi

Google Play automatically updates your apps to provide a smooth, uninterrupted smartphone experience.

If you haven’t yet changed Google Play’s auto-update setting to Wi-Fi only, your device will download these app updates any time you’re connected to the Internet, including over a mobile network. The file size of these app releases can sometimes be large, resulting in tons of unnecessary mobile data usage if you’re not careful.

While instant updates are a useful Android feature, they’re not typically crucial and can wait till you’ve reached a Wi-Fi covered zone like home or work.

Follow today’s two-step Ting tip to help save your mobile data for more important matters.