Reduced data charges are a game changer in enjoying your travels.
What is a vacation without adequate data? A vacation where you are not bothered about data rates because you want to keep your followers up to date with pictures and videos; you can constantly share updates without being scared of getting an outrageous bill in your mail.
The rise in the use of mobile devices has brought about a corresponding increase in the cost of data for use on mobile phones.
Trying to keep up with this rise in cost requires putting considerate effort into sticking with practices to ensure you do not overshoot your budget.
These practices will keep you ahead of the game with no thought on how much you spend on data, keeping your mind locked on your vacation.
This article aims to give you tips that if used judiciously, will up your data game as you travel from country to country. From different settings you can activate on your mobile phone, to being observant about applications that suck up your data.
Allow me to take you on a journey to getting adequate knowledge about traveling and data charges.
Disable All automatic Updates
Setting regular updates for different applications on your mobile is great but you have to disable this if you are embarking on a trip and you are unsure of access to data.
Imagine purchasing a stipulated amount of data only to discover that your wonderful device has updated applications on your mobile phone without your knowledge. You can disable automatic updates in the settings option of your phone.
Take Advantage of Social Media Apps
Ever wondered why your loved one in another country prefers to reach you via a WhatsApp call? Simple, it is cheaper. Take advantage of calls and text platforms offered by different social media applications.
Trying to communicate through regular channels will increase costs for you.
Take Advantage of Free WiFi
Who doesn’t love freebies? I sure do. From looking for strategic places on college grounds that offer free WiFi options to looking for sit-outs that give their customers free WiFi service.
The game doesn’t change as you travel across several locations; do not forget to hop on free WiFi networks that you come across on your journey.
Restrict Background Data
Consider this scenario, you decide to take a quick nap on a weekend, leaving your kids to do same in their bedroom. Unknown to you, your kids ransacked the fridge while you were asleep and ate all the goodies, leaving none for you. This is what happens when you do not restrict background data on your mobile phone.
Applications that have access to background data end up using your data even if those applications are not running.
Download Instead of Stream
There is this temptation to stream videos online from YouTube, Netflix and other streaming platforms. It is not advisable to stream if you are not sure of the cost and network stability of your new location.
You can download your favourite games, TV shows and movies at home before you embark on your journey to save cost.
Keep an Eye on Your Data Usage
If you set an alarm to get up bright and early for work the next day, you can do the same to curb your data spending habits. This can be achieved by setting up data limit notifications to pop up on your screen when you have exceeded your daily usage.
Doing this will help you to budget, plan and manage your data during your travels.
Avoid Using Apps that Contain Advertisements
The more apps you have on your mobile phone, the higher the likelihood of your experience being plagued by adverts. You can hardly watch videos, play games or carry out other activities without these ads sneaking up to say hi.
It is best to avoid these apps altogether or pay for their versions that do not contain advertisements. Furthermore, it is important to note that you can use some of these apps offline but only get interrupted by ads when your data is switched on.
Switch Off Data Roaming
Changing locations can make your phone hop into other networks within that locality. This can in turn make you spend extra on data services based on that zone. To avoid this, it is best to switch off data roaming on your mobile phone settings and switch it on when needed to save cost.
Activate Data-Saving Mode
We budget to prevent unnecessary spending and negotiate to buy items at a discounted rate. The same can be done with our data. Activating your data-saving mode is a must if you want to save data costs when travelling.
Doing this restricts applications from consuming data when they are not actively in use.
Conclusion
Mobile phones are here to stay and data is the live wire of these devices. Learning ways to curb excessive spending on data when you travel is not only important in your data journey but also helps you have an enjoyable customer service experience.
Researched by Safiya Onayi Ahmed
