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The internet plays a major role in the lives of the average smartphone owner or organization. It provides users instant access to useful information in diverse areas and fields of human endeavor. Before the preponderance of smartphones and mobile digital devices (in the early ’90s), users had to access the internet via traditional desktop computers, which were largely immobile.
As technology began to improve in the late 90s, mobile and smartphones started rolling out en masse. People found a more convenient way to access the internet, leading to an increase in mobile application development. Today, many applications are tied to the internet in order to pull relevant information from an online database as well as connect users to their friends and family around the globe.
Mobile apps require data and internet connectivity to function efficiently. But data caps within our smartphone contracts can restrict the way we use these apps. Most telecom operators place data caps on their mobile internet packages, to enable them to conserve resources as well as remain profitable while providing affordable mobile internet access.
Some apps consume mobile internet data pretty fast, especially if they have to remain online all the time as well as stream media contents. Many apps are notorious for mobile data depletion and some of them must constantly operate in the background for them to function efficiently. Having stated the obvious, these are 5 Amazing apps that use up your mobile data quickly.
Youtube
Youtube is no doubt one of the best mobile apps you can install on your smartphone. It’s a very interesting app that provides users access to millions of videos and online video streams, making it one of the coolest mobile app to install.
There are various formats in which you can watch your favorite videos. Each of these formats consumes mobile data differently, with higher video formats consuming the bulk. HD 1080 p videos are very cool to watch, but they consume data extensively.
Unlike most social media apps, Youtube gives you the option to choose the video formats you want to view your favorite videos. You can go for the standard definition format if you are bothered about your mobile data consumption. You can also choose to have your favorite videos played via WIFI. This option will help you save mobile data considerably.
Spotify
Spotify is definitely top on the list as one of the highest data consuming apps. The Spotify app is one of the most porpular mobile apps in the world. Its popularity has seen it grow its paid subscriber base to over 100 million. This apps grants users access to their favorite music on the go and no ads or sponsorship interrupt the music play.
Spotify provides you access to high-quality music, irrespective of the network you are using. If you are in an area where WIFI isn’t available, your mobile data will take a hit. To mitigate this challenge, Spotify lets you download your favorite music so you can listen to them offline. You can choose to download your favorite music during off-peak periods which will ultimately help you save your data.
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Instagram is a very lovely app to install on your smartphone. However, it’s a major culprit when it comes to data consumption. You may be wondering why this amazing picture sharing app is top on our list of mobile data consumers. The reason isn’t farfetched. It’s no longer about pictures anymore. Instagram now lets users upload videos in addition to high-quality photos. The video capability added to this platform is one of the main reasons this app guzzles mobile data pretty fast.
You can choose to use this application to its full potential when you have access to a WIFI network. Also, users can use other data-saving functionalities within the app’s settings to manage data. For example, there is an option that allows you to use less data with the click of a button. Once such feature is activated, the preloading feature of this app will be limited.
However, many users have reported little difference in data consumption when they make use of the Use Less Data feature. Instagram videos aren’t really affected by this feature, so smartphone users need to stay vigilant.
SnapChat
Like the previous app above, SnapChat is a social media app that lets users communicate and share personal media files among themselves. It has been touted as one of the best data-saving social media apps available to users, but in reality, it’s just like any other social media app when it comes to data consumption. The major data-consuming culprit in Snapchat is its preloading feature. This makes the app load feeds of users on a continuous basis, whether you are using the app or not.
However, the developers of this amazing social media app have taken a look at data sharing app and listened to the yearnings of users who have complained bitterly about the app’s excessive use of data. They have included a travel mode feature that prevents the app from preloading stories. This feature can be activated with a click, and you’ll see your mobile data consumption nosedive.
Just like its twin Instagram, Facebook is another data guzzling app most smartphone users can’t do without. This social media app lets users share pictures, videos, and other personal information among themselves. One of the worst features on Facebook that’s responsible for high data consumption is the video autoplay feature. You don’t need to click a video on facebook to have it replayed. Just a simple scroll is enough to get the video playback started and this feature simply zaps out data almost uncontrollably.
However, there is a setting in the app that lets users control the way videos are auto-played. You can set the videos to only play when you are within the coverage of a WiFi network. You can even choose the option that deactivates the Video Autoplay feature completely. These features are some of the ways you can reduce the way Facebook app use up your mobile data.
Conclusion
Mobile apps have revolutionalized the ways we use our smartphones and mobile digital devices. Without the internet, they are almost useless. The internet is the bloodline of every modern mobile application. Mobile apps require mobile data as well as internet access for them to function properly.
The major problem is the amount of data these apps require to function properly. This has eaten deep into the pockets of average smartphone users. The major purpose of this article isn’t to discourage users from using their favorite mobile apps, but rather to help them keep their eyes on certain apps if they intend to reduce their mobile data usage and consumption considerably.
