Long gone are the days when ISPs everywhere kept track of the megabytes spent by users on the Web. Home Internet tariff plans these days differ mainly in speed. But mobile operators are in no hurry to provide completely unlimited Internet and, as a rule, allocate only a certain amount of inexpensive traffic.
But today, not only people, but also smartphones themselves cannot live without the Internet: it happens that he himself will pull something there in the middle of the night, update a couple of applications, and in the morning there is no longer any prepaid traffic to download attachments from mail. Well, let's think about how we can deal with this and how to save money on the still expensive Internet.
⇡ Traffic control by standard means of the operating system
First, let's see what we can do without installing additional applications. In the Android settings there is an item "Traffic control", with which you can separately monitor the data transfer via Wi-Fi and via mobile networks... Here you can also turn off data transmission altogether, that is, the use of mobile Internet.
The operating system displays a graph of traffic usage for a selected period of time (you can change it by moving the sliders along the graph) and shows which applications consume the most data. By clicking on an application, you can see a consumption graph generated specifically for that application.
On the mobile Internet tab, you can also set a limit on traffic consumption for a certain period. The limit is set on the same chart, and a separate slider is used to select the threshold, upon reaching which the system will display a warning about the imminent exhaustion of the limit. If the traffic ends, the device will automatically turn off data transmission.
A lot of Android applications connect to the Internet in the background and, as a result, traffic is consumed even before the owner of the phone has time to wake up. To prevent this from happening, you can prevent certain applications from using mobile traffic in the background. To do this, click on the application name in the traffic consumption window and check the Restrict Background data box.
This feature can also be disabled globally. To do this, being in the "Traffic control" section, go to the settings and check the box of the same name. You can also turn off automatic data synchronization right there. However, with the global ban on downloads from the mobile Internet, some important applications - for example, an email client - may not work as you expect.
A lot of traffic goes to app updates. To prevent downloading updates from eating up expensive traffic, you can go to the Google Play settings and select the update only via Wi-Fi in the "Auto-update applications" section or (as an option) disable automatic updates altogether.
By the way, don't forget to check the settings of your favorite apps. In many, you can turn on sync and download data only over Wi-Fi.
⇡ Traffic control in Google Chrome
The data compression function is also in mobile version Google Chrome browser. It works like this: the content of web pages is first sent to Google servers, where it is optimized and loaded in a compressed form. The quality of the images, of course, suffers, but on the other hand, much less traffic is consumed.
You can find and enable this option in the "Settings → Traffic control → Traffic reduction" menu. Depending on which web pages you are viewing on your mobile device, the savings can be tangible - up to 50%. However, data compression will be useless when loading web pages that use traffic encryption - Google cannot send such data to its servers. In addition, it should be borne in mind that compression will not be performed even when you turn on the "incognito" mode in the browser.
To save mobile traffic in Google Chrome, it is also worth turning off the preloading of web pages. It is located in the same section of the "Traffic control" settings. You can let the browser download pages in the background only when the Wi-Fi connection is active, or you can prevent downloading altogether.
⇡ Control over traffic consumption using specialized applications
The main purpose of mobile traffic metering apps is to help you save money. For this, both simple consumption statistics and restrictions for different periods of time are used.
Perhaps the most simple program for traffic accounting - Internet Speed Meter Lite. It performs only the functions of monitoring and collecting statistics. The application monitors the consumption of mobile and Wi-Fi traffic in real time. The current data transfer rate can be seen in the notification panel, and if you expand the notification menu, you can also see the name of the current network and the amount of traffic that was consumed today.
The application window shows how much traffic was used for last month by days, the amount for the last seven and thirty days, and total number from the beginning of the current month. Mobile and Wi-Fi traffic is counted separately.
The Data Usage application is interesting in that it can count not only mobile, but also Wi-Fi traffic. And not only count, but also notify about exceeding a specified limit, as well as block data transmission when a certain value is reached. Why do you need to track Wi-Fi traffic? For example, some hotels practice providing free Wi-Fi access within a certain limit. If it is exceeded, you need to pay extra.
In the application settings, you can specify how much traffic (separately - mobile and Wi-Fi) is provided for a given period. Data Usage will not only collect statistics for the day, for the week and for the reporting period, but also calculate how much traffic should be consumed, ideally, so that the Internet does not exactly cost a penny. It also shows the projected consumption, separate statistics on the received and transmitted data and - most importantly - how much free traffic remains until the end of the reporting period.
Data on mobile Internet and Wi-Fi are shown on separate tabs, but you can view the total history of traffic consumption on a visual graph.
Data Usage can warn you that prepaid traffic will run out soon. Moreover, there can be three such warnings. The default is when using fifty, seventy-five, and ninety percent, but this setting is configurable. In addition, the application can completely turn off the Internet when a certain value is reached (by default - 99%) and automatically turn it on when the next reporting period occurs.
Another application for monitoring traffic that you may find useful is My Data Manager (Data Usage. Its feature is the ability to set separate data usage plans for roaming and mobile Internet. You can set the traffic limit, as well as the date and start time of the plan.
As for the data received via Wi-Fi, it is impossible to set the traffic limit here, but you can specify at what number of downloaded data the program should notify the user. "My Internet Manager" displays information about traffic consumption in convenient form, while each type of connection is located on a separate tab.
A complete report of the total data consumption can be seen in the graph. Also, information on consumed traffic is displayed on the notification panel.
The app also keeps track of data consumption by different apps. This information can be presented as a diagram or as a list.
The pleasant bonuses of the application include the ability to back up data to an SD card and restore them quickly.
⇡ Unconventional approach: not only control, but also traffic reduction
Even before the era of smartphones, mobile browsers from Opera Software were hugely popular. And one of the most requested features of Opera Mini was traffic compression. Thanks to this, on the one hand, the loading of web pages on a slow connection was accelerated, and on the other hand, the bills for mobile Internet decreased.
The same compression technology that was used in the old products of the Norwegian company formed the basis of the Opera Max app for Android. It is currently being tested, but it is already available for free download from Google Play in our country. The main difference between Opera Max and the corresponding function in the browser is that it works with all applications. That is, if Opera Mini only compresses the content of web pages, then Opera Max works with any browser, as well as applications for viewing video content, reading RSS, downloading photos, etc. In particular, Opera Max significantly saves traffic in Vkontakte, Viber, Odnoklassniki applications.
Opera Max technically works over a VPN network. All network traffic from a mobile device goes through Opera's servers, where it is compressed whenever possible. Thus, the user downloads much less data.
How much data has been saved is shown in the application window. Detailed statistics by date and by application are also available. As shown by our testing, web pages and photos are best compressed, with video the situation is worse. But with Facebook and Twitter, the application does not work at all - this is because these social sites use an encrypted connection. Accordingly, the application cannot intercept this traffic in order to send it to Opera's servers. It is also worth bearing in mind that the application is useless for compressing web pages if you use google browser Chrome with data compression enabled. In this case, it is not possible to save even more. Also Opera Max does not compress application updates and files downloaded to the device.
Opera Max only works with mobile internet. As for Wi-Fi traffic, it is not counted or saved. But on the other hand, the application has a convenient option to prohibit the use of mobile traffic for individual applications. This can be handy as the option to update via Wi-Fi is not found in all applications.
Finally, when using Opera Max, it's worth keeping in mind that the app works offline for seven days. For his further work you need to "recharge", that is, click on a special button on the corresponding tab of the application. So far (at the testing stage) it is free, but in the future, most likely, you will need to pay for the extension of the service.
However, if Opera Max becomes paid in the future, then it should be borne in mind that this application is not unique. The same functions have been available for more than two years now to users of the lesser-known program Onavo Extend, whose developers moved under the wing of Facebook in 2013.
Like Opera Max, this free app works through a proxy server and compresses all mobile traffic from the device. When you turn on Wi-Fi, it turns off automatically. In the application, you can see statistics on the saved traffic for a week and a month. And also in the settings you can control the quality of graphics, as well as set the cache size for saved graphic elements. This is true if you load the same web pages all the time. Onavo Extend saves graphics from them, it does not reload, which makes the savings even greater.
⇡ Conclusion
I would very much like to hope that in five to ten years the demand for all applications for saving mobile traffic will decrease. Perhaps, very soon they will become as rarely used as rare programs for monitoring traffic on a PC are nowadays. And just as inexpensive cable Internet came to our homes without taking into account traffic, so our smartphones will receive inexpensive unlimited Internet access.
Sometimes the topic of the next article is the answer to the question asked by the reader. Recently I was asked how to control data traffic on Xiaomi smartphones. The question is very interesting and worries many users. mobile phones, so I decided to prepare a small instruction in which I will tell you how you can track and manage mobile Internet traffic.
Nowadays, a modern smartphone without the Internet can be called a piece of plastic. Access to the global network through a mobile connection gives freedom of movement with access to the information you need... Most applications are designed to work online. Thus, mobile traffic must be controlled and, if possible, limited. Otherwise, the actual costs may exceed the planned ones.
Well, let's look at how to organize monitoring of data transfer on smartphones with MIUI shell.
Control over the use of mobile Internet in smartphones with MIUI shell is carried out constantly. In order to find out the amount of downloaded data, open the standard Security application and click on the Data usage button.
A new window will display information on the volume of incoming and outgoing traffic for each SIM card. The transition between SIM cards is carried out using a swipe left or right. In the Data usage stats section, you can view information on a particular application.
You can display information for today, yesterday or for a month. If you click on a specific application, then the traffic data will be presented in the form of a diagram.
If your tariff plan does not provide for an unlimited Internet package, then control alone is not enough, it is advisable to set a restriction threshold. To do this, click the Set data usage limit button.
And in a new window, activate this option for the SIM card, the traffic of which will be controlled.
In the Tariff plan section, set the Mobile traffic limit and warning threshold. It is also necessary to indicate the day of the month when the Internet package is updated.
The mobile traffic limit can be specified in both MB and GB.
If your tariff plan provides for free volume of mobile Internet, then in the Configure package section you need to specify the limit, as well as the start and end times for this option.
Here you can also select applications whose traffic will not be counted in statistics. V recent times many mobile operators have introduced the VNet service, which provides an unlimited traffic limit for the resources of social networks and instant messengers.
After setting up the tariff plan, it is advisable to restrict the access of some applications to the mobile Internet.
By unchecking the checkboxes in front of the gluttonous applications in time, you can avoid unforeseen expenses for mobile communications.
It is also possible to restrict the access of applications to the Internet via a Wi-Fi connection.
That's it for today. Send your questions related to the operation of the MIUI proprietary interface, setting up Xiaomi smartphones and other mobile devices on Android OS to me at. I will publish the answers to the best of them in the section. And also subscribe to my Telegram channel, and you will be the first to know about new posts on my website.
For those subscribers of mobile operators who use a tariff with a limited traffic volume, it is extremely important to control this indicator, otherwise the monthly payment may increase significantly. Many applications that require an Internet connection consume a lot of megabytes, for example, fixing a GPS location. It is quite easy to see the traffic consumption for Xiaomi, because the manufacturer has provided this function in its smartphones.
How to view traffic on Xiaomi
To do this, go to "Settings", where open the section SIM-cards and mobile networks "and go to" Traffic settings "in it.
When using two SIM cards, it is possible for each to set its own limits. To do this, go to the "Tariff plan", where the restrictions on the used megabytes are set (values can also be displayed in gigabytes).
After filling in all the data, the "Limit and notifications" option will become available. With its help, you can configure the actions that will be performed when the set values are exceeded.
If the traffic control on Xiaomi was done correctly, then the spent megabytes can be quickly recognized in the notification curtain. By pressing the corresponding key, the user will be presented with detailed statistics. It will also be possible to restrict the operation of applications that require an Internet connection.
If the user does not want to receive notifications about the spent megabytes through the shutter, then in the traffic settings it is necessary to disable the corresponding function.
Content:
The traffic limit warning in Android devices appears at the moment when a certain amount of GPRS traffic has been spent within a month. The warning helps to stay within the limit, but it can be annoying when it doesn't close - in which case, just turn off the warning.
Steps
Part 1 Disabling the warning
- 1 Open the Settings app. It is in the list of installed applications; to open this list, click on the "Applications" icon (looks like a grid). The Settings app icon looks like a gear.
- 2 Click Traffic Control. It's near the top of the Preferences window.
- 3
Move the "Warn about used traffic" slider to the "Disable" position. The name of this option may differ on different Android versions.
- The "Set traffic limit" option sets the maximum amount of traffic that can be used; when this limit is reached, data transmission over the cellular network will be blocked. This feature is different from a simple traffic limit alert.
- If your device does not have the described option, set the traffic limit so that the alert never opens (read the next section).
Part 2 Troubleshooting
- 1 If the "Warn about used traffic" option is not displayed, activate the "Mobile data" option. Cellular data transmission (GPRS) may be disabled; in this case, the specified option will not be displayed.
- Activate the "Mobile data" option.
- Disable the warning about traffic limit using the "Warn about used traffic" slider.
- 2
If the alert does not turn off, increase the traffic limit. Set a value that you will never reach.
- Click "Settings" - "Traffic Control".
- On the graph, press and hold the orange line labeled Warning. If there are two lines on the chart, then the red one will be called "Limit" and the orange one - "Warning".
- Keeping the line pressed, drag it up.
- Release the line when you reach a traffic volume that will never be used up. For example, if you are spending 5 GB per month, set the limit to 10 GB and you will never see a warning. If you are spending 10 GB per month, set the limit to 15 GB.
- 3
Turn off the traffic limit warning from your mobile operator. Some operators send alerts about approaching traffic limits. Such warnings cannot be disabled in the device settings - do it using the application from the mobile operator.
- Open the mobile operator's app. The name of the application depends on the operator.
- Go to the "Notifications" section. To do this, you may need to open the application menu.
- Disable traffic limit alerts. The types of notifications vary by carrier.
Part 3 Saving traffic
- 1 Try to connect to wireless networks. In this case, no GPRS traffic will be consumed. If your device is not connected to Wi-Fi, do not stream music or open YouTube.
- 2
Use a computer to download and transfer files. If you download files on an Android device, traffic will be consumed in a significant amount. Download required files to your computer, and then copy them to your Android device using a USB cable.
- Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable.
- On your device, open the notification panel and tap USB.
- Select "File Transfer" and your Android device will appear as a connected removable disk on your computer.
- Copy the downloaded files to your computer to the corresponding folders on your Android device.
- 3 If you are using Chrome, enable the traffic saver feature. This will save you a significant amount of traffic. If you enable this feature, the data will be precompressed and then sent to the device. This will increase the download time, but the amount of data transferred will be significantly reduced.
- 5
Configure apps to update over Wi-Fi. Downloading updates consumes a significant amount of traffic. Configure the Google Play Store so that updates are downloaded only via Wi-Fi; also disable automatic updates for many apps.
- Open the Google Play Store.
- In the upper left corner, click the menu button (☰).
- Click "Settings" - "Automatic Application Updates".
- Disable automatic updates or configure them to only run over Wi-Fi.
Using the Internet on your phone or tablet, in order to pass the time on a trip, you should make sure that it does not turn off at the most inopportune moment, and the first thing that you should always keep under supervision is the balance of Internet traffic and the balance of your personal account.
Do you regularly use mobile Internet to communicate in social networks, like listening to music or watching movies online? Then it is simply "vital" for you to know how to check the remaining traffic in order to control the consumed volume and be able to replenish your account in time and buy additional Internet traffic packages.
Checking the balance of the Internet
The largest telecom operator in Russia - MTS carefully takes care of its customers and not only on a permanent basis improves the quality of communications, develops new services and introduces more and more favorable tariffs. But it also improves services for dialogue with customers and periodically provides us with new opportunities to control our expenses so that we, subscribers, can quickly and easily find out not only the balance, but also the remaining or consumed traffic.
- The most effective way check traffic on your phone and tablet is a USSD request. Dial the code * 217 # "call" and press the "call" button. A message with the information you need will be displayed on the screen.
- If your tariff plan includes a certain amount of prepaid Internet traffic, you can find out its balance using the command * 100 * 1 # "call" or # 100 * 1 # "call". A response message about the balance will be displayed on the screen in the same way as in the previous method.
If you connected traffic separately as an option or special offer, then you can check your MTS traffic with the command * 100 * 2 # "call" or # 100 * 2 # "call".
- Tracking traffic consumption on tablets and smartphones with Android (it should be noted that there are similar applications for iOS devices - iPhone and iPad) is even easier - just install the official application "MTS Service" or the unofficial "AnyBalance". With their help, it will be much easier to control your expenses.
How to find out the traffic on the MTS-Connect modem?
For USB and Wi-Fi modems MTS-Connect, the same codes and requests are available as for mobile phones - by switching in the modem dialog box, you can type a command and send a request as on a regular phone.
How else can you see your traffic on MTS?
The methods below can be used to check the balance of any type of device, mobile and home Internet.
You can go to the "Internet Assistant" on the MTS website, open the item "Tariffs and services" in it, and in it - the sub-item "Packages" and the category "View the current balance", where the consumed and remaining Internet traffic will actually be displayed.
If none of the methods described above suits you, then you can call MTS technical support at the toll-free number 8-800-25-00-890 and get help on the current balance of funds and traffic - after a couple of clarifying questions and identifying you as the account holder.