Data usage

[Rekusu]

What ho one and all,

I guess I am pretty much a SmartPhone Luddite!!

My phone is very much used as a phone, my contract has 2gb of data which is more the adequate. I was under the impression that if next to my domestic router, the phone connects via Wi-Fi and any internet use on the phone does not impact on my 2gb.

I have only a couple of games on the phone, one that I am finding addictive is Backgammon. But when next to my router and playing a couple of games, the data use is increasing. Am I missing something or is my understanding of data use mistaken?

Thanks and toodle pip

[Steve R Jones]

A person can have TALK and DATA through Wi-Fi. Hardly anyone needs TALK to be through Wi-Fi. Make sure you're setup accordingly.

[fink]

I set my phone up to use WiFi exclusively for data when I'm at home. I turn off mobile data completely unless I'm out somewhere and need it at that time only and I'm able to keep close tabs on how much I use.

I don't use WiFi for my phone calls.. I just use the default LTE, 3,4,5G settings on the SIM chip which don't need to be altered.

[Rekusu]

Thanks for the replies. Not 100% sure I understand as I just want the phone to do what I want without raiding my bank account. I imagine that with Wi-Fi off, I can make/receive phone calls but SatNav/Games/ and some other things will not work? Will the Camera work as I think that connects automatically to Google?

[fink]

You can make all phone calls with WiFi (and/or data) disabled unless you are one of the VERY few people who live somewhere in the wilderness without proper cell phone reception. But you'll need either WiFi or data enabled to play the games and upload pics to online storage (like google, dropbox etc). The camera will still work but all pics will just be stored locally in the camera's own folders.

[Rekusu]

Been playing around within Settings and have turned off a whole host of things that I did not know were on. I do not even know what many of the listed items are of do. Knox, Knox Content Manager, Google Ply Services, Game Optimizing Service, OM Customize, SIM toolkit, TouchWiz, it's all gobbledegook!

Home However, Backgammon was using quite a slice of mobile data and some testing has now shown that it is greatly reduced.

Thanks for the advice.

[fink]

I would google each thing you turned off before you forget which ones you disabled to see what they do and if they're necessary for the proper function of your phone.

I'd leave TouchWiz and SIM toolkit on. When I first got my Android phone I looked into turning various things off and got a warning that Google Play svc's were necessary to keep it properly functioning and it was responsible for various phone safety features.

https://support.google.com/android/a...10546414?hl=en

[jdc2000]

Also, depending on where exactly you got those games from and/or which software maker created them, they may be doing more than just letting you play the game.

[Rekusu]

Thanks for the replies. Have been playing around and turned off a number of apps and games that are running in the background.

Searching on Google, I see there are a number of things using memory, that are related to the Korean language because it is a Samsung. Not sure what happens if I turn them off. I do have a Japanese language option installed for sending/receiving text messages. And there is a Google Body Sensor running with Google Play Store; I don't have a watch that is connecting to body sensors. If I turn it off, what happens to the Play Store? Do I need the Play Store?

How did it ever become so complex?

[SpywareDr]

https://support.google.com/android/a...ity%20features.

?

[mitchell.washin]

Some smartphones have a feature called Wi-Fi Assist, which automatically switches to cellular data when the Wi-Fi connection is weak or unreliable. This can result in mobile data usage even when you're connected to Wi-Fi. Certain apps and services on your phone might still consume mobile data in the background, even if you're connected to Wi-Fi. These background activities could include app updates, sync, notifications, or cloud backups. You can review and manage the background data usage settings in your phone's settings menu.