Tips for keeping my Internet usage under control

Most mobile phones allow you to surf the Internet and use apps such as Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp. Here are a few tips to help you keep your Internet usage under control. Take the time to read them: put them into practice for carefree surfing on your mobile phone or tablet.

Change the settings of your mobile phone or tablet

Some mobile devices allow you to synchronize your e-mail and calendar, as well as download automatic updates for your device.

• Although very convenient, synchronization and automatic updates increase your data usage. That's why we recommend that you change your settings to only allow manual synchronization and updates.
• Your e-mail traffic can also increase your data usage. Did you know that you can change your settings to display only the subject of your incoming e-mails? You can then decide whether or not to download the entire message.

If the Wi-Fi assistOpens a new window option is enabled on your device, you may be using the mobile data network when the Wi-Fi connection is poor. To avoid this, disable this option.
To change the settings of your mobile phone or tablet, check the user guide of your device.

Surf on mobile sites whenever possible

Many popular websites have a mobile version, which uses up significantly less volume. For example, m.google.com or m.facebook.com.
If a site has a mobile version, your device will automatically direct you to it most of the time. If you enter www.facebook.com in the Internet browser of your mobile phone, you will automatically end up on m.facebook.com.

Avoid volume-intensive apps

When you buy your mobile phone or tablet, you often get a lot of free apps, like Google Maps, Facebook or YouTube. These apps are often very volume-intensive. And when you download new apps yourself, you also need a data connection. We advise always downloading new apps or app updates over Wi-Fi.

Using Wi-Fi on your mobile phone or tablet

Most devices allow you to connect to the Internet over Wi-Fi. Surfing over Wi-Fi is cheaper than surfing over mobile internet. To protect your personal data, stick to password-protected Wi-Fi networks. Disable your Wi-Fi as soon as you're done surfing. This will save your battery.

Are you often abroad?

LTE (4G) networks can still generate data usage abroad even when you are not surfing and when roaming is disabled. To avoid this:

• Disable the use of LTE networks on your mobile phone when you are abroad. Check your device user guide for this.
• Change the Access Point Name (APN) settings in your device (or better yet, delete them) to avoid data charges when you are abroad.