How to reduce Internet traffic consumption. Where does the traffic go? How to find a “leak” using the simplest means. Monitoring programs that consume traffic. How to save traffic with a metered Internet connection

How to reduce mobile traffic consumption on a smartphone or tablet - a classic problem of the era mobile Internet, solved with varying success from year to year, as technology develops and new services appear. How to minimize traffic consumption when using iPhone we'll tell you below.

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How to reduce mobile data consumption on iPhone or iPad

1. How to track traffic consumption

Is there a problem with overspending at all? To do this, you need to know exactly how many bytes have leaked and arrived over a specified period of time, tied to the tariff plan, usually per month. The numbers you are looking for can be found along the following path: Settings → cellular In chapter Cellular tariff statistics field "Current period", but there's one catch. iOS automatically counts traffic and summarizes old data with new ones, showing by default values ​​for the entire period of operation of the gadget.

This means that you will have to get into the habit of pressing the button once a month "Reset statistics" at the very bottom of this menu and “start life from scratch.”

Alternatively you can use third party service, for example, the Traffic Accounting application or .

2. How to identify and disable applications responsible for increasing traffic consumption

Here in the section Cellular data for Mobile traffic usage statistics are available for each application installed on the iPhone.

Starting with iOS 7, the system is trained to report, in detail, which specific applications used cellular communications in their work. And indicating the value of traffic shares in understandable units of measurement - kilobytes (Kb) and megabytes (MB), calculating the most “gluttonous” is as easy as shelling pears. In order to show who the true owner of this iPhone is, we study the list of consumers and, with royal gestures, turn off the very best. In case of doubt, the switch can be moved in the other direction at any time.

3. Turn off cellular data (2G, 3G, LTE)

A method recommended when traveling or for users with a small monthly mobile data limit. You don’t have to deal with a long list of applications that consume cellular Internet, but with just one toggle switch (Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data) turn off cellular transmission ( mobile traffic) fully.

There is no reason to worry; you certainly will not be left without access to the Internet - Wi-Fi is not turned off by this toggle switch.

4. Limit Instagram, VKontakte, FaceTime and other social networks and instant messengers

Scrolling through the list of applications during tip 2, you will probably see this name, among others, with far from symbolic numbers next to it. Is being ready to communicate every second with your contact list really so important that you don't have to worry about paying for traffic? Then there is no point in taking further actions - move the switch to the " off", leaving only a connection via Wi-Fi. The one that is free in many cafes, offices and in the presence of frivolous neighbors. We do the same with « gluttonous » Instagram, Skype and Vkontakte.

5. Turn off syncing iCloud Drive

The option is designed for a good purpose, but in practice, not everything is so simple - updating data in the cloud at every convenient moment does not so much help save files as it increases traffic. Of course, for those who actively use content, automatic synchronization is vital all the time when working with documents.

Especially if we're talking about about real work and corresponding responsibility, but most iPhone owners do not store business files in iCloud at all, but all sorts of interesting garbage. And even though it is as dear as a memory, for the sake of the great goal of minimizing traffic it is worth visiting Settings → Cellular and at the very bottom turn the switch iCloud Drive, to the off position, thereby prohibiting the system from using cellular communications to work with cloud storage.

6. Block downloads from the iTunes Store and App Store on cellular networks

The business world is cruel - we are forced to pay for content, for using a virtual service and, in addition, for traffic. Often redundant, and the question of the need to necessarily copy purchased files to all iOS gadgets is still a matter of debate. Meanwhile, the optimal solution is before our eyes - let’s go to Settings → iTunes Store, App Store and turn off cellular traffic (switch Cellular data) for automatic downloads from the iTunes Store, App Store.

7. Turn off data roaming

What many compatriots vacationing abroad have been burned by - downloaded clips, fashion hits, news from home and other benefits of mobile Internet at the resort turn into millions of bills. Even if it is an exaggeration, it is not based on nothing, and since this article is about minimizing traffic to reduce costs, you should absolutely not ignore this aspect.

The easiest way is to “take and cancel”, switch to position "Off" corresponding toggle switch data roaming, located along the way Settings → cellular → Data Options → data roaming.

8. Use Safari offline

Many users like to save web pages of sites for later offline reading. And you don't need to download for this third party applications, it is quite possible to use the standard Safari browser. For this:

1. Open Safari and load the desired web page;

2. Switch to reading mode by clicking on the special icon to the left of the URL;

4. In the menu that appears, click on the option “ Save PDF to iBooks»;

5. Once saved, the page will open in the easy-to-read iBooks app.

Smartphones consume gigabytes of traffic - synchronizing data, updating, downloading applications, reporting problems to developers, etc. Even if you hardly use the Internet yourself, smartphones will handle it for you, and you will receive a huge bill or the provider will cut the speed at the most inopportune moment because the traffic limit has been exhausted. How to control the Internet on a smartphone and minimize traffic consumption?

Firewall

Download some kind of firewall or antivirus with a firewall function and select those applications that are allowed to access the Internet. Let everyone else work locally.

Automatic application updates

Go to Google Settings Play Store and prevent apps and games from updating automatically. Large updates are rarely released anyway, and small ones, as a rule, are useless, since they fix problems that may not exist on your smartphone. In addition, maybe you do not use all the applications installed on your smartphone and simply forget to remove unnecessary ones, but they are still updated.

Browser Compression

Browsers like Chrome and Opera can compress traffic, and quite significantly. If you activate compression in them, savings can reach several hundred megabytes per month.

Delayed reading

If you use applications that download articles from the Internet, go to their settings and see if there is an option that allows you to download articles in advance for delayed reading. Articles will be downloaded via Wi-Fi and you can read them on the go without using mobile data.

File synchronization

You probably have apps installed on your smartphone. cloud storage. Set a ban on synchronizing files via mobile network, leaving only Wi-Fi. The data is still synchronized in background and you won't notice the difference.

Cards

Open maps and download data for the area where you are.

Music

If you love music, but have a very limited amount of Internet traffic, it makes sense to abandon online services like “ Google Play Music" and listen to albums and collections downloaded in advance and copied to local memory.

System savings

- Disable mobile data usage when you don't need cellular internet.
- Go to Settings → Location and turn off Location History.
- Go to “Settings → Accounts”, “Menu” button and uncheck “Auto-sync data”.
- Open “ Google Settings", go to "Security" and uncheck "Anti-malware" will the right decision. In addition, you can disable “Remote device search” and “Remote blocking”.
- Open the Search and Google Now application, go to the Personal Data section and turn off Send statistics. In the “Voice search → Offline speech recognition” menu, download the offline recognition package and disable its auto-update or select “Only over Wi-Fi.”
- Open “Settings → About phone” and disable auto-checking and auto-downloading of operating system updates.

Traffic control

Android has a built-in mobile traffic consumption monitoring tool. Set the monthly limit a little less than what the operator gives you, indicate the date when it will be reset, and if the smartphone consumes it, the Internet will be limited and you will understand that you need to switch to saving mode so as not to use it on a regular basis speed or not be left without a network at all.

The concept of saving Internet traffic appeared during the existence of metered wired Internet. Nowadays unlimited wired Internet supplied at reasonable prices. And here unlimited tariffs providers that supply wireless Internet may not yet be affordable for everyone. How to save money cash, working with a metered Internet connection? In addition to consciously refusing unnecessary operations of downloading files and visiting web resources, you can save Internet traffic by using various ways and browser tools. What kind of methods and what kind of tools are these - more on that below.

1. Ways to save Internet traffic

1.1. Ad blockers

One of the effective ways to save traffic is ad blockers. Blocks with contextual advertising, especially if they are animated banners, usually make up most Internet traffic. So ad blockers perform two constructive missions - they block ads and save money for metered Internet users. The ad blocking feature can be implemented in any browser that supports installing extensions. However, ad blockers on individual sites will have to be disabled. Thus, some media resources will not allow access to free video viewing until the ad blocker is disabled for their sites. Popular ad blockers include, etc.

1.2. Traffic compression mode

Especially for slow Internet connections, some browsers provide traffic compression modes. These are modes in which traffic passes through the servers of the technology provider, and on user devices, site pages are displayed in a compressed form - with reduced image quality, blocked flash animation, etc. Traffic compression modes are useful not only in conditions of slow Internet, but also when working with low-power computers and slow websites. Traffic compression modes are also used as a way to access territorially blocked sites. Thus, traffic compression involves the mediation of the technology provider’s servers, and they, accordingly, perform the same role as proxy or VPN servers. If the technology provider's servers are not located in the country where the site is blocked, access to it will be open. Traffic compression modes are preinstalled in Opera and Yandex Browser. And in Google Chrome and browsers that support working with content from its store, the traffic saving mode can be implemented using a special extension.

1.3. Blocking the Adobe Flash plugin

To save Internet traffic, you can configure a permission request before using the Adobe Flash plugin. Without the user's permission, the Flash animation player will not start and, accordingly, consume Internet traffic.

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1.4. Locking images

Blocking images on web pages is a last resort. Image blocking is, like ad blocking, effective way saving traffic, plus it significantly speeds up web surfing, not only in terms of the speed of opening sites, but also as a method of focusing attention on useful information, not pictures. Blocking images is usually provided in the browser settings, but for these purposes it is better to install a special extension with convenient access to the toolbar. For Chromium browsers and “successors” of the Gecko engine, this extension is Chrome HTML Content Blocker, it implements buttons on the browser toolbar to block images, as well as other types of content. The extension can be installed in the Opera stores (for itself and Yandex Browser), Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

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Which of the methods described above for saving Internet traffic are implemented in popular browsers and how to use these methods?

2.Opera

The Opera browser comes with two effective traffic compression tools on board. In its settings (section “Basic”) you can activate the standard ad blocker.

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And use the Opera Turbo function, a traffic compression technology patented by Opera Software.

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As part of Opera Turbo, Flash content is blocked automatically and launched manually by the user. You can completely block Adobe Flash or configure its operation outside of traffic compression mode in the “Sites” section of Opera’s settings. Image blocking can also be configured here.

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3. Yandex.Browser

With the permission of Opera Software, Opera Turbo technology has been developed to collect the best from other browsers - Yandex.Browser. The traffic compression mode in Yandex Browser is called “Turbo” mode. This mode automatically activates in conditions of a slow Internet connection. You can enable it yourself in the browser menu, and configure it in the “Turbo” section of the browser settings.

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Yandex.Browser is equipped with its own ad blocker, but not all ads, just aggressive ones.

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On board we will find a flash data blocker in the add-ons section

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and an image blocker are among the features of the Protect panel.

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4. Google Chrome

Traffic compression mode using technology from Google Chrome browser and its clones appear after installing the “Traffic Saving” extension. To enable it, you must activate the “Traffic saving” checkbox.

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Without installing special extensions, you can block Adobe Flash and images in Chrome settings by clicking the “Show advanced settings” option and clicking the “Content settings” button in the “Personal data” section.

5. Vivaldi

The Vivaldi browser is built on Chromium and supports the installation of Chrome extensions. You can implement the traffic compression mode in this browser using the same “Traffic Saving” extension. Vivaldi is notable for its built-in features and effects for web pages, including:

• image blocker;

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• banner blocker and reading mode.

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The reading mode on board Vivaldi can be used as a tool for saving traffic, since when activated for each individual site, the article materials of such a site will always open in reading mode - a book format cleared of web elements. You can configure Adobe Flash blocking in Vivaldi settings, in the “Web pages” section.

6. Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox does not have its own data compression technology, nor one implemented through extensions. But this is at the time of writing. There have been experimental "Internet accelerator" extensions throughout the browser's history, and there may be more in the future. On this moment You can save traffic when working with Firefox using extensions - ad blockers and other content blockers (Content Blocker), in particular, the mentioned HTML Content Blocker.

Have a great day!

Mobile phones are increasingly using mobile traffic. Read on and we'll show you how to manage your data.

Just a few years ago, it was almost unheard of to be able to transfer several GB of mobile data. Now apps weigh more (it's not uncommon for apps and their updates to be over 100 MB in size), and streaming music and video is becoming more popular and with all this, you can easily use up your data limit in a matter of days.

An hour of watching a video on YouTube and you no longer have several gigabytes of traffic. And if you watch videos in HD format, then the traffic flows like water... Do you use streaming music services such as Google Play Music or Spotify? You can spend about 120 MB per hour. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but imagine using these services every day for an hour, in a week you already get 840 MB. An hour a day for a month and you will already have spent about 3.2 GB. If you use a tariff plan with a 5 GB traffic package included, then in a month you will spend 65% of the limit only on music.

Of course, you can buy traffic with extra money, but who wants to pay? Before you pay for a more expensive plan or additional data package, we offer a few tricks to reduce your data transfer (and control).

How to view the amount of data being transferred

First of all, you need to check how much data is being transferred. If you don’t know how much traffic you use, it will be unclear how you need to change your data consumption structure.

The easiest way to check your data usage is through your cellular provider's web portal. If you never use up your limit, it might be worth upgrading to a cheaper plan. If you never fit into your allotted traffic package, then you should definitely read the article further.

You can also view data consumption statistics on Android device. Go to Settings -> Data Transfer. You will see a screen something like this:

If you scroll down, you will see the mobile data usage of the apps, as seen in the second screenshot above. It's important to note that these graphs only show data sent over a cellular data connection, not through WiFi connection. You can always “hang” on YouTube while connected to Wi-Fi, but this will not appear in the statistics. If you want to see statistics on data usage via Wi-Fi, then press the menu button and select “Show Wi-Fi traffic”.

It's worth noting that you will need to enter your billing cycle here in order to accurately calculate your data usage. Since your data will be reset on the first day of the new cycle, it will not matter what you used the month before, so the result will not be distorted.

In addition to the schedules, you can set a traffic limit, at which you will be shown a warning, or set a limit by adjusting the slider on the schedule, at which the transmission of mobile traffic will be disabled. Don't forget to enable the "Mobile traffic limit" option.

Once the limit is reached, mobile traffic will not be transmitted until you turn it on again.

How to control your data usage

There are two types of traffic consumed: when the user is using the application and knows that it is running over the Internet, and data usage in the background. When watching a video or downloading a new album, you consume a data package if you use mobile data rather than Wi-Fi Internet. Obviously, in order to use less data you need to stop streaming content and downloading files.

A less obvious data transfer is "background transfer" which uses a large number of traffic. Checking new messages in the VKontakte application client or checking new letters in email and other background processes constantly consume traffic. Let's figure out how to reduce background data consumption.

First, find out which applications are consuming data

First, let's figure out which apps actually use a lot of bandwidth. Go to Settings -> Data Transfer and see the apps using data. Click on one to see more information. Here we see normal data transfer and work in the background:

Now that you know which applications use the most data, you know what to optimize.

Using data saving in Android Nougat

In Android 7.0 Nougat appeared new feature with the self-explanatory title “Traffic Saving”. It allows you to limit your consumption background traffic and provides opportunities to lead " White list» applications that are allowed to use data in the background.

To get started, pull down the notification panel and tap the gear icon to go to the settings menu.

In the “Wireless Networks” section, click on “Data Transfer”.

Under the traffic used, you will find the “Traffic Saving” option. This is where the fun begins.

The first thing to do is turn on the switch that is located at the top right. The new icon will appear in the status bar, as well as to the left of the other data icons (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, cellular etc.).

Remember that once you enable this, background data access will be restricted for all applications. To change this, click on "Unlimited data access."

After this a list of all installed applications on your phone. Using the slider next to applications, you can add them to the white list, allowing background data transfer.

It is worth keeping in mind that this only applies to mobile traffic and will not affect the Wi-Fi connection in any way.

Limit background data transfer

If you don't have Android Nougat, then you have other options.

Open an app that uses a lot of bandwidth. Look at the settings of this application, it may be worth reducing the number of notifications (for example, VKontakte) or disabling them completely. This will have a great impact not only on the traffic consumed, but also on battery drain.

True, not every application has such settings. There is another way...

Go to Settings -> Data transfer and click on the application. Turn on the "Limit background activity" switch.

Disable all background data transfer

If that's not enough, you can also turn off all background data with a single switch - this will reduce data usage in most cases, but it can also be inconvenient. From the data transfer item, click on the menu and select “Limit background. mode". This will turn off background data for all applications.

Disable background app updates

Google understands how valuable mobile data is, so app updates will only happen automatically when you're on Wi-Fi by default. To check this, open the Google Play Store. Go to the settings and make sure that “Only via Wi-Fi” is selected in the “Auto-update applications” item.

Buy frequently used apps (to remove ads)

Applications are often offered in a free version with advertising and a paid version. The thing is, not only are ads annoying, but they also use up traffic. Therefore, if you want to reduce your traffic consumption, you can buy a paid version of a frequently used application.

Saving traffic is necessary because the two main problems faced by many Russian users are low speed Internet and high fees for often unnecessary information. Let’s take a closer look at how to save Internet traffic without losing the quality of the information received.

Selecting a tariff plan and provider

Internet speeds vary from provider to provider depending on the number of users and network capacity. When choosing a service provider, the best method is experimentation and advice from friends. But in many small Russian cities, users do not have much choice.

A proven way to save Internet traffic on a computer is to work on the Internet at a certain time of day. The most high speed– from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m., during this time you can provide for downloading large amounts of information by setting up the download manager accordingly.

With dial-up access, when choosing a service provider, you should pay attention to what the fee is charged for:

1. During access time. Beneficial for those who download large amounts of information (video or software).
2. For the information used. Convenient for those who simply surf the Web, looking through pages.

Blocking unwanted content

Some of the information that comes from World Wide Web, is completely unnecessary for the user. Moreover, it increases page loading time and wastes the Internet, and therefore money. There are a number effective ways protection from unwanted content.

Data caching

Some elements on each page do not change when updating information (logos, scripts, CSS), so it is unnecessary to download them from the network every time. This is ensured by caching on the user's computer.

• Browser cache. In modern browsers, in order to save money, hidden to save traffic, an effective cache system is built into the design. It is more efficient to view loaded pages offline.
• You can use a more efficient local caching proxy or DNS proxy to save money, while disabling your browser cache and freeing up hard drive space.

Savings in email

To do this, you need to clear your mail of spam using mail services that cut off spam on the server. But you need to pay attention to the correct mail filtering settings so as not to lose important correspondence.

Some services (Bat, Outlook) can only show the header of the letter, after which the user himself decides whether to download it. It is possible to limit the size of letters or disable downloading of attachments.

Content compression using special services

It is possible to increase line throughput, speed up loading and reduce network traffic using gzip compression of information. Text is compressed, and graphic data, archives and executable files are downloaded directly. This allows you to open the page approximately twice as fast.

However, not all servers support gzip compression. Then you can use network services such as WebWarper, WebCompressor, TrafficOptimizer, Toonel.net, etc., which compress http content and other types of data (e-mail and socks files).

Free use of these services is complicated by the addition of their own advertising or restrictions on the number of free clients running at the same time, which can cause connection difficulties.

Using download managers

The usefulness of download managers is that they allow you to download the rest of the file if your Internet connection is lost, rather than starting the download again. In addition, they allow you to view the contents of the archive before downloading and select the files you need.

Also, during the downloading process, you can watch a video or listen to an audio file and decide whether it is necessary to download it completely.

Disable image loading

When opening some pages, images can take up up to 80% of the traffic. Therefore, if you need to download text or any file, there is no point in waiting for large images to download, unless they contain the necessary information. This feature is available in all browsers.

Web surfing without pictures is somewhat unusual, so you can experiment with working in this format for several days, and then decide whether it is necessary or not.

And even when problems with data transfer speed no longer arise, before turning off traffic saving, it is worth considering whether everything that is transmitted from the Internet is necessary for the user. Perhaps some restrictions should be left in place.