Does the risk of going over your monthly data limit or chatting away your included minutes give you cause for concern? You're not alone. Show
We asked more than 1,200 Which? readers how they use their phone and keep track of their usage, and found that more than 50% of you are concerned about an unexpectedly high bill. Our survey also found that a third of you didn't know how to see how much data or how many minutes you had used, and about three quarters of you didn't know how much this costs outside their bundle. Understandably, 63% of you didn’t want to have to increase their monthly bill to make sure they have plenty to spare. That worry means we're not getting the most out of our phones and contracts, with some people going to fairly extreme lengths to avoid 'bill shock'. How Which? readers avoid bill shock
The good news is that monitoring your usage is a doddle and most of the simple tasks we use our phones for every day, such as checking emails, don't use much data at all. In this guide, we'll show you simple ways to manage your data and minutes and how to make them go further by making a few small changes to your mobile habits. Looking to change provider? Find out which ones we rate highest in our page on the best mobile providers. How much mobile data you need?
Many contracts now offer unlimited minutes and texts. As a result, it tends to be data that drives the price of a phone contract - the more you get the more you pay. Newer phones and flagship handsets, such as the Samsung Galaxy range and iPhones, are likely to come with big data contracts because providers want to charge more for the phones people are clamouring for. For people who like to consume media on the move – and outside of a wi-fi connection, this might make sense. But unless your package is truly unlimited you should still know how to keep track of how much you're using. As you can see from the table below, which is based on the average 4G speeds in the UK across the 'big four' providers, it doesn't take long to eat up data if you're streaming audio and video. If you're not looking to stream content in this way, it's unlikely that you'll need more than a few gigabytes every month, despite what a charismatic salesperson might say. So be wary of contracts that have data in the double digits and unlimited data contracts - you could be overpaying significantly for what you're actually using. We'll show you how to keep track of your data usage, so next time you come to upgrade you'll have a better understanding of how much data you're chewing through each month. The best way to be sure of how much data you need is to monitor how of much of it you're using every month. Smartphones have built-in settings that show you how much data you've been using and which apps have been greedily vacuuming up your precious gigabytes. How to find out how much data you've used on an iPhone
How to find out how much data you've used on Android
Simple tips to save your mobile data
How to keep track of your minutesIt's a case of apps to the rescue when it comes to keeping on top of your minutes. Many of the apps that keep track of data usage can do the same for your minutes and the vast majority are free. Apps such as My Data Manager and Phonalyzr will tell you how many minutes you've used since a certain date. Mobile providers also have their own apps, which will keep you up to date with how many minutes you've used as well as show you your bill history. Some providers also let you dial a number or send a text to see what you have left.
Simple tips to save your minutes
How do I check my TracFone Minutes balance?3. Call *777*1# from your Smartphone to Check your Balance. Check your Tracfone Balance from your Phone! This is by far the fastest and easiest way to check your airtime on a Tracfone Smartphone or BYOP device.
How do you check how many minutes you have on Android?The easiest way to check screen time on Android is by using the Digital wellbeing menu. Go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing and parental controls > Dashboard and check the time under Screen time.
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