Wi-Fi, mobile data and saving data

Wi-Fi or mobile data? How to get online, and how to make your data last.

Two ways to get online

There are two main ways a phone gets online. Wi-Fi uses a wireless router nearby, at home, at school, in an office or a café. Mobile data comes from your phone network's masts, so it works almost anywhere you have signal. It uses up your data bundle. To join Wi-Fi, open Settings, then Wi-Fi. Turn it on, and tap the network you want to join. If the network has a lock, it needs a password. Ask the owner for it and type it carefully, because capital letters matter. Be careful with free, open Wi-Fi in public places. Other people on the same network might be able to snoop. Avoid banking or typing passwords on public Wi-Fi you don't trust. Use your mobile data instead.

Make your data last

Save big downloads and app updates for when you're on Wi-Fi. Video uses the most data. Watching in a lower quality, like 360 or 480, uses much less. Turn off autoplay, so videos don't start by themselves in apps like Facebook and Instagram. In WhatsApp, you can stop photos and videos from downloading by themselves, so you only download what you want. And check how much data each app uses, in Settings. Here you can see which apps use the most data. Video apps are usually at the top of the list.

Quick check

Quick check. Which of these uses the most data? Watching a video. Video uses far more data than text, so lower the quality when you can. Options: Sending a text message; Watching a video; Reading an email; Using the calculator.

Recap

Wi-Fi comes from a router nearby, and mobile data comes from your network's masts. Join Wi-Fi in Settings. Avoid banking on public Wi-Fi. Lower the video quality to save data. And check your data usage in Settings.

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