When you turn off background data on your Android device, you can help control your mobile data usage. Also, since the apps are always running, this can drain your device’s battery, but with the background data option restricted, your battery can last much longer. But, for those who always want their apps with the latest info, turning off this option is not something to consider. Whatever you want to do, keep reading to see how to enable or disable background data on your Android device, whether it’s a Samsung phone or not.
How to Enable or Disable Background Data on Android
The following steps apply whether you want to turn this feature on or off. To start, open the Settings app on your Android device and go to Network and Internet. Select Mobile network, followed by App data usage. Here, you will see a list of all the apps. The apps listed first will be the ones that use the highest amount of data. Depending on your installed apps, this list can be very long.
Let’s say you want to turn off Background Data. Tap on the app to which you wish to apply this and toggle off or on the Background Data option. Remember that if you prevent messaging apps from running in the background, you won’t get your messages unless you open the app. You will need to do this for every app you want to restrict data usage for.
To restrict background data for all apps but add a few to the exception list, you must go to Settings > Network and Internet > Advanced > Data Saver. Toggle the option on or off at the top. There will also be an Unrestricted data option where you can toggle on apps you want to give full access to, even if you have Data Saver on. Tap this option to view the complete list and toggle on the desired app.
How to Enable or Disable Background Data on Samsung Phones
The steps for Samsung phones are slightly different. You must open the Settings app and go to Connections > Sata Usage > Mobile Data Usage. Choose an app you want to turn on or off Background Data, and that’s all there is to it.
This is a great way to know which app is using too much mobile data. But you can also have your Android device let you know when you’ve reached a limit on how much mobile data you’ve used. You can do this by going to Settings > Network and Internet > Mobile Network > Data warning and limit > Toggle on Set data warning, and under Data warning, set the limit.
Further Reading
If you happen to have a Samsung Galaxy S23 and need to turn on or off background data, here is a tutorial that will help you with that. Anything you can do to save smartphone battery life for your Android is always welcome, right? Remember, if you need to search for tips or solutions for a specific topic, you can always use the search bar at the top right.
Conclusion
Some apps don’t know how to play nice and use too much of your mobile data. That’s when you have to restrict how much mobile data they can access. Good thing that there are features you can take advantage of to keep your mobile data usage under control. You can restrict the background data for one or many apps and even set a few exceptions. How often do you use data saver on your Android device? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to share the article with others on social media.
