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Tips for surfing the Web cheaply

Do you surf the Internet on your mobile or tablet, and use apps such as Facebook, YouTube or WhatsApp? This uses up your data bundle. We want to help you keep this usage in check.

Average monthly usage via mobile Internet is 1 GB or 1000 MB. Downloading apps, streaming music, and watching videos, in particular, use up lots of data.

Overview of average use: 100 e-mails without attachment (50 MB), 300 webpages (120 MB), 500 social media visits (80 MB), 5 app downloads (200 MB), 3 hours of music streaming (108 MB) and 1 hour of watching videos in standard definition (210 MB)

Things to look out for...

Surf via Wi-Fi or a Public Wi-Fi hotspot rather than mobile Internet.

It's cheaper but there are other differences between Wi-Fi and mobile Internet.

Use apps offline.

When connected to Wi-Fi, make your streaming services (e.g. YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music) and cloud apps (e.g. OneDrive, Dropbox and iCloud) available offline. That way, you don't use any data for these apps while on the move. Also don't forget to choose your favorite app to limit the data you use for this app.

Don't play videos or music in the highest quality.

If you want to play videos or music via the mobile network, change the quality in the app settings. Don't allow apps such as Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp to automatically play or download videos.

Close apps when you're not using them.

That way, you prevent them from using data in the background.

Check your usage regularly and choose a suitable rate plan.

Track your usage with MyProximus and receive text alerts about your usage. In Belgium, your data usage is updated every minute (exceptionally after 3.5 hours). You've exceeded your mobile data allowance and want to buy more data? Buy more data every month or one time only, or choose another rate plan. Want to stop exceeding the monthly data limit for your mobile? Change your subscription to Full Control.

Going abroad? Read more about Calling, texting and surfing abroad.

Adjust the settings of your mobile or tablet

Does your mobile or tablet regularly use mobile data, even when you're not using it? This is probably due to a setting on your mobile or tablet, which you can easily change.

We try to provide correct instructions for as many users as possible. However, the options may vary depending on the version or manufacturer of your device.

Android

Android

Use less data with your Android smartphone or tablet:

Check data usage

A first step is knowing how much data you're actually using:

  1. Tap Settings in the main menu.
  2. Tap Network & internet or Connections. Tap Data usage. On some Android phones, you might see this option immediately in the settings menu.
  3. You can now check how much data each app is using. If you want to monitor usage more closely, you can choose a specific period of time.
Download automatic updates over Wi-Fi only

Allow your device to update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi:

  1. Open the Play Store app. Tap the menu button at the top left or swipe right.
  2. Go to Settings and choose Auto update apps.
  3. Select Auto update apps over Wi-Fi only.
Restrict background data for apps you don't use

Restrict data usage by unused apps. NB: you will no longer receive notifications from these apps.

  1. Go to Settings in the main menu. 
  2. Tap Network & internet or Connections. Tap Data usage. On some Android phones, you might see this option immediately in the settings menu.
  3. You have two options:
    1. To restrict background data for a specific app, tap the name of the app and move the slider next to Restrict background data to the right.
    2. To restrict background data for all apps, select More (or the button with 3 dots) at the top right and then select restrict background data.
No background syncing

Don't allow updates of your e-mail, calendar, contacts, Facebook messages, or your OneDrive, Dropbox or iCloud files to sync in the background:

  1. Go to Settings in the main menu and select Accounts (& sync settings).
  2. Tap the app for which you want to change the sync settings. The options you see will depend on your app.

iOS

iOS

Use less data with your iPhone or iPad:

Check data usage

A first step is knowing how much data you're actually using:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap Cellular or Mobile Data. If you have an iPad, tap Cellular Data.
  3. You can now check how much data each app is using. If you want to monitor usage more closely, you can tap Reset statistics.
Disable Wi-Fi Assist

Wi-Fi Assist switches seamlessly to the strongest network signal (from Wi-Fi to 4G), often leading to higher data usage. Don't allow your device to automatically switch to the mobile network:

  1. Disable Wi-Fi assist for your GSM or tablet.
  2. Select your device and, if prompted, your operating system.
  3. Select Disable Wi-Fi Assist under Internet.
Download automatic updates over Wi-Fi only

Allow your device to update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi:

  1. Go to Settings in the main menu and select iTunes and App Store.
  2. Go to the category Automatic downloads and move the slider next to Use cellular data to the left.
Restrict background data for apps you don't use

Restrict data usage by unused apps. NB: you will no longer receive notifications from these apps.

  1. Go to Settings in the main menu and select General.
  2. Choose Background app refresh.
  3. You have two options:
    1. To restrict background data for a specific app, move the slider next to the name of the app to the left.
    2. To restrict background data for all apps, move the slider next to Background app refresh to the left.
No background syncing

Don't allow updates of your e-mail, calendar, contacts, Facebook messages, or your OneDrive, Dropbox or iCloud files to be synced in the background.

For iCloud:
  1. Go to Settings in the main menu and select iCloud.
  2. Move the slider next to Use cellular data to the left to disable this option.

If you don't see this option, you can disable mobile data completely for iCloud (or other apps). For this, return to Settings and choose Cellular. Move the slider next to iCloud to the left to disable this option.

iCloud will now only sync when you are connected to Wi-Fi.

For your e-mail accounts, calendars and contacts:
  1. Go to Settings in the main menu and select Mail, contacts, calendars.
  2. Select Fetch new data.
  3. Move the slider next to Push to the left to disable this option.
  4. Check each of your accounts and select Manually.

Windows Phone

Windows Phone

Use less data with your Windows smartphone or tablet:

Download automatic updates over Wi-Fi only

Allow your device to update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi:

  1. Open the Windows Phone Store app.
  2. Go to … at the bottom right and select Settings.
  3. Enable Only get updates over Wi-Fi.
Restrict background data for apps you don't use

Restrict data usage by unused apps. NB: you will no longer receive notifications from these apps.

  1. Go to Settings in the main menu and select Data Sense.
  2. Move the slider next to Restrict background data to the right to enable this option.

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