Turn on Data Saver
Unless you ’ve signed up for one of those precious unlimited data plans, you ’re presumably keeping an eye on your mobile data use. Unfortunately, Android apps are notorious for gorging up further than their fair share of data, particularly when they ’re sitting in the background.
Turn on Data SaverBen Patterson/ IDG
Once you ’ve turned on Android’s Data deliverer point, you can pick which apps( like Gmail) that can continue to use background cellular data.
That’s why you should turn on Android’s Data redeemer point directly.
Just tap Settings> Data operation> Data deliverer, also flip on the switch.
Blocking background cellular data has its downsides. For illustration, Data Saver will keep the Gmail from going new dispatches, Twitter wo n’t notify you of mentions unless you manually reload your feed, and your favorite news app wo n’t refresh its papers until you open it in the focus.
Turn off Data mooching
Turn Data mooching offBen Patterson/ IDG
still, make sure to turn off Android data mooching setting, If you do n’t like unpleasant surprises on your monthly wireless bill.
Android’s Data ranging point lets your phone use cellular data when you ’re “ mooching ” on another network( generally because you ’ve wandered out of your carrier’s content area).
To ensure that Data roving is switched off, stopcock Settings> Data operation, stopcock the three- fleck button in the top-right corner of the screen, stopcock Cellular Network, also turn off the Data mooching setting.
Turn off the Unknown Sources setting
One of the knockouts of Android is that you ’re not confined to the Google Play store when it comes to apps. Indeed, you can download and install apps from any third- party app store or website — from the Amazon app store and DownloadAtoZ to Mobango and SlideMe — without having to bed your device.
Turn off the Unknown Sources settingBen Patterson/ IDG
With the Unknown Sources setting turned off, you ’ll block anynon- Google Play apps that try to install themselves on your Android phone.
The problem with third- party app stores, still, is that they do n’t inevitably go to the lengths that Google does to ensure their apps are malware-free. Indeed worse, you could wind up on a iffy website that tries to install a nasty piece of malware on your phone without asking first.
That’s why you want to make sure Android’s Unknown Sources setting is turned off — or at least, nearly always out.
Turn Unknown Sources out, and your Android phone will block the installation of any app that’s n’t from the Google Play store.
I recommend keeping Unknown Sources off enough much all the time, unless you be to be downloading apps from a third- party source that you trust. Once you ’re done installing, make sure to switch off Unknown Sources again.
To toggle the Unknown Sources setting on or off, stopcock Settings> Security. You ’ll find the Unknown Sources setting about half down the list of security settings.
Indeed as Android phones get farther and more important, battery life seems to keep shrinking. Indeed, my Nexus 5X ca n’t make it through the day without an afterlife charge, and that’s with only a moderate amount of use.
You can set Android’s Battery redeemer point to turn itself on when your phone’s battery life starts to reduce.
That’s why Battery Saver is such a must- use Android point. Once actuated, Battery Save will switch your device into a low- power mode by( among other goods) darkening the screen, shutting down most background app exertion and position services, and turning off other bells and hisses, all in an trouble to squeeze every last drop of juice out of your phone’s fading battery.