WhatsApp is generally acknowledged for being a very good messaging app to use, because it’s fast, encrypted and also doesn’t use up too much of your data. Unlike other demanding apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp has been always appreciated by Android users for keeping its resource use to a minimum. However, it can also go overboard once in a while, especially if its settings are not tweaked just right.
If you suspect WhatsApp to be using up more data than you’d like, a fast and sure way to check is to go to your phone’s app data usage report. You can find it generally either under Security > Data Usage or Network > Data Usage, in your Settings menu. If you discover that WhatsApp holds a top position in the report, there are 3 things you can do.
- Configure media download settings
The default setting for downloading media received on WhatsApp is auto-download when the phone is connected to WiFi or a mobile network, and not download when roaming. In order to preserve your data when using WhatsApp, turn off auto-download completely. These downloads automatically start in the background, and this is why they can eat up a whole lot mobile data without you even realizing.
- Activate low data usage setting
Many apps have a low data usage setting, such as Instagram, and even WhatsApp. In the case of WhatsApp, low data usage is applied during calls. While this is surely data-effective, keep in mind that it will lower the quality of your calls. If that doesn’t bother you, then it’s a viable option.
- Configure chat backup settings
You may have configured your WhatsApp to send data automatically to Google Drive in order to backup your chats, and you don’t remember it, because it only takes one little tap. If you want to disable it, simply go to Menu > Settings > Chat > Chat Backup.
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