How to check which applications on your smartphone use the most data

Staff Writer12 March 2016

Mobile data is still considerably more expansive than its fixed-line alternative, with 1GB of prepaid data on Vodacom priced at R149.

Afrihost’s ADSL data-only deal, by comparison, gives you 75GB of data for the same price.

This means that smartphone users have to be cautious about how they use their devices when not connected to a fixed-line service via Wi-Fi, or a free hotspot – particularly when it comes to data usage on apps.

[Also read: How much mobile data your favourite apps really use]

The instructions below show you how to check which apps use the most data on iPhones and Android devices.

Apple iPhone

On your iOS device, access the Settings menu.

Select the Cellular option, and scroll down to the Use Cellular Data For section – which lists how much data different applications and services consume on your phone.

The list is in alphabetical order. A Reset Statistics option at the bottom lets you measure data consumption over a period of your choice.

Android

While Android operating systems may differ slightly depending on which phone brand you have, accessing your Settings menu and scrolling to Data Usage is the easiest way to see how much data your apps consume.

Apps are listed according to how much data they use, and information can be reset at the start of a billing cycle.