How to save your iPhone data usage on iOS13

Prior to the roll-out of iOS13, it was something of a lengthy process to save data on your iPhone. But the introduction of Low Data Mode has made avoiding reaching your usage cap a whole lot easier.

There are loads of great deals to be had on iPhones with inclusive data allowances but with so much of our lives spent online, many of us still run out of megabytes each month.

iOS13 introduced a host of great new features for iPhone users, including an improved photos app, dark mode and strengthened privacy controls. One particularly useful trick though was the addition of Low Data Mode which is easy to activate.

What does Low Data Mode do?

When you turn on Low Data Mode, your iPhone switches off all background communication. It stops background app refresh processes and pauses all sync tasks. Low Data Mode halts app downloads and updates and prevents automatic email retrieval. The feature also improves battery life.

How to switch on Low Data Mode on your iPhone

There are two ways to switch on Low Data Mode – for both mobile data connections and WiFi networks.

To enable Low Data Mode for your mobile network, launch the Settings app and select “mobile data”. Tap on “mobile data options” and simply toggle on “Low Data Mode”. The mode will operate until such time as you’re connected to a network for which Low Data Mode is deactivated.

If your iPhone connects to multiple WiFi networks, you will need to repeat the following steps for each one.

Again, launch the Settings app and this time select “WiFi”. Under the My Networks section, tap on the “i” button alongside each network name. Toggle on Low Data Mode from the options that appear. You can only select the mode for networks you are currently connected to.

Some apps like Instagram come with a low data usage option. To prevent some of your apps using mobile data you can also switch off their ability to do so by going to “Settings” – “mobile data” once more to toggle off each app’s mobile privileges.