How Do I Manage My Monthly Mobile Data Usage with T-Mobile?

With the degree to which people rely on their phones these days, it can be easy to run over your monthly T-Mobile data limit. If you keep hitting your monthly limit and finding that you still have a lot of the month left then need to learn about managing your monthly mobile data usage. Below, find a list of ways you can learn why you keep going over your limit early and ways you can manage your data usage and make it all the way to the end of the month.

Check for T-Mobile Usage Alerts

T-Mobile will be sent you a text message alert when you reach 80% of your limit. This text is a sign that you need to significantly reduce the amount of data you use until the end of the month.

Check Your Mobile Data Usage Online

1. Go to T-Mobile's home page.
2. Sign in to your account.
3. Select My Current Plan.
4. Select Usage.
5. Select View All Usage Details.
6. Select Data. You will then see a record of your data usage.
7. Add up all the different kinds of data you used over the last month, such as calls and texts.

You will now have a record of how much data you use in a month, sorted by type. Look at where you use the most data, and do less of that in the future.

Uninstall Constantly Updating Apps

A lot of apps, particularly social media and multiplayer game apps, are constantly checking for new information and using up your data at an alarming rate. Just having these apps installed will do this, you don't actually have to be using them. Uninstall any apps, particularly games and social media apps, that you don't absolutely need.

Change Settings

Some sites, such as Facebook, automatically play video content as soon as a page is loaded. This can eat up a lot of your data. Go over every app you regularly use and turn off automatic video play, if possible.

Change Your Habits

You can also reduce your data use by changing your habits online. Figure out what activities have you using the most data with this chart:

• Streaming music: 0.5 - 1 MB per minute
• Watching video media in Standard Definition: 4 MB per minute
• Watching video media in High Definition: 8 - 10 MB per minute
• Downloading 1 song, app, or game: 1 MB - 7 MB
• 1 social media post with a photo: 100 - 350 KB
• Browsing: 50 - 500 KB per minute
• Sending 1 email and attachment: 100 - 300 KB
• Sending 1 email without any attachments: 15 - 35 KB

For a few days you should keep track of how much time you spend doing the above activities. This shows you how you use your data during a typical day. Find whichever habit is costing you the most data, and do less of that.

If you need more help managing your mobile data usage, contact T-Mobile. It has phone, email, help desk, and a variety of live chat support options.