How to reduce mobile data on Android
Turn on Data Saver: on a Pixel it is in Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver, on a Samsung in Settings > Connections > Data usage > Data saver. Most apps then only use background data on Wi-Fi, while the app you are using keeps working. After that, let through the few apps that need to work in the background and stop photo backups from using mobile data.
Check your phone is compatibleData Saver on a Pixel and stock Android
Open Settings, tap Network & internet, then Data Saver, and switch it on. Google describes what it does in one line: most apps and services get background data only via Wi-Fi, while apps you are actively using can still use mobile data. When it is on you see a Data Saver icon in the status bar, and you can add a Data Saver tile to Quick Settings so it is one swipe away on the trip.
Google notes that some steps only work on Android 8.0 and later, and that phones with a manufacturer’s own version of Android may put things in different places. If the path above does not match your phone, the manufacturer’s help pages are the reference. Samsung is the most common case, so it gets its own section.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
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How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
The same thing on a Samsung Galaxy
On Galaxy phones, go to Settings > Connections > Data usage > Data saver and turn on the switch next to Turn on now. Samsung lists the exceptions at the bottom of the same screen, under Allowed to use data while Data saver is on; the three-dot menu can show system apps or only the ones already allowed.
Samsung also notes that several of these menus do not appear unless the phone has an active SIM and a mobile connection, so if Data saver is missing while you are on Wi-Fi only, that is why. With the travel eSIM active and connected, that condition is met. Menu names can vary slightly by model and by the operator that sold the phone.
Which apps to let through
Data Saver’s strength is also its catch: an app that is closed or in the background waits for Wi-Fi before it syncs. Most apps are fine with that, but some need to keep working behind the scenes to be useful. For those there is an exceptions list. On a Pixel it is Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver > Unrestricted data, where you switch on each app or service that should keep using mobile data. On a Samsung it is the allowed list described above.
Keep the list short. A messaging app you rely on, and perhaps the app for your accommodation or transport tickets, is usually enough. Everything else can wait for Wi-Fi without you noticing. If you share data with a laptop, remember the laptop is not covered by any of this; the hotspot guide deals with that side.
Wi-Fi only and background data, app by app
Samsung goes further than Data Saver with two per-app controls. In Data usage > Allowed networks for apps, you can set an app to Wi-Fi only, so it never touches mobile data, even while you have it open. In Data usage > Mobile data usage, tapping an app lets you turn off Allow background data usage, which stops it using data while it runs in the background.
The first suits apps you only use at the hotel, like a streaming service or a game with large updates. The second suits apps you open on the go but do not need refreshing behind your back. On a Pixel, Google’s help page on mobile data points to the app permissions settings for this kind of per-app control, so look in the app’s own info screen under Settings > Apps.
Stop Google Photos backing up videos on data
Holiday videos uploading in the background are one of the easiest ways to empty a data plan. In the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture, then Photos settings > Backup > Mobile data usage. There you can set a daily limit for backup on mobile data, turn off Back up videos over data, and turn off Back up while roaming.
With videos off, photos still back up as you go and the videos wait for Wi-Fi. Whether your phone treats a travel eSIM as roaming depends on the line, so do not rely on the roaming switch alone; the video switch and the daily limit work either way. If you want to see how much each app is really using before and after these changes, our data guide explains how to size a trip around it.
Does Data Saver stop all mobile data?
No. Apps you are actively using can still use mobile data; it is background data that is limited to Wi-Fi for most apps.
Will WhatsApp still work with Data Saver on?
It works while you have it open. If you want it to keep syncing in the background too, add it to Unrestricted data on a Pixel or to the allowed list on a Samsung.
Why can I not find Data saver on my Samsung?
Samsung says some data menus only appear with an active SIM and a mobile connection, and labels can vary by model.
Can I stop one app from ever using mobile data?
On Samsung, yes: Data usage > Allowed networks for apps, then choose Wi-Fi only for that app.
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