Control Data Usage on Your Android Device

Internet data usage by our android devices is always a source of concern for the average user. Each android phone release tends to get bigger and want to do more. With a smooth, beautiful and big display come the inevitable downside of having to use more data. What more, phones today are smarter and one of the ways they seem to pull it off is keeping apps running under and telling all they grab from the internet even when you 'close them.'

Some of these processes running underground are actually crucial to your work and social life. Your settings is such that it keeps checking for mails even when it is not up on the screen. This way you keep getting your mails. Facebook for example does the same and so you are able to keep getting notification of activities that you have chosen to  have.

But this is also true for several other apps that we use and really don't want them checking up on things under the radar. To see what apps are doing so, you can use the "Date Usage' Tool on stock android.

- Open 'Data Usage' (usually by swiping down from the top of your device)
- Tap the mobile network you are using for data if you are using a dual SIM device,    scroll up and you will see what each app is spending on data.
- Tap on the app you are interested in and see the breakdown of the usage into 'Foreground' and 'Background'. Foreground is the usage when you on the app whereas Background refers to what the app uses while 'closed'.
- To stop the app from using data while in the foreground, select the checkbox that says 'Restrict background' data.
Tada.

P.S.: You do not want to do this for your email apps for example since you want to always get your mail even when you are not on it. The rest of the apps that you restrict heir background activity on will still do their thing when you open them and also be able to run in the background while you are connected via WiFi.