The mistake slowing down your connection and killing your phone

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It's a casual evening, and you've just started streaming your favorite show. But, as the plot thickens, your Wi-Fi takes an unexpected break. Annoying, right?

Before you unplug your router, look at your smartphone. The culprit could be apps draining precious bandwidth.

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what's the big deal?

You've probably seen notifications that you're using too much data. Besides being charged more, why does it really matter? Glad you asked.

• Wi-Fi performance: Data hogs slow you down to a great extent. Identifying and monitoring bandwidth-hungry apps on your iPhone or Android will improve your Wi-Fi speed and reduce latency.
• Limited plans: Not everyone has unlimited data. Keeping track of which apps are using your Wi-Fi can help you avoid surprise charges.
• Not enough to roam around: Smart home devices (think cameras or voice assistants) depend on a stable Wi-Fi connection. Managing bandwidth-intensive apps also helps them run more smoothly. The more devices you have and rely on on a day-to-day basis, the more it matters.
• Battery life: High-bandwidth apps can drain your Android or iPhone's battery quickly. Catching them early can greatly extend the life of your phone.

how to check

Now, let's learn in detail how to detect those lurking Wi-Fi bandits on your Android or iPhone.

for Android

• Open the Settings app > Connections.
• Tap Data usage followed by Wi-Fi data usage.

As I'm constantly reminded, the steps vary depending on your phone. If that doesn't work, find your settings for Wi-Fi or data.

You'll see each app and how much bandwidth it has used over the past month. Android lets you go back four months for an even more detailed overview. Select the date at the top of the screen, and voila!

for iPhone

Although there is no built-in feature to track Wi-Fi usage in iOS, there is a solution. You can take a look at your mobile data usage to see which apps are the most bandwidth-intensive.

• Open the Settings app > Cellular.
• Scroll down to view apps.

You cannot use heavy social networking apps or entertainment platforms while on your mobile data, so these can be stashed down. Spotify, YouTube and Netflix are some of the main culprits!

Of course, you know to close the hungriest apps if they are not in use and eating up too much bandwidth. There's more you can do:

• Content settings: Most apps have an internal setting that allows you to control the content that is visible. Lowering the resolution, disabling auto-play, or changing the output to standard-quality images can lighten the load.
• Auto Download: Email and social media apps usually auto-download files when connected to the Internet. You can turn it off.
• Find alternatives: Some apps have an alternative data-efficient version, like Facebook Lite for Android. Sorry, Apple fans, but it's not available for you yet

Scroll through your apps and note which apps you use rarely or don't use at all. Do you have two or three apps that perform similar functions? How about the one you downloaded for a free trial subscription years ago?

If you're not sure where to start, your iPhone can help. To get a detailed view of your app activity and what you use the most, go to Settings > Screen Time and select View all activity.

If you're on Android, tap Settings > Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls > Dashboard to see screen time for each app.

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