The best features of modern smartphones often require access to the internet, so in order to avoid a series of hefty phone bills – what apps use the most data?

Whether you rely on WiFi or mobile roaming, every app on your smartphone will one way or another use data to operate. Whether it’s refreshing your feed on social media, using your location for directions or even to receive an email, think of your phone’s apps as cars, and data as the fuel that they require in order to operate. 

However, staying on top of what apps use the most data isn’t just about how much internet you’re using. Unfortunately, having too many apps ticking over in the background is also a surefire way to drain your phone’s battery life. Users might not even know which apps still use data even if they’re not in use, which is why it’s important to conduct regular check-ins when it comes to monitoring your data usage – but how exactly do you do that?

How To Check What Apps Use The Most Data 

As a general rule, the biggest offenders linked to sucking up data on your smartphone are streaming apps like Netflix and Stan, social media apps like Instagram and Tik Tok, and apps that use your location such as Uber and Google Maps. 

Thankfully, smartphones offer the ability to track the amount of data each of these apps in question are sucking up, and more importantly – how they use it. Depending on the brand of smartphone in question, most of the time users have the power to restrict outgoing data with a number of tweaks available. 

For Android users, checking what apps use the most data is done by going to your phone’s main Settings menu, followed by Connections, and then Data Usage. On the next menu page, select ‘Mobile Data Usage’ to see a rundown of what apps you’ve used so far this month, and how much data they use. At the top of that page, users can also adjust the time period that they’re viewing, which in turn allows you to see how this month’s data use is stacking up when compared to the previous month.

In comparison, iPhone users also have similar access to managing what apps use the most data based on their unique scrolling habits. Simply go to the Settings menu, followed by Mobile, and then scroll down the page until you spot Mobile Data. This section outlines which app uses what in terms of data consumption, along with allowing users to ‘switch off’ which apps have access to mobile data. Users can also reset the data period measured at the bottom of the page. 

If you’re prone to going over your data limit each month, the good news is that there’s plenty of options available to reduce your consumption other than simply turning it off. 

Turn Off Automatic Downloads – Updates roll through for the apps on your phone every few weeks or so, but if you don’t have automatic updates turned off, these will be downloaded to your phone at any time – with or without a WiFi connection. 

Adjust Streaming Settings – The easiest way to cut back on data usage is to lower the definition of your stream. While you’ll sacrifice quality, it may be better to watch a slightly lower quality picture as opposed to paying a bigger monthly phone bill.

Use Offline Downloads – Film, television and music streaming apps give us access to an enormous amount of content. If you’re likely to binge something whilst on your way to work or on a long car trip, download content to watch offline using WiFi instead of streaming it live. 

Turn Off AutoPlay – Unsurprisingly, video is the biggest data killer. While not available on all apps, you can change your settings on social media apps like Facebook via Settings > Media and Contacts > Videos and Photos > Auto-play > Never Auto-Play Videos. 

Monitor Location Services – Apps like Uber and Google Maps constantly use data to update your location, even when you’re not using the apps. To put a stop to this data sucker, users can alter the background location services via Settings > Privacy > Location Services.

Making The Most Of Your Smartphone 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. 

While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations. Even if you’re not on the hunt for a new phone, it’s always worth bringing your existing one in for a free health check to ensure it’s performing at its best. 

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs. 

Since our smartphones now also generally double as our cameras, what are some iPhone photography tips to take better snaps and capture memories for the future?

Whether you need a means to capture your cafe brunches or simply can’t be bothered lugging around an ‘old fashioned’ point and shoot option, the quality of the camera is often one of the major factors that determine which smartphone is right for you. Unfortunately, not all were made equally, which is why many of us tend to default to one of the tried and true fan favourites – the humble iPhone.

Industry titans such as Apple know just how much consumers value the quality, performance, bells and whistles of their smartphone’s camera, and have invested heavily into improving their in house technology accordingly. While 2007’s first ever iphone was rocking a rear camera with just two megapixels, that has since ballooned to a whopping twelve megapixels on both front and back cameras. 

However, despite the company’s best marketing efforts to get you to upgrade handsets each year, that doesn’t mean that you need the latest model to take a decent photo or video. In turn, what are some of the lesser known iPhone photography tips that have the potential to be revolutionary for your Instagram page?

Our Insider iPhone Photography Tips And Hacks 

In the right hands, the photos taken with a modern smartphone are almost indistinguishable from those taken from a bulky DSLR camera, which usually go for three times the price. While some iPhone photography tips are more commonly known than others, such as harnessing the magic of the relatively new Portrait and Night modes, others are less easy to come by. 

Deploy Burst Mode – While there has always been something magnetic and attractive about moving subjects, they’re also notoriously difficult to capture. To turn it on and nail the action shot, simply hold your finger on the shutter button once you have the camera app open and running, and up to ten multiple shots per second will be fired off automatically. To activate burst mode on iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, swipe left on the shutter button and hold to shoot in burst mode.

Tweak Your Lighting – Lighting is often one of the major bones of contention for iPhone photography enthusiasts, so having some extra control always helps. Thus, if you’ve seen the yellow focus square in your camera, notice the icon on the right hand side of it. This little button, along with the slider attached, will help you adjust the exposure and lighting of your desired image. If you need your shot to be darker, simply drag your finger down on the screen. In comparison, if you want it to be brighter and overexposed, then simply drag it up instead. 

Use The Levelling Tool – Technically not limited to just food snaps, the levelling tool is a great way to ensure that any overhead images – or ones in which you are standing directly over your subject matter – is one of the best iPhone photography tips that many people have never heard of. When you’re taking overhead shots, two plus signs (one white, one yellow) will appear on your screen. When the two ‘+’ line up and turn into one yellow ‘+’, that’s when your camera is level – just make sure that you have the grid function turned on in your main settings first. 

Control The Blur – The introduction of Portrait Mode was a game changer for a generation of selfie loving technology addicts, but the true depth of this addition is often not properly utilised. With Portrait mode, the camera creates a depth-of-field effect, which lets you capture photos with a sharp focus on the subject and a blurred background. However, users can adjust how much depth and blur is applied via the magical f-stop function at the top right of the camera screen. In a nutshell, smaller f is more background blur, bigger f is less background blur. 

Embrace HDR Mode – Using the HDR setting on your iPhone can create more balanced lighting in a scene with a ‘wide dynamic range’, i.e. a large difference between darks and lights. This software-based approach takes three photos all at once: one adjusted to the brightest parts of the scene, one adjusted to the darkest parts, and one in between. From there, the three photos are automatically combined to give you an image that doesn’t blow out the highlights or lose too much detail to the shadows, and works best when capturing landscape images. 

More often than not, what phone has the best camera often boils down to your budget, what type of photos you would like to capture, and what other demands your smartphone needs to be able to meet. Thankfully, there are a vast plethora of options when it comes to sourcing the perfect fit, so just be sure to do your research prior to purchasing. After all, even the ‘older’ iPhone models are still wonderful photography tools if you know how to properly work with them. 

Sourcing Further Advice On Apple Products 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs.

From the latest software rollouts to gadget drops, here’s our quick round up of the latest September tech news that we’ve deemed to be worthy of your attention.

Technology sure is great, but in order for it to stay relevant, beneficial and glitch free, the double edge sword of this new world is the constant updates that the humble consumer is required to keep up with. After all, QR codes wouldn’t work so well with the simple Nokia 3315, right?

There is always a new way to streamline a process, eliminate a redundant task or even just a means to procrastinate with technology. In essence, new product drops, software updates and even fresh games to hit the market are regularly released so that we can make the most of it – so what’s on offer this month when it comes to September tech news?

Five September Tech News And Updates 

With 2021 already well and truly past the halfway mark, tech giants around the globe are dropping new games, software and devices left right and centre – particularly as the Northern Hemisphere is hanging onto the last few days of summer, or the era that Silicon Valley would class as ‘peak season’. For the savvy digital consumer, we’ve deemed the below to be the most noteworthy this month in regards to September tech news. 

The Annual Apple Event – Apple almost always drops their new products during an annual September event held by the Silicon Valley tech giants, with the new iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 rumoured to be arriving on either September 14 or 15. Although the event is likely to be virtual, Apple fans around the world are eagerly awaiting to see what’s next.  

SpaceX Launches First Civilian Mission – Founded and operated by tech billionaire Elon Musk, SpaceX has come a long way since it was first established in 2002. On September 15, SpaceX is set to launch its first ever civilian mission aptly dubbed “Inspiration4”, with the plan being to orbit around earth every ninety minutes on a customised flight path for three days. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 – Phones with big screens have become all the rage, but many users have begun to shy away from them purely because they take up too much space. Samsung’s latest offering gives users the best of both worlds, with all the benefits of a massive screen in a device that flips down into half its size. Needless to say, the reviews have been positive. 

Foxtel Introduces iQ5 – With cable television rapidly becoming a thing of the past, Foxtel have announced their latest offering, Foxtel iQ5. With a simple plug and play set-up allowing customers to be streaming Foxtel within minutes with no cable or satellite installation needed, it’s a move that Foxtel no doubt hopes to use to win back customers from streaming services. 

Amazon Releases “New World” – Tech nerds all over the world are itching to try Amazon’s first foray into the world of online gaming, with New World set to drop in Australia on September 28. Touted as a massive RPG with over 1,000 players per server, the buy to play game is set in the 17th century, and mixes real world history with magic, mythology and hardcore fantasy. 

Want To Talk September Tech News With The Professionals? 

SOS Phone Repairs are specialists in high-quality, cost-effective phone repairs, tablet repairs, and PC repairs, all backed with a six month warranty. Founded in 2015 in Coffs Harbour and now with over sixteen outlets located all over Australia, our primary driving factors remain the same: people and phones. 

Whether it’s to get a few more years out of your trusted iPhone, to fix one up to sell, or to repurpose an old one as a gift, repairing a smartphone might just be easier and cheaper than you think. However, if you’re in the market for a new smartphone, SOS Phone Repairs also stocks a wide variety of refurbished handsets at a fraction of the cost of a brand new one. While each has been carefully restored to perform at their best, all refurbished smartphones purchased through SOS also come with a twelve month warranty, and can be purchased at any of our sixteen store locations.  

If you are on the hunt for a quote, diagnostic, or even just some good old fashioned, friendly advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call today at SOS Phone Repairs.