7 settings to save your data while traveling

Your plan isn't being used up by Maps or WhatsApp — it's being used up by what's running in the background. Here are the 7 settings to adjust before you take off, in order of impact:

1. Disable photo backup over 4G

iCloud and Google Photos love to upload your 200 daily photos over 4G. Set them to "Wi-Fi only": this is THE setting that saves gigabytes.

2. Download your maps offline

Google Maps allows you to download entire areas. Do this over Wi-Fi before you leave: navigation will consume almost nothing on-site.

3. Local playlists and series

Spotify, Netflix, YouTube Premium: everything can be downloaded. One hour of HD streaming = 1 to 3 GB; one hour of downloaded content = 0.

4. Enable data saver mode

iOS ("Low Data Mode") and Android automatically compress data streams. Video quality adapts, and nobody notices.

5. Limit background app refresh

Settings → Cellular Data: disable access for apps that don't need to be running (games, banking apps, weather apps…).

6. WhatsApp: disable auto-download

The 40 videos from the family group don't need to be downloaded over 4G. Settings → Storage and Data → Auto-download over Wi-Fi only.

7. Monitor your data usage

We'll notify you by email when you've used 80% of your data — and you can top up with one click if needed. No surprise cut-offs, no mental calculations.