Tech & Auto
Stop Android Apps From Using Data In The Background: A How-To Guide
By ROB RICH
While having an Android phone that's always online can be useful, apps persistently connected to the internet can raise your bill or slow your data speed.
Luckily, Androids have a few ways to block background data use without deleting apps or turning their phones off. The first is to completely turn off the cellular connection.
If you're using a Pixel device, go into Settings, Network & internet, and select the SIMs option. Choose your cellular provider, locate the Mobile data option, and turn it off.
For non-Pixel Androids, go to Settings, Network & internet, and Internet. Find your carrier, tap the Settings icon next to your carrier's name, and turn off the Mobile data option.
You can also close cellular access for specific apps rather than turning off mobile data for every installed app. How this is performed will depend on your Android OS version.
For Android 7.0 and up, open Settings, Network & internet, Data Saver, and toggle it on. Afterward, select Unrestricted data and choose which apps you don't want using mobile data.
Devices using anything older than Android 7.0 will have to manually change app permissions. Open Settings and tap Apps, then select the app you want to restrict from mobile data.
Choose a permission setting and change it to Don't allow. To restrict permissions by type, open Settings, Security & privacy, Privacy, and tap Permission manager.
Select a permission type to restrict and scroll through the list of installed apps. Select the app you want to restrict, then change permission settings to Don't allow.