Here's how you can reduce data usage on WhatsApp

Owing to a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, majority of employees across sectors have been forced to stay indoors and work from home. The sudden surge in media consumption could potentially put a heavy load on the internet infrastructure, leading to slower speeds and worse — no connectivity. 

WhatsApp is one such app which is used by millions of users across India. The instant messaging platform is also widely used to share photos, videos, documents, and also to dial voice and video calls. This could definitely eat a lot of data from your monthly pack and also pull down data speeds.

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Disable auto-download settings

WhatsApp users can send or receive an unlimited number of photos, videos and other media content. If the media auto-download option on WhatsApp is enabled, it will not consume a significant amount of data over time, but also fill the smartphone’s storage.

To disable media auto-download on Android,

— Go to WhatsApp Settings

— Tap on ‘When using mobile data’ and select/de-select the kind of media that you do not want to get auto-downloaded using mobile data.

— The same steps should be followed for disabling media auto-download when connected on Wi-Fi.

To disable media auto-download on iOS,

— Go to WhatsApp Settings

— Tap on Data and Storage usage

— Here, you can open each type of media type and select if you want WhatsApp to auto-download on Wi-Fi only or when connected to cellular as well. You can also disable media auto-download by selecting ‘Never’.

Low data usage for calls

Among the most popular features of WhatsApp include the ability to make voice and video calls using mobile data or Wi-Fi.

To reduce data consumption when using WhatsApp call, disable the ‘low data usage’ under the ‘Call Settings’ section.

Limit chat backup

WhatsApp gives users the option to take a backup of their chats and other media shared on the app. While taking backup is important, it is recommended that users should disable auto chat backup on WhatsApp if possible.

To do so, go to WhatsApp settings > Chats> Chat backup > Select ‘Off’ under auto-backup.