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How to Save Your Data Usage on a Road Trip

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With phone companies jacking up the prices for their data plans, and most refusing to offer unlimited data, many of us are protective over our data usage. Road trips can be the death of that usage, quickly causing us to hit our limits. Here are a few ways to help conserve your data usage on your long road trips.

Make a playlist

If you use music streaming apps like Spotify or Pandora, try making a playlist before you leave. Spotify lets you download your playlist to your device and listen to it on the go without using any data. If you spend your seven-hour road trip constantly streaming your music or podcasts, you’ll run up your usage quickly. While you’re at home, on your own Wi-Fi, download your playlist and listen on the road, carefree.


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Invest in a GPS

While the GPS on your phone might be convenient, it will suck down both your battery and your data usage. You can plug your phone in if your car has a USB port, but savoring that data usage is pretty challenging. An external GPS (or even a built-in one on a newer car model) can help preserve your precious data limit.

Turn Off Your Wi-Fi

Unless you have a built-in hotspot in your car, you won’t be getting any Wi-Fi on your trip. Before you hit the open road, flip your Wi-Fi setting to “Off.” This will prevent your phone from constantly roaming during the trip, searching for a Wi-Fi signal.


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Skip the Videos

Don’t stream videos unless you’re planning on sucking up all of your available data. If you really need something to watch (and you’re a passenger – please do not watch videos while driving), download some Netflix episodes to your device before you leave. Then, you’ll be able to watch your favorite movies or TV shows without streaming at all.

Using some of your data on a road trip is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Plan ahead and make sure you and your phone are road-trip ready.