Going over your data plan on your mobile may result in you having a nasty surprise bill. Luckily, you can set data usage warning and limits to limit the amount of data you use.
How to set a data usage warning or data usage limit:
- Go the settings application on your Android device.
- Then, search for “mobile data usage” and click on the first option that comes up.
- When the page loads, click Mobile data usage.
- Next, press the cog icon in the upper right hand corner.
- Finally, enter your billing cycle, data warning and data limit (for more info see below).
What is a billing cycle and what should I enter?
A billing cycle is the day when your bill starts and when it ends. You will need to enter the start date in this field. If you are unsure, please ask your provider.
If we (Globe2) provide you with a SIM, please enter the 01 in this option.
What is a data usage warning and should I turn it on?
We strongly advise turning on the data warning feature on your Android device as this can help you keep track of how much data you have used.
We advise turning this setting on and setting it to around 75% of your allotted data so you can get an early indication that you are running out.
What is a data usage limit and should I turn it on?
We strongly recommend turning on a data limit on your phone to avoid going over your monthly bill which is coming even easier with the introduction of 5G.
We advise setting this to just under your allocated data allowance to account for any discrepancies between your provider and your Android device. While it is generally reliable it is worth noting.
Story time – What happens if I don’t set a usage limit.
I was briefly with the SIM provider ID Mobile and their out of bundle rates are terrible and perhaps should be reported for how absurd they are.
ID mobile provide handset contracts typically at cheaper prices than other providers (which is why I chose to go with them), however there is a catch as I will explain.
Their out of bundle rates for data were (and still is) 10.24p per mb.
This would mean if I went over my plan by 1gb of data it would cost me £102.40! I only had a small data allowance back then of around 1gb (from memory) and I did go over a few times.
See their out of bundle prices yourself here: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/call-charges
Luckily I moved away from ID Mobile as quick as I could and that is no longer an issue for me. I only wish of having the knowledge of data usage limits back then.
