This article will outline steps to control and manage your cellular data usage.


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Connect to trusted W-Fi networks when possible

It's a good idea to connect to trusted Wi-Fi networks like work or home when you can. At work, please make sure that you're connected to the CWS Wi-Fi network. At home, you can connect to your personal home network or other trusted networks by following these instructions.


iOS Users
  • Open the Settings app and select the Wi-Fi option
  • Find your Wi-Fi network and select it from the Networks list
  • Enter the password for the selected network and press Join at the top right

Android Users
  • Open the Settings app and navigate to Network & Internet > Internet
    • Since some Android developers move settings around, your Wi-Fi settings might need to search for directions specific to your device 
  • Find your Wi-Fi network and select it from the list
  • Enter the password for the selected network and press Connect

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Android


If you have a hidden Wi-Fi network, you will need to select the Other (iOS) or Add network (Android) option instead of selecting it from the list and manually enter in the SSID 
If connecting to an untrusted Wi-Fi network, we highly recommend using a VPN. As a Collingwood employee, you can download the GlobalProtect app to your mobile device and connect to vpn.collingwood.org



Control which apps are able to use your cellular data

Apps that use video or handle a lot of images such as YouTube and Netflix will use up cellular data very quickly. Netflix and YouTube offer options for you to download content for you to watch on the go. The good news is that you can manage which apps use data and which ones will only be allowed to use Wi-Fi.


iOS Users
  • Open the Settings app and select the Cellular option
  • Scroll down and set the slider to the off position for any apps that shouldn't be using up cellular data
    • There will also be a small number below each app that lets you know how much data that app has used

Android Users
  • Open the Settings app and select the Apps option
  • Scroll through your list of apps and select an app that you want to change the settings for
  • Select the Mobile data & Wi-Fi option
  • Change the Background data slider to the off position
Note: This will only disable background cellular data usage for Android. There isn't a way to completely disable data usage for specific apps on Android

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Android



Keep track of your monthly data usage

Collingwood's billing period runs from the 24th to the 23rd of the following month. You can monitor your cellular data usage by following these instructions.


iOS Users
  • Open the Settings app and select the Cellular option
  • The Current Period field will tell you how much data you have used since you last reset the statistics.
  • To reset the counter, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the Reset Statistics button
    • This counter does not reset automatically.

Android Users
  • Android lets you adjust the data usage cycle and warn you if you're approaching your data limit
  • Open the Settings app and use the search bar to look for the data warning option
  • To set which day of the month the usage counter should reset, select the Mobile data usage cycle option and set it to 24 and press OK.
  • You can also set up a data warning notification by selecting the Data warning option and adjusting it to a number below your usage allotment of 5GB



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Android