How to save mobile data on iPhone: 10 settings that actually work

Updated July 2026 · 4 min read · By the Databit team

The 10 settings, most to least effective

1. Lower video quality. In YouTube, Netflix and TikTok, pin cellular quality to medium or saver. Setting #1: video is 60–80% of typical usage.
2. Enable Low Data Mode. Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options. Pauses backups, preloads and automatic tasks.
3. Background App Refresh → Wi-Fi. Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
4. Turn off Wi-Fi Assist. Bottom of Settings > Cellular: stops silent switches to cellular when Wi-Fi is weak.
5. App Store downloads on Wi-Fi only. Settings > App Store.
6. Cloud photos on Wi-Fi only. Disable cellular upload in iCloud Photos / Google Photos.
7. Download before you leave. Spotify playlists, Netflix episodes, offline maps: zero spend on the street.
8. Tame infinite-scroll apps. TikTok and Instagram preload constantly; enable their built-in data savers.
9. Cut cellular for apps that don't need it. Settings > Cellular lets you deny data per app (games, shopping, smart-home apps).
10. Mind the hotspot. One laptop spends like ten phones; tether with a meter in sight.

The step everyone skips: measuring

1. Note your daily average from last week in Databit's chart.
2. Apply the settings above.
3. Compare the next week. Bars dropped from 350 to 220 MB/day? You just saved ~4 GB a month — maybe enough to downgrade to a cheaper plan.

The saving your carrier won't suggest

The end goal isn't suffering through 240p video — it's knowing your real usage. If a measured month shows you use 4 GB of the 15 you pay for, the real saving isn't in settings — it's in switching to the right plan. Databit gives you the evidence, byte by byte.