Need recommendations for data saving web browser for Android

[QuantaFille]

So, I was on my lunch break (no WiFi) browsing using Chrome when I got a message that Chrome was using an unusually high amount of data. There was an embedded video in the page I was looking at (on CNet) that had autoplayed, even though I specifically turned that off in settings. At least it was muted. But still, downloading videos takes up a lot of data, and there it all went. How do I force it to never download video? Even video ads, which are super annoying. Anyone have any ideas?

[Sparko]

Not together like that. They are two separate charts.

well, watch it for the next few days and try to remember what you are doing when it shows a large rise in data.

[QuantaFille]

Not together like that. They are two separate charts.

[Sparko]

I already did that. My mobile data use shows that it's almost all Chrome being actively used. I'm attaching screenshots.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]39797[/ATTACH]


[ATTACH=CONFIG]39798[/ATTACH]

I got nothing, then. Unless RG or someone else has been using your phone without you knowing it.

Can you tell how much data it is using per day, on cellular vs wifi? like this?

ScreenHunter_.jpg

[QuantaFille]

There is a setting on iPhones that stop background tasks from accessing cellular data, which would keep any apps from refreshing or reporting using the cellular network if they are not the active app being used at the moment. It's called background app refresh on the iphone. You can change the setting per app. There is something similar on android. turn it off on any apps that you don't want using cellular data in the background.

https://www.asurion.com/connect/tech...round-refresh/

I already did that. My mobile data use shows that it's almost all Chrome being actively used. I'm attaching screenshots.

Screenshot_20190920-105259_Settings.jpg


Screenshot_20190920-104701_Settings.jpg

[Sparko]

Nothing has changed. I don't watch videos unless I'm at home on the WiFi, mostly because I don't have time unless I'm home. Sometimes I'll load a page with an embedded video (like a TWeb thread where someone posts a video), so I turned off autoplay but I suspect the video is loading in the background anyway. I don't even know how to check but it's about all I can think of that would use so much data.

There is a setting on iPhones that stop background tasks from accessing cellular data, which would keep any apps from refreshing or reporting using the cellular network if they are not the active app being used at the moment. It's called background app refresh on the iphone. You can change the setting per app. There is something similar on android. turn it off on any apps that you don't want using cellular data in the background.

https://www.asurion.com/connect/tech...round-refresh/

[QuantaFille]

That's kind of weird. Are you browsing different sites than normal? Watching videos?

I have an iphone and I use chrome on it most of the time. I also have firefox installed. You might try that and see what happens.

I normally do all my browsing at work or home so I am usually on wifi. I have a 3GB plan and usually never go over 1GB in data.

Nothing has changed. I don't watch videos unless I'm at home on the WiFi, mostly because I don't have time unless I'm home. Sometimes I'll load a page with an embedded video (like a TWeb thread where someone posts a video), so I turned off autoplay but I suspect the video is loading in the background anyway. I don't even know how to check but it's about all I can think of that would use so much data.

[Sparko]

That's kind of weird. Are you browsing different sites than normal? Watching videos?

I have an iphone and I use chrome on it most of the time. I also have firefox installed. You might try that and see what happens.

I normally do all my browsing at work or home so I am usually on wifi. I have a 3GB plan and usually never go over 1GB in data.

[QuantaFille]

I upgraded my phone back in April from a Galaxy S4 to a Galaxy S10e. One thing I noticed about the new phone is that Chrome somehow suddenly started guzzling data like there's no tomorrow. I'm on a 1Gb data plan, same as with the S4, only instead of only using half or three quarters of that every month, I'm now going over or close to it. I've changed all the settings I can think of to save data, all to no avail. I'm not going to spend three times my current bill amount on an unlimited data plan just because I'm using a smidge more than 1Gb/mo.

Looking at my data usage, Chrome BY FAR uses more data than anything else installed. Probably more than everything else combined. So my question is, is there an alternative browser that has better settings for saving data? I want to be able to turn off video preloading, not just turn off autoplay, stuff like that. I've already turned off data for individual apps that I don't want transmitting data in the background. I've turned on Data Saver, and turned off predictive page preloading.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.