Are you planning a trip to the US? Immediately you arrive, it pays to have put some considerations in mind before excitement kicks in. Keep in mind that your phone is a handy accessory but you wouldn’t go back home with hefty roaming charges. A phone comes in handy to capture some captivating moments during your trip. It allows sharing gorgeous pictures on Facebook and Instagram. However, this might cost you a fortune if you aren’t smart enough. This is why you need these 8 smart ways to keep data charges low during US travel.
Download some offline apps
Most travel apps use a data connection to work especially free ones that come with ads. These need an internet connection to work. However, it might cost you a considerable amount especially when using roaming data. It’s a good idea to download some apps that don’t need data before boarding the plane. To be sure, turn off the data connection and then turn on the apps to ensure they work properly. Some of these include:
- TripIt
- HopStop
- Troposo
- Google Maps
- XE Currency
- American Red Cross First Aid
Disable automatic updates
There’s a chance that your smartphone automatically connects to the internet to update apps. Additionally, you might be getting notifications and emails even with your phone switched off. To cut data charges, disable auto updates. Go into Google Play and reset updates to only happen when connected to Wi-Fi.
Buy an international SIM
This saves a considerable amount of money in calls, messages, and data savings. It’s highly recommended to buy an international SIM card for USA travel before boarding the plane. This comes with cheap data, calls, and text messages. The best thing is that it works in most countries of the world including the US. An international SIM is a great buy to help you stay connected without worrying about roaming charges. Luckily, you can use this card in your phone of a portable Wi-Fi hotspot for sharing with colleagues for more savings.
Use data compressor
Various apps can compress data use to as much as 5 times. Therefore, ensure to download some before your travel. Compressing your data use significantly lowers the cost of data making your trip cheaper. You can use the money saved to buy some souvenirs from your journey. Some of the data compression apps to download include:
- ZipBit
- StuffIt
- DroidVPN
- Opera Max
Monitor data use
Check your phone setting and set a data usage limit. This means your phone won’t use more data after the limit is reached. With this, you will more control over how you use your data and it helps prioritize when to use the internet. Additionally, set a data usage warning for notification when about to reach your data limit. This will help you to understand your data requirement and know when to use the internet. This will come in handy when purchasing a bundle for your international SIM.
Make use of free Wi-Fi
In the US, make use of free Wi-Fi access in various locations like airports, shopping malls, and cafes. Set your phone to notify you when Wi-Fi hotspot is detected. Make use of this while you can to limit the use of your bundle. This is a trick to stretch your data bundle with this you won’t have to keep reloading your data SIM.
Limit streaming
Watching videos online will eat up a sizeable chunk of your data. Streaming a 480p resolution video from YouTube use about 562.5MB of data hourly. Others like Netflix, Hulu, and Vimeo also require enough data to watch videos and movies. Luckily, most of them offer videos in various resolutions with different data requirement. To save your data usage, ensure to stream average quality videos to stretch your bundle.
Less downloads
Perhaps you don’t stream but download videos and movies online. Be mindful of this while on your travel. Downloading huge files eats a sizeable chunk of data. Just like streaming, the amount of data use to download a video depends on quality. It’s very important to limit your downloads to ensure that your bundle lasts the duration of your journey.
Conclusion
A smartphone is a handy accessory on a trip to the US. It allows keeping in touch with people back home and sharing trip experiences on social media. however, it’s important to be mindful of possible expenses. Wonderful idea to make the most of your smartphone during your trip is to invest in an international SIM. Apart from cheap data, this SIM also comes with affordable call rates and text messages to help you have a pleasant experience.