Remote workers using Macs on high-cost data plans or in the field using smartphones to get online may need to reduce the data they use. Here are some ideas to help you achieve this.
Disable automatic macOS updates
For the purposes of this section, I’ll assume you’ve updated your Mac to the latest version of macOS. That’s the right thing to do, but it can eat up the rest of your data, which is why you should disable automatic macOS updates. Your Mac will automatically download and install macOS updates. That’s fine most of the time, but when you’re reaching the end of your monthly data allowance or while using your Mac to work from the middle of nowhere, it’s a likely no-no. This is how to disable automatic downloads on your Mac:
- Go to System Preferences > Software Update
- Select Advanced and uncheck Download new updates if available.
- Click OK.
This means that you have to manually download and install Mac software updates as they become available using System Preferences>Software Update, which gives you the opportunity to do so at a time that is more convenient for you.
Disable automatic app updates
Apps that you download through the App Store will be updated and will update automatically by default. You can stop this.
- Open the App Store on your Mac
- Open App Store Preferences (Command-,) in the apps menu.
- Uncheck Automatic Updates.
- If you find yourself browsing the App Store while dealing with limited bandwidth, you may also want to disable Video Autoplay.
Open Activity Monitor and the Force Quit app
Tap Command-Space and look for “Activity Monitor,” or find the app stored under Utilities in your Applications folder. When Activity Monitor is open, go to the Network tab and quickly scan the list of applications in the Process Names list. If you see the name of any app you recognize that you know you’ve signed out of, select the app name and then tap the X button at the top, to the left of the circled i. This will stop the process.
It’s very likely that you won’t see the names of recognized apps that you’re not actively using, but sometimes you might find apps that you’ve closed that continue to work in a suspended state in the background. Don’t spend too much time on this; just review software that consumes a lot of data.
You should also be sure to close any apps you’re not using, as many of these apps now send and receive small amounts of data during use.
notes: Activity Monitor is also a useful tool for monitoring Network usage across all Apps on your Mac. Just click on Sent and/or Rcvd Bytes to identify which apps are consuming data.
Check Mail manually
At home, I like to check Mail automatically, but not when I’m working to save bandwidth.
- Go to Mail > Preferences (Command-,) and open the General panel.
- Now set the “Check for new messages” drop-down menu to Manually.
While you’ll still be using bandwidth when checking Mail, at least you’ll be in control of when you need to use that data. In the extreme, it makes sense to use a Web-based email system through your browser, leaving your Mail app shut down. Webmail still uses some bandwidth, but doesn’t help download document attachments until prompted to do so.
Take control of iCloud
iCloud sync is one of the big selling points in the entire Apple ecosystem. It makes sure all your data remains available on all your devices. I think this is great, but when you want to save a bit of bandwidth, you can disable it for the most data-hungry functions. (If you use iCloud Drive for work, you may want to keep it turned on. However, you should consider the data created and downloaded for anything you create on your Mac.)
Open System Preferences and select Apple ID. Select iCloud and open the list of apps that use iCloud. You should uncheck sync for the most data-hungry apps. I tend to keep Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders to a minimum as their functionality can outweigh the small data costs.
Reduce video quality
If you’re using your Mac for business, the suggestions may be useless, but you’ll reduce bandwidth by avoiding streaming video. That means turning off autoplay in the app you’re using (how to do this varies by app). It also means reducing video quality where you can.
In Music, go to Preferences > Playback and set Video Playback Quality to Good (smallest file).
Disable Notifications
Notifications also use data. Disable this in System Preferences > and set Show Previews to Never. You’ll also need to click Option clock in the Mac’s Menu bar to put the computer into Do Not Disturb mode. It’s not a big data stream, but it can help.
Disable Siri
Such Siri requests typically require data to be uploaded and downloaded between your Mac and Apple’s Siri servers. If you want to reduce data usage, you should disable Ask Siri, no matter what fantastic voice you choose. Go to System Preferences>Siri and uncheck “Enable Ask Siri” under the Siri icon there.
Stop your Mac from sending data home
Apple collects Diagnostics & Usage data from Macs. Apple, which recently postponed the rollout of its controversial CSAM protection measures, says it’s perfectly safe. It also said the data collection was designed to help developers and Apple itself build better apps. However, the process uses bandwidth, so you may want to stop it.
- Open System Preferences;
- Tap the Privacy panel;
- In the Diagnostics & Usage section uncheck Send diagnostic & usage data to Apple and also uncheck Share crash data with app developers.
Scan for malware
If you’re unlucky to catch one of the growing army of Mac malware infections, you may find that the amount of data you use seems to spike, regardless of what you do to control it. That’s why you should run a malware removal tool to detect and destroy these things. Malwarebytes, Sophos Home, and Avast Security all offer free versions of their tools that will help keep your Mac in good shape.
Avoid social media (especially Facebook)
Social media apps love to fetch data about you which is then magically converted into dollars. Facebook seems very interested in doing this. If you have to check your social media, do it. But don’t forget to exit the web page once you are done. Better yet, restart your browser to protect against any social media-related “background processes” that could “enhance” your experience.
Advanced tip: Use Content Caching
If you have multiple devices on a network with limited bandwidth, you might want to try using Content Caching. It reduces bandwidth usage by storing software updates, apps, and other content on your Mac that other Macs (and sometimes iOS devices) can then access on the same wired or Wi-Fi network. (Mac software updates may only need to be downloaded once to be shared across all your family machines.) As you’d expect, you’ll find these features in System Preferences:
- Open Sharing;
- Check Content Caching from the list of services;
- You have to restart all your devices.
You can also monitor how much cached content has been uploaded and downloaded by local network devices over time in Activity Monitor.
Once your bandwidth is recovered, don’t forget to re-enable all these features in again to regain the full functionality of your computer.
Do you have any additional tips to help cut data usage on your Mac? Please let me know via one of the social media feeds below.
Please follow me on Indonesiaor join me at the AppleHolic bar & grill and Apple Discussion group on MeWe.
Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc.