How to turn off Android Data Saver mode

The Android operating system has a built-in Data Saver mode; enabling this helps avoid going over the data limit induced by your carrier. But you may not need to worry about this if you're on an unlimited data plan. Leaving it on can hinder your experiences with apps requiring constant background activity. You may miss messages, emails, and other alerts when Data Saver mode is on. There's also an option to make exceptions for essential apps like Gmail and Teams to receive alerts in the background even when Data Saver mode is enabled. But if you wish to gain complete control over your apps and alerts, we've created a guide teaching you how to deactivate Data Saver mode on any Android phone you own.

Turn off Android Data Saver mode

There are several ways to turn off Android Data Saver mode. When the Data Saver mode is active, you see a small + icon in a circle in the status bar at the top. Let's deactivate it.

1. Launch Settings and select Network and internet.
2. Tap Data Saver.
   

   Open network and internet on Android Settings© Provided by Android Police

   

   Select Data Saver on Android© Provided by Android Police
3. Turn off the Use Data Saver toggle.
   

   use data saver toggle on data saver page in Android settings© Provided by Android Police

Toggle off Data Saver mode from the quick toggles menu

Turn off the Data Saver mode from the quick toggles menu if you don't want to go into the Settings menu. It's the fastest way to turn off the Data Saver mode on Android.

1. Swipe down on the home screen to reveal the notification center.
2. Swipe down again to expand quick toggles.
3. Find the Data Saver toggle and tap it to turn it off.
   
   

   

   red solid arrow pointing to data saver off on Android© Provided by Android Police

Turn off Data Saver mode from the Settings widget

You can create a dedicated Data usage widget on the Android home screen and access essential information like mobile data usage, data warning and limit, Data Saver, and more with a single tap.

1. Long tap the Android home screen and open Widgets.
2. Scroll to Settings and drag the widget to the home screen.
   

   Open widgets menu on Android© Provided by Android Police

   

   Use Settings widget on Android© Provided by Android Police
3. Tap Data usage.
   

   red solid arrow pointing to Data usage in settings shortcut on Android© Provided by Android Police
4. Access the Data usage menu via the added widget and select Data Saver to turn off the option.
   
   

   

   red solid arrow pointing to Data usage widget on Android homescreen© Provided by Android Police

   

   red solid arrow pointing to data saver off on data saver page in Android settings© Provided by Android Police

Deactivate Data Saver mode on Samsung Galaxy phones

Samsung uses different Settings on Galaxy phones. Go through the steps below to turn off Data Saver mode on it.

1. Open Settings on your Samsung Galaxy phone.
2. Go to Connections.
3. Select Data usage.
4. Tap Data saver.
   

   red solid arrow pointing to data usage on Samsung© Provided by Android Police

   

   red solid arrow pointing to Data saver off on Samsung© Provided by Android Police
5. Turn off the Data saver toggle.
   
   

   

   red solid arrow pointing to data saver toggle on Samsung© Provided by Android Police

Allow unrestricted data usage to certain apps

Go through the steps below to activate Data Saver mode and keep an exception for specific apps.

1. Go to the Data Saver menu in Android Settings (refer to the steps above).
2. Select Unrestricted data.
3. Turn on the toggle beside your essential apps.
   
   

   

   Unrestricted data apps and use data saver toggle on Android© Provided by Android Police

   

   a list of apps with unrestricted data toggles on Android© Provided by Android Police

Turn off Data Saver mode in Android apps

Some Android apps also offer a data saver mode to use less data. Social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook pack a data saver mode. If you face issues loading content in such apps, turn off the Data Saver mode. Let's take Instagram as an example.

1. Launch Instagram and go to your profile.
2. Tap the hamburger menu at the top and go to Settings and privacy.
   

   Instagram profile on Android© Provided by Android Police

   

   Instagram settings and privacy on Android© Provided by Android Police
3. Scroll to Data usage and media quality.
4. Turn off the Data Saver toggle.
   
   

   

   data usage and media quality option on Instagram on Android© Provided by Android Police

   

   data saver toggle on Instagram on Android© Provided by Android Police

TikTok is another popular social media app. Turn off the Data Saver mode if you notice glitches and high loading times for TikTok videos on your phone.

1. Launch TikTok and go to your profile in the lower-right corner.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines at the top and open Settings and privacy.
3. Scroll to Data Saver.
   

   TikTok Settings and privacy on Android© Provided by Android Police

   

   Data Saver option on TikTok on Android© Provided by Android Police
4. Turn off the Data Saver toggle.
   

   red solid arrow pointing to data saver toggle on Android for TikTok© Provided by Android Police

Use Data Saver mode only when required

If you're still worried about having apps hogging too much data after disabling Data Saver mode, you can always create a routine to check your device's data usage periodically. If you also want a detailed breakdown of what's using up your mobile and Wi-Fi data, there are some great third-party mobile data monitoring apps you can install. Otherwise, note which apps use the most data and consider searching for some (data-saving) alternatives.