It's easy to get lost in TikTok for hours on end but, for people with a limited amount of mobile data each month, using the app can cause trouble. Thankfully, TikTok makes it easy to use its app but consume less data while doing so — regardless if someone is using an iPhone or Android phone.
To say that the TikTok app can be addictive would be the tech understatement of the year. The secret sauce of TikTok is its 'For You' page, which automatically serves viewers an endless stream of videos for them to watch. These videos are based on users' interests and past app activity, making the video recommendations extremely accurate for each user. It allows viewers to see more of the videos they love, it enables creators to reach audiences more easily than on other social platforms, and TikTok benefits by keeping more people engaged in its app for more time.
One issue with spending so much time on TikTok, though, is how much data it can use. Watching dozens of videos back-to-back can quickly eat away at someone's monthly data allotment with their phone plan, causing them to run out of data access before the month is over. Thankfully, TikTok has a built-in tool that allows people to keep using the app while using less of their precious mobile data. Open the TikTok app, tap the 'Me' tab at the bottom of the screen, and then tap the three dots in the upper-right corner. From here, scroll down to find the 'Cache & Cellular Data' section. Tap the 'Data Saver' icon, tap the toggle on the next page, and it'll be turned on. According to TikTok, Data Saver "will reduce your cellular data usage. Videos may be at a lower resolution or take longer to load." This only applies when using TikTok with mobile data, meaning the effects of Data Saver won't be seen (or needed) when connected to Wi-Fi. Furthermore, the Data Saver feature is available for the TikTok app on iPhone and Android.
More TikTok Data Saving Tips
While that's the only tool that TikTok offers for using less data with the app, more general data-saving tips can also be helpful for avid TikTok users. For starters, always connect to a Wi-Fi network whenever one is available. This might seem like common sense, but it can be really easy to disable Wi-Fi and then forget to enable it later on. As such, whenever using TikTok at home or in another area where Wi-Fi access is available, double-check to make sure it's connected and running.
It's also worth using data-saving features that are built into iPhone and Android. While these aren't designed specifically for TikTok, they're still worth using for those times when Wi-Fi isn't an option. For iPhone users, open the Settings app, tap 'Cellular,' tap 'Cellular Data Options,' and tap the toggle next to 'Low Data Mode.' When this is turned on, "automatic updates and background tasks, such as Photos syncing, are paused."
Android users have access to a similar feature. Open the Settings app on an Android phone, tap 'Network & internet,' tap 'Data Saver,' and tap the toggle to turn the feature on. According to Google, Data Saver "prevents some apps from sending or receiving data in the background." For apps that are being actively used, they can access data "but may do so less frequently."
Source: Google