Watch data usage when using an iPhone as a Wi-Fi hotspot and reduce the amount of data transferred
Public Wi-Fi hotspots are useful for people who travel with a MacBook. Whether you are working or travelling for fun, internet access is essential. However, sometimes public Wi-Fi hotspots are not working or they are slow, or they are not trustworthy because there is little or no security. When public Wi-Fi cannot be relied on, or even if your home Wi-Fi fails, use your iPhone as a personal hotspot. Open Settings>Personal Hotspot on the iPhone and select it on your Mac’s network menu. It works well, but be careful not to exceed your phone plan’s data limit or you will be charged. Here’s how to limit the data used by your Mac.
Step-by-step Cut data usage on a Mac
1 Stop online drives
If you use online drives like OneDrive, Dropbox, Box and others, either pause them or quit. They may use a lot of data syncing files, so don’t use them with an iPhone.
2 Disable store updates
App updates can be huge and may use several gigabytes of data. In the App Store, go to Preferences and clear the checkboxes next to automatic updates and downloads.
3 Don’t update macOS
Updates for macOS can be up to 3GB, so you don’t want them on iPhone mobile data. Open System Preferences>Software Update and disable downloads and installs.
4 Stop app updates
Apps from outside the App Store update themselves, often by checking for updates when they are run. Disable automatic updates for the apps you use.
5 No web images
Images on web pages are rarely essential. Go to Safari>Preferences> Advanced>Develop. Dis
