How To Restrict Background Data Usage In Windows 10?

Uninstall Unwanted Applications:

A Windows 10 computer connected to the Internet is always a good thing to get the best out of your computer. Desktop users probably don’t need to concern themselves with network data usage, but tablet and laptop users may find these steps useful. If you have a limited Internet pack and are worried about the usage, then these troubleshooting methods will be useful in the long run.

Viewing data usage on Windows 10 computer:

Open the Settings page.
Click on Network and Internet.
Click on Data Usage.

However, you can click on View usage per app to see which apps use the most data.

Solution 1 - Make Internet connection metered:

Open the Windows Settings menu.
Click on the Network & Internet option.
In order to change the network status to metered, tap on Change network properties.
Scroll down a bit to reach the Metered connection section.
If you notice that the Set as metered connection option is turned off, then use the toggle button to turn it on.
And that’s it; your Internet connection is now metered.

Solution 2 - Restrict background data as always:

Press the Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
Click on Network & Internet.
Click Data usage from the left menu.
Check the Always radio button to restrict background data usage.

Note: You can restrict background data usage when the PC hits 10% of the data limit.

Solution 3 - Set data limits:

This method is for users who have limited bandwidth; setting up how much data usage you want to use on your computer is an excellent way to reduce the data usage. Before proceeding with the below steps, make sure that you have implemented the steps given in solution 1 (Make Internet connection metered).

First, launch the default Windows Settings menu.

Select Network & Internet option.

Under Network & Internet, tap on the Data usage option.

In the Data limit section, click on the Set limit button.

Set the data limit according to your choice.

You can change the following - Limit type (Monthly, One time, Unlimited), Monthly reset date, data limit.

Tip: Ensure that you have chosen the correct Unit (MB or GB). Once you have made the modifications, click on the Save button.

Solution 4 - Turn off unwanted background applications:

Usually, Windows 10 keeps some applications in the background for the smooth functioning of the PC. The problem is that these applications silently consume your Internet bandwidth and also eat up your battery to some extent.

Launch the Windows Settings menu.
Select Privacy.
Now, just go to the bottom of the page and select the Background apps option.
Use the toggle switch to turn off the background applications from running.
Also, you can choose the applications that you don’t want to run in the background.

Solution 5 - Turn off Microsoft Store auto-update:

Open the Microsoft Store application.
On the homepage, click on the three horizontal dotted menu.
Click on Settings from the drop-down menu.
Under the Home menu, toggle off the Update apps automatically option.

Solution 6 - Temporarily stop the Windows Update from updating to its latest version:

Generally, Windows updates are important to keep your system free from bugs and lags. However, these updates are generally huge sized and take up a lot of data to get updated successfully. As you have data usage concerns, you can temporarily stop the Windows update.

Go to the Windows Settings menu.
Select the Update & Security option.
On the Windows Update page, tap on the Advanced options from the right pane.

In the Pause update section, tap on Pause and specify a particular date so that the automatic download and installation of Windows updates becomes standstill.

So, these were some of the best troubleshooting steps that can help you restrict background data usage in Windows 10 computers. If you have any concerns about performing the steps, call our technicians.