How to Limit Hotspot Data Usage While Working Happily On the Go

How to Limit Hotspot Data Usage While Working Happily On the Go
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<p>Many of us freelancers and Digital Nomads love to work remotely on our laptops. More often then not, we need to use our mobile phone 3G and 4G connection to get connected, which can be risky unless you know how to limit hotspot data usage or an app while working on the go.</p>

Many of us freelancers and Digital Nomads love to work remotely on our laptops. More often then not, we need to use our mobile phone 3G and 4G connection to get connected, which can be risky unless you know how to limit hotspot data usage or an app while working on the go.

The app you need is called TripMode and it will let you browse faster AND save money at the same time. Make sure you read until the end to see why you sometimes should be working over 4G mobile hotspot instead of Wifi.

Tweet me if you have experienced the following

What started out as a quite cozy and lovely evening with myself at a café in my home town, ended up with swearing and cussing instead of doing the work I had planned.

Oh, why? What happened you may ask as a heart-centered fellow entrepreneur that you are?

Well, I was working on my Mac using the 4G connection hotspot from my iPhone, and suddenly I used all the data on my subscription!

You know what? Here’s why…

Leaving your house to find a nice café to work from then run out of data on your phone sucks…

So, after combining a good amount of swear-words with some alchemy-like spells and words of wrath and sadness, I decided to reconnect with the café’s slow Wifi to search for an app to be in control of this situation for good.

I did some searches to figure out how to limit hotspot data usage over 4G, and I discovered the solution that every freelancer, Web Designer, and online entrepreneur working on the go needs today.

How to limit hotspot data usage using TripMode

Now, how to limit hotspot data usage when working over your mobile phone: The app is called TripMode, and you’ll get it here for both Mac and Windows.

It’s cheap, it’s a must-have, and it will leave you feeling safe and working in peace now that you know how to limit hotspot data usage.

How does it work?

It’s a well-designed app, at least on a Mac, that will automatically list all the apps and programs that want to connect online. Here’s a shortlist of features available to you:

  • Full overview of which apps are connected to the Internet
  • Accept or deny function for each app to allow Internet access
  • Monitor mobile data usage when working on laptop
  • Display data used for the session, the day, week or month
  • Set a calendar schedule for when TripMode should run
  • Create app profiles with different settings

It’s simply a sexy app that to me, as an online entrepreneur, can not live without. Because very often, I prefer to work on 4G over my iPhone network because it’s much faster than most Wifi connections.

Do you know why?

Which apps to block to save mobile data while using a hotspot

Here are a few must-have apps, programs, and services you should block using TripMode when working on mobile hotspot.

  • Dropbox! It SUCKS data like crazy, so make sure not to allow it
  • iCloud and Cloud Sync for Mac
  • Video streaming apps like Zoom, Facetime and Skype 
  • Any Torrent apps if you use that

I haven’t used Windows for years, so I’m not sure what kind of syncing functions they have. But first of all, be aware of Dropbox and similar file-syncing services.

App to monitor data usage on mobile hotspot

The first thing you will do after installing the app is to go online over your mobile hotspot. Then after a few minutes, various apps will start to connect to the Internet.

That’s when you will check the list in the TripMode app and deselect services you want to block.

Remember, on Mac, if you place a lot of big files on your desktop, or other places that use iCloud syncing, those files will begin to upload and eat on your bits in your data plan.

Another tip: Remember to NOT block your VPN service so you can stay encrypted and secure while working remotely.

Why you should work on 4G hotspot using TripMode instead of Wifi

We usually hear about an Internet connection having a speed of 20/5Mbs. That means you will have a 20Mbs download speed, which is an okay speed, but you will only have a 5Mbs upload speed, which is pretty slow.

Home at my apartment in Norway I only have 2Mb upload, which is damn slow.

When you are connected to a network, data packages that are received in a download need to also send out packages to confirm the received packets have arrived. If your connection going out is slow, sending those confirmation packages will also be slow.

Since the next data package for download is waiting for the confirmation of the previous one, it has to wait to send the next one.

So, the download speed is dependent also on the upload speed to give the overall send and receive flow speed.

This app will let you work in peace over mobile hotspot and without draining your data plan.

For us Web Designers, we love to also have a good upload speed, especially when we’re working with FTP and uploading content to websites.

This is why I love the TripMode app so I can monitor mobile data usage when traveling, and I can drink my coffee, work in peace, and not be stressed about running out of data.

Maybe I just saved your data plan?

Please share this article to your network, and show them that you have something that may help them save on their phone bills.

Go download the TripMode app here.

Lost your mind already from running out on your data plan? Here are 3 meditation techniques to help you calm down.