On land, you may not notice that apps, web browsers, or operating systems on your smart phone or tablet are gobbling up broadband data while on Wi-Fi at home, in the office, or at a local cafe. At sea, however, managing data is critical to ensuring efficiency and outstanding performance while staying within your marine Internet budget.
Once onboard, stow your gear and then take advantage of these easy tips:
- Prevent applications like anti-virus software and web browsers from automatically downloading updates
- Disable automatic file backup and synchronization of cloud-based file sharing and syncing tools such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Apple iCloud (choose manual backup)
- On iPhones and other smart devices, make sure background app refresh is turned off
- Wait until you’re back on shore and connected to Wi-Fi or cellular services before you update your devices’ operating systems or apps
