Categories: Security

What to Do About Apps That Are Stealing Your Data

Is your battery life draining faster than you’d expect it to? That’s most likely because some apps on your Android phone are still running in the background, using up your data and uselessly draining your battery simultaneously. You use your mobile phones so often per day that you would never think that the reason your battery is dying, or the reason your data usage skyrocketed this month, is because of apps that are still working when you’re not.

Unfortunately, even closing your apps when you are done with them doesn’t necessarily ensure that they quit working or that they stop using data in the background. To protect your battery life and your data plan from unwarranted usage, use DFNDR’s Accelerate Internet feature. This feature will boost your mobile phone’s performance by closing the applications that are running in the background and speeding up your Internet with just a click. You will be happy when your smartphone runs better than ever and you have no wasted data. Click here to close background apps and speed up your device now:

There are a few apps that are using up your phone’s data more than others. Here are the three biggest data-stealing apps on your phone:

Instagram

Seeing as Instagram has become a platform to post more than just a photo, the videos that appear on your feed are automatically preloaded by the app — which uses background data to make sure your apps are successfully preloaded in time for you to scroll through your newsfeed. While this may save you some time when you are scrolling through your newsfeed, it uses a lot of data.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a killer when it comes down to both data and battery life. Similar to Instagram, Snapchat uses your data to constantly refresh stories and keep them preloaded for you so that you can just hit play when you are ready to watch. The trouble with this is that it causes your data to slowly wither away since the app requires a ton of data to begin with.

Dropbox

Dropbox is extremely convenient when it comes to backing up your files or storing them for later. Unfortunately, Dropbox can be inconvenient when it comes to utilizing your data. The app constantly syncs and backs up your photos, even when you didn’t prompt it to. It uploads your photos in the background — using more data than you anticipated. Make sure apps like Dropbox are not doing any extra work in the background in order to ensure the best performance for your smartphone and the most efficient usage of your data.

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The dfndr blog is an informative channel that presents exclusive content on security and privacy in the mobile and business world, with tips to keep users protected. Populated by a select group of expert reporters, the channel has a partnership with dfndr lab's security team. Together they bring you, first-notice news about attacks, scams, internet vulnerabilities, malware and everything affecting cybersecurity.