Droid Gallery App Using a Lot of Data? 3 Potential Culprits.

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With unlimited data plans becoming a thing of the past, monitoring mobile data usage is now a necessity. Every MB counts. One potential bandwidth drain on Android phones is the Gallery app, whose data usage has perplexed users on several forums.

If your Gallery app seems to be using an excessive amount of data relative to how often you use it, check the following:

Note: You can view data usage by going to settings &get; data usage.

Another note: I’m using a Galaxy Nexus, so the steps I describe may be slightly different depending on your device or Android version.

Turn off Google Photos Sync

Google Photos sync is enabled by default. This process syncs the photos on Picasa with your mobile galleries.

To turn this setting off:

1.    Open the Gallery app on your droid

2.    Click the menu icon in the upper right hand corner (on the Galaxy Nexus, anyways; may be different for other devices) and select “settings”

3.    Under “account settings” you will need to click where it says “Google photos sync is ON”

4.    Click on your email account

5.    Scroll down to “Sync Google Photos” and remove the check

6.    Repeat these steps for any other Google account you have setup on your phone. When you go back to your Gallery settings you should see “Google photos sync is OFF”

 Disable Google Plus Instant Upload

Google Plus instant upload allows your mobile images and videos to be instantly shared on the social networking site. While it isn’t 100% clear whether this process uses bandwidth under the Gallery app, disabling it ensures no data is used at all.

To turn it off:

1.    Open the Google Plus app

2.    Click the menu icon in the upper right hand corner and select “settings”

3.    Under “Photos and Videos” click on “Instant Upload” (if it’s marked “on”)

4.    Scroll to and select your Google account

5.    Remove the check next to “Sync Instant Upload”

Be Mindful of Streaming Videos

If you stream a movie using the default Gallery Player, this bandwidth is attributed to the Gallery app. Many users expect that data to show under Browser or elsewhere, but that isn’t the case.

These are the three Gallery bandwidth uses that I have come across. If there are more that I am missing, or if you have other tips on reducing data usage, please share in the comments.

About the Author:Gere Jordan is a web designer and web marketer at Continental Message Solution, a leading provider of US based customer service and call center outsourcing services.

Posted in: Blog, Google, Google+, HowTo, Technology