You buy a bundle, use your phone the way you always do, and a few days in, you're already getting low-data alerts. You're not imagining it, and you're probably not using your phone more than usual. The truth is, modern phones do a lot of work in the background, and much of it runs on your mobile data without you ever seeing it happen.

The good news is, once you know where to look, you can claw a surprising amount of your Telkom data bundle back. Here's what usually eats it, and the exact settings that put you back in control.

1. Apps that keep running in the background

Most apps on your phone are designed to stay active in the background, checking for new messages, refreshing feeds, and pulling notifications. That's convenient, but it means data is being used even when the app is closed. Over a month, it adds up fast.

Quick fix on iPhone:

1. Go to Settings
2. General
3. Background App Refresh
4. Switch it off entirely, or set it to “Wi-Fi” only

Quick fix on Android:

1. Go to Settings
2. Network & internet
3. Data usage
4. Tap an app
5. Toggle off “Background data”

You can do this for every app you don't need running constantly.

2. Streaming apps set to the highest quality by default

YouTube, Netflix, TikTok, Instagram and Spotify all default to HD or auto-adjusted quality, which is great on WiFi, but a bundle killer on mobile data. A single hour of HD streaming can deplete more than 1GB.

YouTube:

1. Tap your profile picture
2. Settings
3. Video quality preferences
4. On mobile networks
5. Select “Data saver” or “Lower picture quality”

Netflix:

1. Go to Settings
2. Mobile Data Usage
3. Select “Save data” or “Wi-Fi Only”

TikTok:

1. Tap Profile
2. Settings and privacy
3. Data Saver
4. Toggle on

Instagram:

1. Tap Profile
2. Tap the menu in the top-right
3. Settings and privacy
4. Select data usage and media quality
5. Toggle on "data saver"

Spotify:

1. Go to Settings
2. Data Saver
3. Toggle on

None of these changes ruin the experience – they just stop your phone from streaming in cinema quality over LTE.

3. WhatsApp auto-downloading every video in a group chat

If you're in an active group chat, WhatsApp's default settings quietly pull every meme, voice note and forwarded video onto your phone. You never asked for them, you probably never watch them, but you pay for them.

Fix:

1. Open WhatsApp
2. Go to Settings
3. Storage and data
4. Media auto-download
5. Set Photos, Audio, Videos and Documents to “Never” or “Wi-Fi” only for mobile data

4. Forgotten subscriptions and WASP services

These are the sneaky ones. Wireless application service provider (WASP) subscriptions – like horoscopes, quizzes, ringtones and games – can be activated through online ads or SMS prompts. They then quietly bill your airtime each month until you cancel. You might have subscribed to something two years ago and forgotten all about it.

Fix:

Open the MyTelkom App and navigate to active services. Unsubscribe from anything you don't recognise.

How to keep track of where your data goes

Once you've cleaned up the invisible drains, the next step is knowing how much data each app uses, so you can spot problems before your bundle disappears.

iPhone users:

1. Go to Settings
2. Mobile
3. Scroll down for a breakdown of data used per app

Android users:

1. Go to Settings
2. Network & internet
3. Data usage

You can also check your current data balance in seconds by dialling *188# or WhatsApp 086 160 1700 from any network. For a fuller view of your usage, recharges and active bundles, the MyTelkom App is the easiest place. And when you need a top-up, dial *180# to buy a daily, weekly or monthly bundle.

Your data isn't vanishing into thin air – it's going places you haven't looked yet. A few minutes in your settings can stretch your bundle by days, and now you know exactly where to start