How to make the most of global roaming

Your mobile phone is your essential travel buddy, so global roaming is something you should consider before you go overseas.

You need Google Maps to navigate, social media to check in with friends and family and a browser to learn everything you need to know about the country you're visiting.

Trouble is, global roaming can be very expensive, so it's important to conserve data when you can.

Turn off notifications and background data

When you've finished using an app, close it immediately to avoid creating a backlog. You should also turn off your social media notifications to save data.

Pause your synchronising services

When you're not using hotel wi-fi, turn off the instant synchronisation of your storage cloud and your emails. It's also smart to switch off any auto updates for your apps or software.

Use data-saving apps

Android users should get on to the Google Chrome app's data saver feature. You can turn it on by selecting the "bandwidth" function from your settings.

The app automatically compresses web pages to help you cut back on your data. iPhone users wanting to experience compressed viewing can download the Opera Mini Browser app, which also blocks ads to help your data go further.

Pre-load your web pages

Anyone with an iPhone can use the "add to reading list" option to save web pages for offline functionality.

This is great for static web pages, such as online articles you'd like to eventually read. Google Maps also has a function that allows you to save 120,000 square kilometres of geography for offline viewing. This function isn't available for all locations and requires updating every 30 days.

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