How to make your mobile data fast on your phone in 2023 for MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile. Is mobile data slow on your phone? Learn how to speed up your mobile connection on the Best Android phones and Best iPhones.
In today’s world, having fast mobile data is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. However, poor network coverage and slow internet speeds can be frustrating, especially in countries like Nigeria, where internet infrastructure is still developing. Fortunately, there are several ways to boost your mobile data speed and enjoy a seamless online experience. We’ll explore these tips and help you get the most out of your mobile data on popular Nigerian networks such as MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile.
In this article, we’ll be sharing ten practical tips to help you make your mobile data fast on your phone. These tips are current for 2023 and have been tested and proven to work in Nigeria. Whether you’re streaming videos, browsing social media, or downloading large files, these tips will help you achieve faster internet speeds and a better online experience.
How to make your mobile data fast on your phone:
- Check your network coverage
- Update your phone’s operating system
- Clear your phone’s cache
- Restart Your Phone
- Disable background apps and services
- Disable auto-updates for apps
- Use data-saving browsers and apps
- Disable Data Saver or Low Data Mode
- Enable data compression
- Reset Your Phone’s Network Settings
We’ll dive into each of these tips in more detail, so you can implement them and enjoy faster mobile data speeds on your phone. Let’s get started!
Top 10 tips to speed up slow mobile data in Nigeria
1. Check your network coverage
One of the reasons why your mobile data might be slow is poor network coverage. This is especially true if you live in a remote or rural area where the network signal is weak. To check your network coverage, you can use the coverage map provided by your network provider.
In Nigeria, the major network providers are MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile. You can visit their websites or download their apps to check the coverage in your area. The coverage map will show you the strength of the network signal in different locations, and help you identify areas with poor coverage.
If you find that your network coverage is poor, you might need to switch to a different network provider or consider upgrading your plan to a higher data package. It’s also a good idea to contact your network provider’s customer care for assistance. They might be able to offer some solutions to improve the network coverage in your area.
2. Update your phone’s operating system
Updating your phone’s operating system is an important step to ensuring a fast and smooth mobile data experience. Operating system updates often include performance improvements, bug fixes, and security updates that can help optimize your device’s network performance. In Nigeria, popular network providers such as MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile offer regular data plans that require fast mobile data speeds to work effectively. By updating your phone’s operating system, you can ensure that your device is equipped with the latest network optimization features and bug fixes, which can significantly boost your mobile data speed.
To update your phone’s operating system, go to your device’s settings and select the “System Updates” option. If there is an update available, download and install it. It is important to note that operating system updates can be large in size and may consume a significant amount of mobile data. To avoid exceeding your mobile data limit, it is recommended that you download the update over a Wi-Fi network.
In addition, it is important to ensure that your phone is compatible with the latest version of the operating system. Some older devices may not be able to run the latest operating system, which could result in a slower mobile data experience. If your phone is not compatible with the latest operating system, you may need to consider upgrading to a newer device to take advantage of the latest network optimization features and improve your mobile data speed.
3. Clear your phone’s cache
Clearing your phone’s cache is an effective way to speed up your mobile data. Your phone’s cache stores data from frequently used apps, but this data can pile up over time and cause your phone to slow down. By clearing your phone’s cache, you can free up space and improve your mobile data speed.
To clear your phone’s cache on Android, go to the Settings app and select Storage. From there, select Cached data and then tap OK to confirm. This will clear the cached data on your phone, including temporary files and images.
On iPhone, you can clear your phone’s cache by offloading unused apps, clearing browsing history and website data, or resetting your network settings. To offload unused apps, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, and select an app you want to offload. Tap “Offload App” and then tap “Offload App” again to confirm. To clear browsing history and website data, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data
4. Restart Your Phone
This seems like a cliché fix, but it often works. Restarting your phone should fix sluggish cellular data speeds, especially if you haven’t turned it off in a while. If you’re in a rush, you can try putting your phone in airplane mode first. But a full restart is always a good idea.
Restarting your phone is simple. Follow these steps for your device:
- On an iPhone without a Home button, press and hold the side button, plus either the Volume Up or Volume Down button, until Slide to Power Off appears. After you power off your iPhone, hold the side button again to turn it back on.
- If you have an iPhone with a Home button, simply hold the side button (usually on the right side of the phone, or the top of older devices) until Slide to Power Off appears on the screen.
- For most Android phones, you just need to hold the Power button until the power options appear on the screen, then tap Restart. If you don’t see Restart, choose Power off, then hold Power again to boot your phone back up.
No matter your device, it’s a good idea to leave your phone turned off for a few minutes before turning it back on.
5. Disable background apps and services
One of the main reasons why your mobile data may be slow is because of background apps and services that are constantly running on your device. These apps consume a significant amount of data without your knowledge, which can result in slower data speeds.
To prevent this from happening, you can disable background apps and services. To do this, go to your phone’s settings and select “Apps & Notifications.” From there, select the app you want to disable and tap “Force stop.” This will prevent the app from running in the background and using up your mobile data.
You can also disable background services by going to your phone’s settings and selecting “Developer options.” From there, select “Running services” and choose the services you want to stop. Tap “Stop” to prevent them from running in the background and using up your mobile data.
By disabling background apps and services, you can significantly improve your mobile data speed and ensure that your data lasts longer.
6. Disable auto-updates for apps
One of the biggest culprits of slow mobile data speeds is automatic app updates. Most mobile apps come with the option of updating automatically, which can be convenient but also data-intensive. If you have limited data or a slow connection, it is recommended that you disable automatic updates.
To disable automatic updates on Android devices, go to the Google Play Store app, tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner, then select “Settings.” Under the “General” tab, select “Auto-update apps,” and then select “Don’t auto-update apps.” This will prevent all apps from automatically updating, so you will have to manually update them by going to the Google Play Store and selecting “Update” next to the app that needs updating.
For iPhone users, go to the “Settings” app, select “iTunes & App Store,” and turn off the “Updates” option. This will prevent automatic app updates on your iPhone, allowing you to manage updates and data usage more efficiently.
By disabling automatic app updates, you can control when and how your apps are updated, helping you conserve data and improve mobile data speeds.
7. Use data-saving browsers and apps
One of the best ways to save mobile data on your phone and improve its speed is to use data-saving browsers and apps. These are specifically designed to reduce the amount of data your device uses when browsing the internet or using various applications.
Google Chrome and Opera Mini are two popular data-saving browsers that you can use to optimize your mobile data usage. Both of these browsers compress web pages before loading them onto your device, reducing the amount of data they consume. This can significantly speed up your browsing experience and save you a lot of data in the process.
When it comes to data-saving apps, there are many options available in the app stores for Android and iOS devices. Some popular choices include DataEye, GlassWire, and My Data Manager. These apps can help you keep track of your data usage and alert you when you are about to exceed your limit. They also allow you to block data usage for specific apps or restrict background data usage, which can help you save data and improve your mobile network speed.
By using data-saving browsers and apps, you can not only save your mobile data but also improve your mobile network speed. This is particularly important in countries like Nigeria where mobile data can be expensive, and network speeds can be slow. So, be sure to explore your options and start using these tools to optimize your mobile data usage.
8. Disable Data Saver or Low Data Mode
Both Android and iPhone contain modes designed to reduce your data usage. These are handy if you have a limited amount of data, but if you enabled them by accident, they can make it seem like your mobile connection is slower than it actually is. Try disabling these modes to see if everything feels faster.
On Android, head to Settings > Network & Internet> Data Saver. If you have an iPhone, you’ll find a comparable setting called Low Data Mode under Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Mode.
If you’re worried about how much data you use, make sure you turn these back on after a bit. You should be able to tell if this setting is making your mobile data slower or not. It cuts a few corners, such as not loading images until you tap them, or pausing background sync until you open an app.
9. Reset Your Phone’s Network Settings
Resetting your network settings often fixes a slow mobile data connection, but it’s a more drastic step. Doing this resets everything related to networking to its default. This includes removing your Wi-Fi access points, Bluetooth devices, and similar. Losing these isn’t the end of the world, but you will have to reconnect to saved Wi-Fi networks and re-pair your Bluetooth devices later.
To reset network settings on an iPhone, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Your phone will prompt you for your passcode if you have one, then it will restart to perform the operation.
On an Android phone, you’ll find the reset network settings option at Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. This may be in a different location depending on your phone manufacturer and Android version. Try searching for “reset” in the Settings search bar if you can’t find it.
10. Contact your network customer care
If you’ve tried all the tips mentioned above and your mobile data is still slow, it may be time to call your carrier’s support. This is especially important if you notice a sudden drop in your data speed. Most telecom companies have dedicated customer service lines to handle such issues, and they can provide you with the necessary assistance to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
In Nigeria, the four major telecoms are MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile. When you call your carrier’s support, be sure to have your phone number and account details ready. Explain the issue you’re experiencing and let them know what steps you’ve already taken to try and resolve it. They may ask you to perform a few tests or provide some additional information to help diagnose the problem.
In some cases, your carrier’s support may be able to provide a quick fix over the phone. In other cases, they may escalate the issue to their technical team for further investigation. Either way, calling your carrier’s support is a crucial step in resolving slow mobile data issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them if you’re experiencing persistent data speed problems.
Best and Latest APN settings for MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9mobile
APN stands for Access Point Name. In simple words, APN is a gateway between your mobile network and computer network. When you use the internet it uses your APN which decides the IP address, security methods, and how or if it should be connected to a private network.
MTN APN setting for fast internet
First of all, there are two ways to set your MTN 4G APN for maximum internet speed.
The first method is to get the MTN 4G APN settings for your SIM directly from the MTN network. This can be done by simply following the instructions below. Send “SETTINGS” to 3888, APN settings for your MTN 4G SIM will be sent to you via SMS, save it
MTN 4G APN Settings for Android and iPhone:
- Account name: MTN WEB
- Apn:we.gprs.mtnnigeria.net
- Proxy: Not set
- Port: Not set
- Username: Web
- Password: Web
- Server: Not set
- MMSC: 10.199.212.8
- MMS Proxy: 0.199.212.2
- MMS Port: 9201
- MCC: 621
- MNC: 30
- Authentication Type: Not Set
- Access point name Type: default,supl,mms
- Access Point name Protocol: Ipv4
- Access point name roaming protocol: Ipv4
- Enable/disable APN: APN Enabled
- Bearer: Unspecified
- MVNO Type: None
- MVNO Value: Not set
Glo APN setting for fast internet
For the Glo network; Send “ACTIVATE” to 444 and you will receive your GLO 4G settings via SMS.
Glo 4G APN Settings for Android and iPhone:
- Name: GLO Flat
- APN: gloflat
- Proxy: Not Set
- Port: Not Set
- Username: flat
- Password: flat
- Server: Not Set
- MMSC: Not Set
- MMS Proxy: Not Set
- MMS Port: Not Set
- MCC: 621
- MNC: 50
- Authentication Type: PAP or CHAP
- APN type: default,supl
- APN protocol: Ipv4
Airtel APN setting for fast internet
For the Airtel network; Send “MO“ to 54321 and you will receive your Airtel 4G settings via SMS.
Airtel 4G APN Settings for Android and iPhone:
- Name: Airtel NG
- APN: internet.ng.airtel.com
- Proxy: Not Set
- Port: Not Set
- Username: Not Set
- Password: Not Set
- Server: Not Set
- MMSC: Not Set
- MMS Proxy: Not Set
- MMS Port: Not Set
- MCC: 621
- MNC: 20
- Authentication Type: PAP
- APN Type: default
- APN Protocol: Ipv4
- APN Roaming Protocol: Ipv4
- Enable/disable APN: APN Enabled
- Bearer: Unspecified
- MVNO Type: None
- MVNO Value: Not set
9mobile APN setting for fast internet
Automatic 9mobile APN; Type and send SETTINGS to 790.
9mobile 4G APN Settings for Android and iPhone:
- Profile/ Access Point Name: 9mobile
- APN/Access Point: 9mobile
- Username/Login: (blank)
- Password: (blank)
- IP/Proxy: 010.071.170.005
- Port: 8080
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are several ways to improve the speed of your mobile data connection. By implementing the tips mentioned in this article, you can potentially boost your internet speed and enjoy faster browsing, streaming, and downloads on your mobile device. It’s important to note that the effectiveness of these tips may vary depending on your location, carrier, and device.
If you’re experiencing persistently slow internet speeds, it may be worth reaching out to your carrier’s customer support for further assistance. They can help diagnose any underlying issues and provide tailored solutions for your specific situation. Remember to also regularly monitor your data usage to avoid hitting any caps or experiencing throttling.
In Nigeria, the four major telecoms – MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile – all provide various data plans and services. It’s important to compare their offerings and choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. With a bit of effort and research, you can maximize your mobile data speed and enjoy a seamless browsing experience on your phone.