4 Money-Saving Features Every Android User Should Know About

Android devices make one-click shopping much easier, especially if you regularly use the Amazon Shopping app and have a payment method saved. Additionally, if you manage subscriptions in an app, the Google Play Store generally keeps the previously used method in your files. However, this can be a double-edged sword, as accidental microtransactions can occur if you share your device with a family member, such as a tablet.

It’s no fun, especially if your kids are spending money unintentionally. Sometimes these transactions become irreversible and the problem ends up costing you more than you would like to admit.

Fortunately, there are a few protection methods that can prevent accidental payments, and even customizable caps that prevent you from spending beyond your means, like a monthly budget for games and apps, or setting a limit on your data plan so you don’t have to pay overage fees.

A safe way to avoid accidental purchases from users other than you is to enable verification on Google Play. There are actually two types of verification you can enable: one for purchase and one to confirm payment. The main difference is that one is done directly through Google, while the other depends on the payment method configured on the account.

The purchase verification can have a specified frequency, but if you share this device with another person, you should keep it on “Always” to avoid problems. Google notes that verification may not be required for every payment method, even if the frequency is set to always. You will find the purchase verification and frequency option under “Payments and Subscriptions”. Simply enable “Biometric Verification” and select “Verification Frequency” below.

To further prevent payments from being made to the wrong card, for example, if there is a spending allowance on someone else’s card or a more controlled means of spending, you can always use a payment method check instead. The second verification takes place when someone attempts to purchase an app or game and selects a particular payment method. This is linked to a specific payment method when selected, requiring the user to verify it before sending. Keep in mind that this is not a method controlled by Google; this will need to be done with a card, such as a bank transfer through a supported app on the Google Play Store.

If you want to ensure controlled spending, even just for yourself, there is a very easy way to do it: make purchases through the Google Play Store. Although it requires some discipline to centralize your spending, this method isn’t very useful if you don’t do it, as it only takes into account purchases made on that particular platform. But if you manage your monthly subscriptions, like with your favorite streaming service, it can be a bit revealing about how much you’re spending, since you can view your spending in the “Budget & History” section (but it’s only recorded for one year).

Setting a budget is also quite simple. Open the Google Play Store, select “Payments & Subscriptions” > “Budget & History,” then choose “Set Budget.” Specify the amount and press “Save”. Technically, you can change this budget later, so it’s not set in stone.

The thing is, when you’re about to go over budget, every time you make another purchase, a message will let you know – it doesn’t stop you from making the purchase. So it’s more about helping you be conscious of your future purchases without being too aggressive.

Google Calendar is a great free productivity tool to incorporate into your routine, tasks, and other Google-related apps. You can use it to set reminders to cancel subscriptions if you haven’t already. As soon as you start a subscription, enter the end date or the day before it renews so you can set a monthly (or annual) reminder when recurring charges take effect.

Additionally, they don’t have to be subscriptions; You can also do this for free trials, as many options require an upfront payment method and charge you for the first month after weeks of use, which can surprise you if you lose track of time.

If you use your calendar for other events, color-code them so they stand out from others in your app. You can do this for an existing event by pressing the Edit button to change the assigned label, or when creating a new event, add a new one. Choosing a red label is a helpful warning to let you know that you are nearing the end of your trial or subscription.

If you don’t pay for unlimited data, be careful not to overuse it, as this could result in unwanted charges on your phone bill. Fortunately, Android has a good way to warn you if you accidentally get close to the limit you set. If you want to be on the safe side – which you should if you share a phone or tablet with another person – you can set a hard limit on your mobile data.

Technically, you can enable data saver to reduce your personal mobile data usage, so that all apps can’t access data in the background as frequently, or even bloatware doesn’t use valuable resources when it shouldn’t. To enable “Data Saver”, open your Android settings, tap “Network & Internet” or a similar options menu, then select “Data Saver” and enable it. On Samsung devices, the data saver option can be found in the data usage settings under “Connections”.

To set a limit or warning, open your Android Settings, tap “Network & Internet” or a similar option, then, next to your carrier, tap the gear icon to open Settings and choose “Warning & Data Limit.” Select “Warning & Data Limit” > “Set Data Warning”, tap “Data Warning” and choose “Set” to complete the process. In the same section, you can enable “Set data limit” to start setting one. The process for Samsung is slightly different but very similar. In your settings, open “Connections” > “Data usage” > “Billing cycle and data warning”, enable “Set data warning” or “Set data limit” to specify values ​​for each setting below.