To turn off Data saver on your Samsung Galaxy, open Settings > Connections > Data usage > Data saver, then turn off Turn on now. This turns off Samsung’s system-wide restriction, though separate app settings and background-data restrictions can still apply. Labels and availability vary by model, carrier, and software.
The short version
- Main switch: Open Settings > Connections > Data usage > Data saver and turn off Turn on now.
- One app only: Allow selected apps through the exception list while keeping Data saver enabled.
- Separate controls: Check individual background-data restrictions and app saving settings if an app remains restricted.
| Option | Where to go | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| System switch | Connections > Data usage > Data saver | Turns off Samsung’s saver |
| Exception list | Data saver > Apps that can always use data | Exempts selected apps |
| Individual app exception | Apps > selected app > Mobile data | Exempts one app |
| Special access exceptions | Apps > More options > Special access | Opens exceptions on supported Canadian software |
| Background data | Apps > selected app > Mobile data | Removes an individual background restriction |
| Spotify | Data-saving and offline | Turns off Spotify’s saver |
| Snapchat | Under Manage My Data, tap Data Saver | Turns off Snapchat’s saver |
| YouTube defaults | Video quality preferences | Changes default playback quality preferences |
| YouTube current video | Player’s Settings > Quality | Changes the current video’s quality |
| Netflix mobile playback | App Settings > Cellular Data Usage | Replaces the app’s saving preference |
| Netflix profile playback | Account > Profiles > selected profile > Playback settings | Changes the profile’s playback cap |
| Google Meet | General or Meeting settings, depending on account | Turns off meeting data saving |
| Storage and data | Turns off call data saving | |
| X | Settings and privacy > Data usage | Turns off X’s saver |
| Opera | Settings > Browser | Turns off browser data savings |
| Disable a saver app | Settings > Apps | Stops the separate app’s functions |
| Uninstall a saver app | Touch and hold its icon | Removes the separate app |
| Knox Manage administrator policy | Original console’s Knox Service Plugin policy | Disallows Data saver on managed devices |
| Other management platforms | Assigned Knox Service Plugin configuration | Applies the device restriction through management software |
Turn off the Samsung Data saver switch
Open Settings, tap Connections, then select Data usage. Open Data saver and turn off Turn on now. You can also open Settings by tapping the gear icon in the Quick panel.
If you only want to turn off Samsung’s system-wide saver, you can stop here. If an app still has restricted background data or a saving preference, check its separate controls below.
Allow one app while keeping Data saver on
To exempt selected apps, open Settings > Connections > Data usage > Data saver, then select Apps that can always use data. Turn on the switches beside the apps you want to allow. Some Samsung software calls this list Allowed to use data while Data saver is on.
You can also use an app’s individual settings on Galaxy software displaying the exception switch. Open Settings > Apps, select the app, and tap Mobile data. Turn on Allow app while Data saver on.
On Canadian Galaxy software offering the Special access route, open Settings > Apps > More options > Special access. Select Allowed to use data while Data saver is on, then turn on the switches for the required apps. Each exception route leaves the system-wide saver enabled for other apps.
Remove a separate background data restriction
If an app’s background mobile data was individually restricted, that restriction can remain after you turn off Data saver. Open Settings > Apps, select the affected app, then tap Mobile data. Turn on Allow background data usage.
This switch controls the app’s background mobile-data permission. The separate Allow app while Data saver on switch exempts the app while Samsung’s saver remains enabled, so choose the control that matches the restriction you need to remove.
Change saving settings in streaming apps
Spotify has its own saving setting in the mobile app. Tap your profile picture, open Settings and privacy, then select Data-saving and offline. Switch Data saver off.
For YouTube’s default playback preference on Android, tap your profile picture and open Settings > Video quality preferences. For mobile networks and Wi-Fi, replace Data saver with Auto or Higher picture quality wherever it is selected.
To change the current YouTube video, tap the player’s Settings icon and select Quality. Choose Auto (recommended), Higher picture quality, or Advanced. If you choose Advanced, select an available resolution; the choices depend on the video and your device.
In Netflix’s Android app, select My Netflix, tap the profile name at the top, and open App Settings. Under Video Playback, select Cellular Data Usage. Replace Save Data with Automatic or Maximum Data, turning Automatic off first to select Maximum Data. Select OK if prompted.
Pending Netflix downloads can temporarily prevent changes to that setting. A separate profile playback cap can also limit mobile streaming after you change the app’s preference. In a browser, open Netflix’s Account page, select Profiles, choose the profile, and open Playback settings. Replace Low or Medium with Auto or High; Netflix says the preference saves automatically.
Turn off saving in social and calling apps
In Snapchat for Android, open your Profile and tap the gear icon. Under App & Privacy, tap My Privacy & Data. Under Manage My Data, tap Data Saver, then uncheck Data Saver.
For Google Meet meetings on Android with a Business or EDU account, open Menu > Settings > General. Turn off Limit data usage. For a personal account, open Settings > Meeting settings instead, then turn off Limit data usage.
WhatsApp has a separate option for calls on Android. Open More options, shown as three vertical dots, then select Settings > Storage and data. Turn off Use less data for calls.
In X for Android, open Settings and privacy, then select Data usage and turn off Data saver. X’s Android help pages place Data usage under either General or Accessibility, display, and languages, so check both sections if you do not see it.
Turn off browser savings or remove a saver app
In Opera for Android, open the menu and tap Settings, shown as a gear icon. Under Browser, turn off Data savings. This changes Opera’s own saving setting independently of Samsung’s system control.
A separately installed or preloaded saving app, such as Samsung Max if installed, also has its own functions. If the app offers a disable button, open Settings > Apps and select it. Tap Disable, then tap Disable app.
If the saving app offers removal, touch and hold its icon, tap Uninstall, then tap Uninstall again to confirm. Disabling stops the app’s functions, while uninstalling removes the app. Samsung’s built-in Data saver remains separately controlled through its system switch.
Configure Data saver on managed Galaxy devices
If you administer managed Galaxy devices through the Knox Manage original console, select Profile, select the assigned profile, and choose Modify Policy. Under Samsung Knox (Android Enterprise), select Knox Service Plugin. Under Device-wide policies, set Device Restrictions > Allow data saver mode to False. Click Save & Assign.
For another management platform using Knox Service Plugin, open the assigned configuration and set Enable device restriction controls to True. Set Allow data saver mode to False, then apply the configuration through your platform’s deployment controls. Samsung specifies Knox 2.7 or above and a Standard license for this restriction group. Both management methods require your organization’s administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chrome’s Data Saver or Lite mode switch?
Chrome for Android no longer has a Data Saver or Lite mode switch. Google retired Lite mode with Chrome M100, including its operation in older versions, so older Chrome instructions do not apply.
Do Smart Manager instructions apply to current Galaxy menus?
Samsung’s Smart Manager and Ultra data saving mode instructions describe the older Galaxy On7 SM-G600FY interface. They are historical, model-specific instructions rather than the current general Galaxy menu.
Where do you find Opera’s menu?
Opera places its Android menu at the bottom in phone layout. In tablet layout, you will find it at the top.
Does turning off Data saver remove your mobile data cap?
Turning off Samsung’s Data saver does not remove data caps or carrier limits. Those limits remain separate from the phone’s saving setting.