Playing Fair Go on Mobile Data Without the Battery Drain

Playing Fair Go on mobile data is perfectly workable, but it isn't free of cost. Each pokie downloads its graphics, animations and sound the first time you open it, then keeps talking to the game server with every spin. Your phone's processor and screen work hard the whole time, which is why a long session can leave the battery low and the handset warm. Fair Go doesn't publish data or battery figures for its games, so rather than guess, this guide shows you how to measure your own and trim both.

How much mobile data does Fair Go use?

The honest answer is: not published. Fair Go doesn't list data use per game, and it varies with the game, its graphics and how much of it is already stored on your phone. A few patterns hold, though:

• The first load of a game is the heaviest, because the browser downloads the game's artwork and sound.
• Replaying the same game is lighter, as long as your browser cache still holds those files.
• Hopping between lots of new games uses more data than sticking with a few favourites.
• There are no live video tables to stream. Fair Go's games page shows no live dealer category (Verified), and streamed dealer games are typically the hungriest kind of casino content.

Measure Fair Go's data use yourself in two minutes

Your phone already tracks data per app. Because Fair Go runs in the browser, its usage shows up under Safari or Chrome.

iPhone

1. Open Settings and tap Mobile Service (Mobile Data on some versions).
2. Scroll to the bottom and tap Reset Statistics, so you start from zero.
3. Play a normal session on mobile data only, with no other browsing.
4. Come back and check the figure next to Safari.

Android

1. Open Settings, then Network and internet (Connections on Samsung), then the data usage section for your SIM.
2. Find Chrome, or whichever browser you use, in the app list and note its usage.
3. Play a session on mobile data, then check the figure again and subtract.

Labels differ slightly between phone makers and versions, but the per-app data list is always somewhere in the network or connections settings.

Fair Go on mobile data: cut use without breaking games

• Load new games on Wi-Fi first. Open a pokie once at home and the heavy files are cached before you head out.
• Don't clear your cache for no reason. It's worth doing when something's broken, as our guide to clearing cache and cookies explains, but every clear means downloading game files again.
• Close other tabs. News sites and social feeds refresh in the background and quietly add to the bill.
• Mind data-saving modes. Low Data Mode on iPhone and Data Saver on Android cut background use, but they can also slow game loading. If a game stalls, see our guide to games that won't load.
• Use your own Wi-Fi, not a café's. Saving data isn't worth exposing your login; here's why public Wi-Fi is risky.

Why pokies drain your phone's battery

Three things run flat out during a pokie session. The screen stays on, often at full brightness, and the display is one of the biggest power users in any phone. The processor and graphics chip render animated reels, bonus rounds and effects without a break. And the radio keeps a constant connection open, which costs more on a weak mobile signal because the phone boosts its transmit power to stay connected. Heat is the side effect, and a hot phone may slow itself down to protect the battery, which can make games stutter.

Battery tips for longer, cooler sessions

• Turn the brightness down. Auto-brightness or a mid setting saves more power than almost anything else.
• Play where the signal is strong, or on Wi-Fi, so the phone isn't straining to stay connected.
• Low Power Mode or Battery Saver stretches the battery, but it can make animations choppier. Try a session with it on and see if you notice.
• Don't play while charging in a hot spot. Charging and gaming together build heat. Take the case off if the phone gets warm.
• Don't start a session on 5 per cent. A phone that dies mid-spin leaves you checking your balance later instead of seeing the result.

Your phone's usage stats are a reality check

The same settings that show data and battery use also show time. Battery settings list how long each app has been on screen, and Screen Time on iPhone or Digital Wellbeing on Android show daily totals by app. If those numbers show hours in the browser late at night, that's useful information, not a judgement. It's also the simplest place to set a limit: our guide to phone gambling limits walks through timers that lock the browser when your time's up. If your sessions are getting longer than you'd like, Gambling Help Online is free on 1800 858 858.

For more on how games behave on a small screen, see our Fair Go mobile pokies guide.

Fair Go data and battery FAQ