Auto Wifi Note

he easiest way to improve the Wi-Fi experience on an Android phone is to install a Wi-Fi widget that tells you if you're connected. Which you can download for free from Google Play.

Once you've downloaded it, go to your home screen and hold down your finger on an empty space. From the menu that pops up, pick Widgets, then WiFi Manager 2x1. You'll have a very clear reminder of when you are and aren't connected to Wi-Fi. The widget is shown in the image at the top of this story.

If you aren't connected but should be, tap the "Not Connected" part of the Wi-Fi widget. You'll get a colorful list of nearby networks. Either pick an open one (marked with a star) or a password-protected one (marked with a shield.) If the network is password-protected, enter the password.

Once you've connected to a network once, your phone should automatically reconnect to that same network. Sometimes it won't. If it doesn't, reconnect by hand. Remember, every byte you use of Wi-Fi is a byte you're saving from your mobile data plan. You might even be able to drop to a cheaper data plan, if you use enough Wi-Fi.

Once you've told your phone how to connect to your Wi-Fi networks at home, work, and school, you'll have covered a lot of your day.

You can easily connect to public hotspots just with a standard Wi-Fi widget, of course. Just remember to open your Web browser after connecting to a public hotspot, because the hotspot will usually want you to agree to some legalese disclaimer before it lets you surf freely.

If that seems too complicated, you can still save a lot of data just by using Wi-Fi where it's most common: at home, work and school. Leave the mobile network for when you're mobile.