Limit the Windows 8 Metro Live Tile data usage

Martin Brinkmann
Jul 20, 2012
Updated • Jul 20, 2012
Tutorials, Windows, Windows 8
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Some Metro apps of the Windows 8 operating system can display dynamic contents right on the start page that are updated regularly. This can be a weather app that retrieves new weather report information from the Internet, a news app that displays the latest headlines, a finance app that highlight stock market news, or an app that displays the latest messages that you have received on sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

The data use of these Live Tiles should not really be a problem on the majority of desktop systems. That is,unless you have plastered hundreds of apps there that all update contents regularly. If you are on a mobile device you may want to limit the updating as you may have a data cap or a slow Internet connection and need it for other activities.

windows 8 metro live tiles

What you can do right away while you are on the start screen is to turn off live tiles that you do not to update. Right-click on the tile n question and select turn live tile off from the menu at the bottom of the screen.

If you are on a wireless connection you can furthermore limit the data usage for tile updates. Open the Charms menu for that either with the shortcut Windows-C, or by moving your mouse cursor to the upper or lower corner of the right screen. Select Settings from the list of options and locate the tiles link at the top on the next screen. A click on it opens the following menu where you can change the data usage for tile updates. Keep in mind that 50 Megabytes is the minimum setting here. If you do not want to spend any data updating live tiles you need to disable the live updating on the start screen directly.

live tiles data usage

If you do not see the setting to change the data limit for live tiles here you need to click on Network first in the Charms menu which displays a list of all network devices available. Right-click on the one that you are connected to and select Set as metered connection from the menu. Once done, you should now see the data used for tile updates setting in the tiles menu. (via Lost in Technology)

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Comments

  1. Here said on October 4, 2012 at 9:34 am
    Reply

    Can I use big square tiles? (2×2)

  2. ilev said on July 20, 2012 at 9:57 am
    Reply

    I will wait with Windows 8 until the whole of the Metro code could be fully uninstalled. Hopefully in Windows 9.

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