New Snapchat feature could be a godsend for your mobile data plan

An update to Snapchat being released August 10 gives users more control over how much mobile data the entertainment app sucks up. Snapchat can be an expensive habit, at least in terms of how much cellular data it consumes. Opening Snapchat usually starts an automatic download of a library of photos and videos, and top users open the app dozens of times a day while on a cellphone network. Now, the company is offering a feature called Travel Mode that downloads content only when a user taps on it.

Travel Mode can be activated in the settings menu of the updated app. “I think our users will be happy to see it,” Snapchat spokeswoman Shannon Kelly said. Snapchat has become more data-intensive over the last year as it has begun featuring daily videos of cultural happenings worldwide and content from media outlets such as ESPN and Buzzfeed.