Games that don't use data are games where everything needed to play is already on your phone, so they work when the connection is missing, weak or expensive: in a tunnel, in the countryside, abroad or when you're low on data. Zertyzzle, Djoox Studio's crystal-merge puzzle game, works this way: its 120 levels need neither Wi-Fi nor mobile data.
When a no-data game changes everything
- A limited plan: playing offline uses nothing during the match.
- An unstable network: tunnels, trains, dead zones. A game that doesn't depend on the network doesn't cut out.
- Abroad: no roaming charges for a game that doesn't use internet while you play.
- Waiting rooms and queues: public Wi-Fi is often overloaded or paid.
What can still use data
Even an "offline" game may use internet at certain moments. Here is where data hides:
- Downloads and updates: do them on Wi-Fi.
- Ads: a game funded by ads loads them when it has a network. Turning off mobile data for that game, or playing in airplane mode, avoids them.
- Syncing: online saves, leaderboards, live events.
In Android settings you can restrict an app's background data or limit it to Wi-Fi.
How to read a game's data use in Android settings
Android keeps a count of how much each app has used, so you don't have to guess. Open Settings, go to the network or connections section, then look for data usage (the exact names and layout vary by brand and Android version). From there you can usually see mobile data use over a period, sorted by app, and tap the game to see how much it used.
Read it as a check, not a verdict: compare a week of play with a week you didn't open the game. A game that plays without a network should show close to nothing while you play. A noticeable figure usually means downloads, updates, videos or syncing, not the levels themselves.
Turn off mobile data for one game
Still on the app's data usage screen, many Android versions let you switch off mobile data for that single app, or restrict its background data. With that on, the game can only reach the internet over Wi-Fi, and you keep using the rest of your phone as usual. It is the quickest way to be sure a game never touches your plan, and if a feature then fails, you know it needs a connection. Our guide to offline mobile games describes the full test.
What ads, updates and sync consume
- Ads: a short banner uses little, but a video can use noticeably more. A game that offers videos in exchange for a bonus lets you pick Wi-Fi for those, or skip them.
- Updates: a game update can be large. Set the store to update over Wi-Fi only, and let big downloads wait until you are home.
- Sync: leaderboards, live events and online saves exchange small amounts of data, but they add up if they happen all day. Playing in airplane mode stops all of it.
Abroad and roaming
Roaming charges depend entirely on your operator and plan, so check your own terms before travelling. The safest habit is to turn mobile data off for the trip, or at least for games, and to use hotel or airport Wi-Fi for updates. Download and test your games before you leave, in your home country, so nothing needs to load abroad. An offline game then costs you nothing while you play. Combine it with the checklist on our page about offline games for a plane if you are flying.
Zertyzzle: play without using data
Zertyzzle is free and funded by advertising, but no ad interrupts a level: some are offered in exchange for a bonus, and you choose. Offline, you play the 120 levels and Zen mode, with your progress kept on the phone. Duels, teams, the weekly Rift, leaderboards, the shop and online saving need internet; a score waiting to be sent goes out when the connection returns.
For the full picture, see our guide to offline mobile games. If you're on Android, see also offline games for Android; for a flight, offline games for a plane. For pressure-free play, relaxing puzzle games presents Zen mode, and the offline puzzle game page lists what works without a network.
Frequently asked questions
Does an offline mobile game use data?
Not while you play. It may use some to download, update, show ads or sync progress.
How can I play without using my mobile data?
Pick a game that plays without a network, install it on Wi-Fi, then play in airplane mode or turn off mobile data.
Do ads show up without a network?
Usually not, since there is no connection to load them. They may return when the network does. In Zertyzzle, no ad interrupts a level.
How do I see how much data a game has used?
In Android settings, open the data usage screen (under network or connections, depending on your brand) and select the game from the list of apps. Compare periods to see whether it uses data when you play.
Can I stop a game from using mobile data but keep Wi-Fi?
On many Android versions, yes: in the app's data usage settings you can switch off its mobile data or background data, so it only connects over Wi-Fi. The menu names vary by brand.
Will a game use data when I am abroad?
Only if it connects to the internet. A game that plays offline uses none while you play, but updates, ads and syncing do. Turn off mobile data, or do those on Wi-Fi.
Is Zertyzzle available on Android?
Yes, on Google Play, from the Zertyzzle page. The iPhone version is coming soon.
