Selecting and modifying the transmission rates and sizes of status update messages transmitted by a mobile communications device to a recipient application based on use of the updates by the recipient application improves resource utilization or accuracy. During one mode of operation, a mobile communications device transmits status messages using a conservative message transmission mode. This allows the mobile communications device to transmit a greater number of status updates for future processing by the recipient application while conserving resources. When the recipient application is actively processing status updates from the mobile communications device, the mobile communications device transmits the status messages using an accelerated message transmission mode with a different number of status updates in each status message and different delay between status messages, which may reduce delay or improve accuracy. Similarly, the mobile communications device may reduce the number of status updates transmitted by applying algorithm-based filters described herein based on the expected usage by the recipient application.