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Google Launches App That Can Help You Track and Conserve Mobile Data (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the carrot dept.

Google has taken another small step forward in its mission to connect the "next billion" users with a new app designed to optimize your mobile data usage. From a report: Datally for Android has been in testing for several months in the Philippines, and now it's ready for prime time globally. To activate Datally, you will have to give the app access to many facets of your device, including giving it the ability to "make and manage calls," "send and view SMS messages," and view the device's location. But then again, any app that wants to monitor background processes on your smartphone will need fairly comprehensive access to the device.

10 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Background app? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm not advocating a systemd scenario here, but shouldn't this kind of pretty basic thing be built-in the OS itself? It's just three big fucking counters... one for cellular, one for wi-fi and one for bluetooth.

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    1. Re:Background app? by Tomahawk · · Score: 2

      Some of those counters are available (certainly Mobile Data used is available at the OS level, and you can set a warning level for it), but this app will allow you to view them better, and to control stuff. For example, if an app that you don't really use is using too much data, you can stop it using mobile data with this app.

      Google these days try to push out stuff in apps rather than in OS upgrades, as that way these can be used on devices where the manufacturers don't update the OS. Maybe system apps are now available to download from Google Play so they can be updated outside of the OS release.

    2. Re:Background app? by Orphis · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm guessing that it's easier to update an "external" app than getting all the phone providers to update their OS in time when making changes.

      Pretty much why Chrome on Android is a separate app too.

    3. Re: Background app? by peragrin · · Score: 2

      It's the apps that are the issue. My girlfriend had an appp that used 2 gigabytes of mobile data in 4 days downloading "ads"

      When we realized what happened the app was uninstalled and we had to disable all mobile data for 3 weeks until the end of the billing month. Do you know what doesn't work withouht constant data stream.? Basically every app

      We were on a long car ride and she played solitary.

      What Google and Apple needs to do is to start banning any app that uses more than 100 megs of advertisements a month.

      The developers should no longer be able to publish apps.

      Currently we both have android data saver on to limit background data to maps, email and messaging.

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    4. Re:Background app? by swillden · · Score: 2

      Not accessible? It's a background app made by Google. It's their OS, they have access to everything.

      Not accessible to the user, meaning no nice UI to display and manage it all. Clearly the app can't add any fundamental OS capabilities; everything needed to track and control usage has to already be in the system.

      Oh, and obviously it's not just "three big fucking counters", since it gives you very fine-grained information about usage. And lets you control it.

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    5. Re:Background app? by swillden · · Score: 2

      Not accessible to the user, meaning no nice UI to display and manage it all.

      There is... Settings / Wireless & Network / Data Usage

      Which obviously has a tiny subset of the UI functionality described in the article, and has the serious disadvantage that it can only be added or updated in a system update. The rationale for putting this in an app is very clear.

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  2. FTFY by rsilvergun · · Score: 2

    "Google launches App that can help them track mobile data usage".

    There, FTFY. Also, every phone I've ever had has one of these.

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  3. Eat your own dogfood by chrylis · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In other news, Google Maps still pulls a megabyte of data when you open it to display a useless "what's nearby" panel that can't be disabled.

    Maybe start with cutting out data-hungry misfeatures in your own applications?

  4. Maybe disable pre-loading junk in maps n chrome? by Imazalil · · Score: 2

    Here's another idea for Google.

    Stop wasting data pre-loading junk in Chrome and Maps. If I want to find a breakfast place, transit or traffic directions, they are a click away. Same with Chrome's suggested stories or whatever they're called.

  5. Lots of misinformation on the comments by XSportSeeker · · Score: 2

    Erm... to all the people saying this should be built into the OS - it is.
    This app makes visualization easier I guess, but if you are on Android, you can go into Settings -> Data usage -> (hamburger menu) Data usage control.
    From there you can choose what apps can and cannot use mobile data. In fact, you have 4 options:
    Allow - Wi-fi + mobile
    Forbidden - none
    Wi-fi only
    Data only (mobile only)
    Unless this is something that's available only on Oxygen OS (which I don't think it is), there you go.