Because many apps tend to waste data usage, Google set out to launch a new Android app to amend the issue. Dubbed Datally, the app not just records which apps use data and how much data they use, but also minimizes it.
Google’s Datally – Keep constant track of data use
Perhaps the most important feature to the app, Datally features a big button up top, letting the user stop all background data use. This way, only the on-screen app gets to actively utilize data. Every now and then, a chat-head bubble pops up to remind the user of the active app’s current data use. For users not wanting to block data use on all apps, they can control data use for each app, instead.
Through Datally, users can monitor which apps use the most data, and when data use becomes most active. Apart from suggesting nearby WiFi networks, it also recommends ways to dial down data usage based on user activity.
Making Google products more accessible
Through the Next Billion Users initiative, Google seeks to make their products more accessible in countries with limited mobile data plans. Coming in at just a 6Mb download, Datally emerged as a product of this objective.
While Android already houses pretty much all of the app features, these usually stay hidden within the settings app. Thus, Google sought to make these more accessible through Datally. Furthermore, the standalone app will help people more easily navigate to the toggles.
Product manager Josh Woodard explains how the app came into fruition. Because some countries impose relatively expensive prices for data, people go through lengths to preserve them. His team observed how people in Delhi, Lagos, and Buenos Aires kept their phones on airplane mode all the time to prevent data use. Only when they needed to check their notifications would said users turn the setting off and back on again when all information has loaded.
Datally App Availability
With already 500,000 users, Google has already pushed out Datally in the Philippines since summer this year. On average, people have saved roughly 30 percent of their data. Today, Google launches the app worldwide for devices running Android 5.0 or higher. For people looking to limit using the little data they have, get the free app now.
