Google has launched its mobile data consumption tracking app Datally in Dhaka. Datally app helps Android smartphone users understand, control, and save mobile data by tracking and controlling app data usage on their phones.
The app, which is being released as part of Google’s Google’s Next Billion Users initiative, is part of Google’s greater growth push to make its services more usable in emerging markets that have limited mobile internet connections and where data is still expensive.
Datally works on all smartphones running Android 5.0 and higher, and is available on the Google Play Store.
From The Verge on how Datally works:
(Datally) helps you understand where your data is going and cut down on how much you’re using. Datally will show which apps are using data the most and at what times your data is getting used up; it’ll also recommend ways to cut down data usage based on your own activity and suggest nearby Wi-Fi networks for you to connect to.
More importantly, there’s a big button at the top of the app that lets you stop all background data usage, so only the app that’s actively onscreen can use mobile data. A chat-head style bubble will also pop up to let you know how much data your currently running app is using up. And if you don’t want to block every single app from using background data, Datally will let you go in and control data usage on an app by app basis, too.
Data Saver: Datally allows you to control and limit data usage on specific apps. Its front and center controls allow you to see real-time app data usage, and block an app’s data usage if things get out of control
Understanding Your Usage: It tracks your data usage and helps you to understand more about your data usage pattern, including usage history, trends over time, and per-app usage.
WI-FI Finder: Datally has a Wi-Fi finder option that helps you discover Wi-Fi networks nearby with details like distance. Before connecting, you can see how other Datally users have rated the Wi-Fi network.
Google has been testing the app in the Philippines since summer this year and claims to receive great feedback. It says over 500,000 people now use the app and it now helps users to save about 30% of their data. However, if you need your apps to update content on a regular basis, Datally is not for you.
Mobile data consumption is an important matter for many users in developing countries like Bangladesh. In many instances, it is difficult to control data usage due to ambiguous guidelines, distinct operating patterns of different apps and not-so-transparent data offerings. Datally will certainly prove useful to users who face these challenges.
At the same time, it will allow Google to further push its products through developing a better understanding about the mobile data users in these countries which will enable it to build better offerings and effective collaborations with different stakeholders including telecom operators.
