Google Officially Launches Datally Android App For Monitoring Mobile Data Usage

Perhaps one day we will look back and laugh at how we used to keep track of our mobile data usage, to avoid going over any caps that might exist, just as we can look back now and remember when dial-ups (like AOL) used to put time limits on Internet connectivity. Barring a pricey unlimited plan, we are not there yet. For Android users who have to keep track of their mobile data usage, Google has a new app, Datally, that will help them do exactly that, and more.

"Mobile data is expensive for many people around the world. And what’s worse, it’s hard to figure out where it all goes. That means you're never just chatting, playing games or watching videos on your phone—you're also anxiously keeping an eye on how long your data will last. That’s why we built Datally, an app that helps you understand, control and save data. With Datally, you can save more and do more with your data," Google explains.


At its core, Datally is a data monitor application, but that is far from its only trick. It lets users understand their data usage by providing hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly statistics, along with recommendations on how to save data based on individual usage. And if that is all it did, Datally would be an interesting app. However, it goes beyond simple data monitoring.

One of Datally's abilities is real-time tracking of data usage while using an app, or multiple apps. In that way, Google likens Datally to a speedometer for data. Users can then block data with one tap if an app is greedily consuming too much data, as well as block background data usage. Datally will also scan nearby networks and let users know if they are near a public Wi-Fi connection.

Google says it has been testing Datally in the Philippines for the past few months, where users have saved up to 30 percent on their data. That is quite a chunk of data, albeit it represents the higher end of the spectrum.

If you want to give Datally a run, you can—it is now available in the Play Store for all phones running Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and later.