Google Datally App Launched, Meant to Help Save Mobile Data

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https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-datally-app-launch-now-available-for-android-download-1781750?pfrom=gadgetstop

 Alphabet's Google  introduced an app on Wednesday designed to help Android smartphone users  stay under the limits of pricey mobile data packages in developing  countries. It's now available to download via Google Play.Datally,  the new service, lists data consumption by app and enables users to  shut off data transmissions by apps of their choosing, Google group  product manager Josh Woodward told Reuters in an interview. It also  provides a directory of nearby Wi-Fi networks that includes user  commentary on their quality.The offering is the latest from  Google's Next Billion Users division, an internal effort to make  internet services more accessible to people in countries where  technology infrastructure is not as fast or affordable as in the United  States or Western Europe.Previously, Google announced a peer-to-peer payment app aimed at Indian consumers and a low-bandwidth version of YouTube.Some  Datally functionality is available within the settings pages of Android  smartphones, but Woodward said he expects the specialised app will make  it easier to understand the options.During testing of Datally,  app developers inside and outside Google initially expressed concern  about the effects of users limiting their services' data access,  Woodward said.But they warmed to the idea as they saw that users  welcomed data consumption by "apps they really like," Woodward said.  "The visibility gives users more confidence to use those apps."Talking  about the new app, Caesar Sengupta, Vice President, Next Billion Users,  Google, in a blogpost said, "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's why we built Datally, an app that helps you to control,  save more and do more with your data. We've been testing Datally in the  Philippines for the past few months, and people are saving up to 30  percent on their data."