App of the Week – Datally

Published on March 1, 2018

As any avid smartphone user can attest, there’s nothing scarier than getting that dreaded text message from your service provider. If you’re anything like the Geek team, you probably know the one. It goes a little like:

“YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY DATA LIMIT. EITHER PAY US $1 MILLION RIGHT NOW OR YOUR PHONE TURNS INTO A ROCK FOR THREE WEEKS, BUDDY. MWA HA HA HA. SUCKER.”

OK, OK, so maybe we were imagining certain parts of that message. But the idea is true. Running low on data is a major hassle – and one that can prove costly. After all, nobody wants to pay an unexpected overage charge! And, even before that monthly cap hits, nobody wants to try to handle their everyday business with a lagging, spotty smartphone.

For all of these reasons and more, tracking your smartphone’s data usage is of the utmost importance. And, if you’re an Android user, you’re in luck! There’s a “stylish and simple” new app out there that’s promising to help you better understand, monitor, and manage your data.

It’s called Datally, and it comes to us courtesy of the fine people over at Google.

Like many Google products, Datally should come with a disclaimer. Something like: “Download this app, and it will transform the way you use your Android device for the better.”

Datally promises to help users conserve mobile data by as much as 30 percent, thanks to its unique suite of data monitoring and management functions. For one thing, Datally allows users to control data usage on an app-by-app basis; with the app’s help, you’ll be able to identify which of your programs are eating up data, even when not in use, so that you can turn them off or set hard data limits.

Even better, Datally will provide you with comprehensive, real time data usage metrics, allowing you to track your mobile data use by app, or view hourly reports and lifetime trends. Turn on notifications, and Datally will helpfully offer up these data highlights, or prompt you with reminders to go into data saver mode.

Finally, Datally promises to help users find the best WiFi around – and make relying on mobile data too heavily a thing of the past. Datally will help you locate nearby WiFi and provide you helpful details, like distance or user rating. To return the favor, you can rate any WiFi networks that you’ve connected to, letting future users know if the network is safe, secure, or speedy.

Google also promises to frequently update Datally with new features, including the ability to check your data balance on command.

Ready to take control over your data usage right now? Android users can download Datally for free via the Google Play Store.

Have any other apps that will help us get more out of our smartphones? Drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter with your recommendations! While digital marketing is our passion, geek speak is our raison d’etre. We’d love to hear from you, and we might even feature your suggestion on a future blog post!