Digital Reporter
Robert A. Vergara Jr.
Yesterday, Google Philippines launched a new app created to help mobile internet users manage their data usage.
Called Datally, the app, which will be available solely for Android 5.0 and higher users starting today, Nov. 30, has four key features designed to allow users “understand, control, and save data.鈥
鈥淒ata Saver鈥 allows users to control the consumption of data per app by turning off background data for unnecessary usage.
鈥淒ata Saver Bubble鈥 appears on the phone鈥檚 screen once Datally is turned on. The bubble shows a real鈥憈ime speedometer that measures the amount of data currently used. It also allows users to block data to save internet use.
鈥淧ersonalized Alert鈥 allows users to know the amount of data they use daily, weekly, and monthly. This feature also lets users know their data usage pattern and provides recommendations to save data.
鈥淲i鈥慒i Finder鈥 allows users to know nearby wifi networks.
Through Datally, Brian Hendricks, product manager, said Google aims to 鈥渕aximize the mobile data that [users] purchase.鈥
The free app is Google鈥檚 eight product, following Gmail, Android, Google Chrome, Google Maps, Google Search, Youtube, and Google Play Store, which, according to the company, all have more than a billion users each.
Google tested the data management app for several months since 2016 in the Philippines under the name Triangle and recorded more than 500,000 user downloads, 85% of which said they would recommend the app to other users, and 4.5 rating in Play Store.
鈥淢ost importantly, we’ve seen that users who tried our data saver feature have saved an average of 30% of their mobile data,鈥 Hendricks said during the product鈥檚 launch at Google鈥檚 local headquarter in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
With internet connection playing an immense role in using the six鈥憁egabyte app, he said Google is partnering with major telecommunications companies such as Smart Communications and Globe Telecom to avoid interruption in using the app.
鈥淲e work with them (Smart and Globe) really closely to make sure that Datally users experience work seamlessly with their subscribers to try out experimental features in the future,鈥 he said.
