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Useful data-conserving apps for Android?

  • I live in a country where mobile data is expensive. I have a shiny Android phone and wireless broadband at home. Can you recommend some useful Android apps which operate in a way that minimises mobile data usage? I own my phone outright and I have a pre-paid mobile plan. (Note to US MeFites - I'm aware that you might consider this a less than sensible choice. In my country, it's a rational response to the shitty range of options available). I'm don't mind paying for mobile data when I need information urgently, but I don't want to use more than is absolutely necessary. I plan to use my home wireless network and trusted public hotspots as much as possible. I'm looking for apps which will download data when a wireless connection is available, and store it locally on my phone for when it's not. For example, with Tweetdeck, I can refresh my follow list just before I leave the house, and then read it on the bus for free. I'd love an app which stores a map of the city on my phone, so I don't have to download it from Google each time. Can you recommend anything like that, or apps which operate in a similar way? (I'm mainly interested in practical apps which give me useful information or help me work more efficiently - not so keen on dancing snowmen etcetera. Warnings about apps which seem useful, but are actually data hogs, are also welcome.)

  • Answer:

    If you have (or decide to get) root access to your phone, DroidWall is designed for you. It's an app that lists all your other apps, and allows you to selectively enable or disable their access via cellular vs wifi. (It's also useful for completely disabling all internet access to apps that have no legitimate reason in your interests to access the internet, yet might do so anyway)

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Thanks, all. I signed up for a cheap data plan and stopped worrying so much about my usage. Also, I've found http://www.expensify.com absolutely perfect for budgeting/expense keeping.

embrangled

HuronBob

Does "getting root access" mean something similar to jailbreaking? I'd definitely consider it, since my phone is full of crapware and I'm a bit creeped out by apps which want to know my location. But I'm wary of bricking my phone. Is it a reasonably idiot-proof process for an Android noob?

embrangled

I have an iPod touch which, of course, has no mobile data, only plain old wifi. I found a lot of offline maps in the app store -- a few are free, but the paid ones are very reasonable ($2-5 CND). I use my offline map of Toronto all the time.

jb

http://alpinequest.psyberia.net/english/index will store offline maps for you, so you don't use data. FWIW, I pay $30 / month with optus for 200MB data and $180cap, which keeps me nicely connected, and I easily stay within my data, even with the odd skype call over 3G thrown in.

defcom1

But I'm wary of bricking my phone. Is it a reasonably idiot-proof process for an Android noob? The method and difficulty depends on the phone and the carrier. With a Nexus, for example, the owner has root access out of the box. The G2 at the other end of the spectrum, involves a multi-step procedure because it has an auto-self-repair function in hardware to restore a altered phone back to the carrier's specs, and messing up can brick the phone. So perhaps look into what's involved with your model of phone. I wouldn't decide without reading up a bit about it first. I would think it would take not much money to get someone experienced to do it for you. But if you were to do that, ask them to do it with you there, walking you through what's happening, so you learn a bit about it.

-harlequin-

On T-Mobile you don't even have to root it, just go into Settings > Applications and check "Unknown sources." Their tech support will help you go further than that if you want to.

rhizome

http://www.evernote.com/ will save notes taken on the mobile locally, then sync them with the cloud (and back down to a computer) when you get into WiFI range, and vice-versa. Keeps you fron using mobile data. Settings>WiFi Sync Only. For other stuff, I'd start with experimenting with having your mobile data network settings set to Disabled by default, or gaining specific control over which apps can use mobile data and which can't on your device (may require 'rooting' your Android device).

bartleby

http://unrevoked.com/ will root some Android phones pretty easily and painlessly. http://forum.xda-developers.com/index.php has subforums for each Android phone with rooting instructions usually pinned to the top of the 'development' sub-subforum. http://androidforums.com/ does the same, and there's a lot of overlap. (These are also good places to post questions like "Can you help me find applications that.......")

K.P.

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