Alphabet
Inc.’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.
Datally,
the new service, lists data consumption by app and enables users to shut off
data transmissions by app of their choosing, Google group product manager Josh
Woodward told Reuters in an interview. It also provided 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 s available within the setting pages of Android
smartphones, but Woodward said he expects the specialized 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 warned 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.”
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