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Best way to lock down data usage when roaming

Hello everyone.
I hope someone can advise me on the best way to completely lock down GSM/3G/HSPDA data usage (as opposed to voice or WiFi) when roaming.
I'm in the UK with 02 (Orbit2) with an all you can eat data package, but
I'm off to the US in a couple of weeks on business, and I'd like to be completely confident that I'm not going to get a nasty bill when I get home.
I know I could use the HTC communication manager, but I not yet sure I can trust it. It seems that when I hook up to data based apps (explorer etc.) it initiates a new data session anyway.
I also want to be able to use Wifi for my main data access whilst away, but Ideally, in a pinch I'd like to be able to send the occasional short email - but only if I'm sure what its going to cost. If I expressly block data via o2 whilst I'm away then my options will be limited.
So what does everyone else do?
What about the gotcha's like autoupdate of weather forecasts, quickgps etc - these I know about, but there are probably others...
So to summarise: I want free use of data, but only WiFi whilst away. GSM or 3G in emergencies, but only if I unlock it.
Alternatively is there a US based service I can subscribe to for a few dollars a day whilst I'm away?

Try This
Hi,
this this little tool... Makes it easy to change what type of phone connection you will allow.
Cheer
Rar9

Thanks.
Thanks, this seems to do just what I wanted.
it's very small, and when run it gives you the option to individually toggle your data connections.
I toggled to off:
- O2 Active
- Mobile Web
I then fired up explorer - no access (and it said that it couldn't re-establish the connection) - Good.
I then enabled Wifi and was able to use explorer.
Checked phone working, no problem
Then re-enabled GPRS data etc (toggled the two settings back to enabled), and everything returned to normal.

Any apps that check/disable specific application's network usage?

I think someone might asked this before but i can't find it.
Nor checking around for one, i had tried several apps on android but none do the thing i want.
What i want is an application that check which application access the networks and use it and how much it use. (would like to disable network for the application too if possible without remove it)
I am losing 200 mb in 8 days when 99% of the internet access are under wifi. My wifi seem to be turn off whenever my xperia x10 go to sleep too.
Anyone can help ?

[Tips] Data Usage Best Practices and Tips (Android)

When using the internet on your device that has an active carrier data plan and no WIFI network is available, the device automatically switch to carrier's data plan.
There are many instances where people with limited monthly plans have run into bloated bills due to unintentional excess data usage.
I searched far and wide across the forums, to find any tips, tricks, tools or best practices for optimized data usage, but could not find much.
This is my humble attempt to come up with such a list.
Hopefully this will help someone avoid those surprise excess usages and bloated bills.
Please bare with me if this is insufficient or if the information herein becomes outdated due to new features in latest Android versions.
I'm not an expert. I am kind of a half-noob myself
1. Install a Data Monitor application.
There are applications which help you monitor data usage.
They show how much usage has happened through carrier's packet data and how much is through WIFI.
They also show data usage per application.
If your ROM does not already have these features, there are so many applications available on the android market (Google play store).
Search for one that suits your needs. I personally prefer My Data Manager
Note that all these data monitor applications monitor the usage at real-time.
That means, they can only monitor your usage form the day you installed them. Don't wait till you run into an excess usage problem, install one now.
2. Explicitly turn off packet-data during huge WIFI downloads.
If you are downloading huge data over WIFI (say a 600 MB file), and in-between if your WIFI becomes unavailable, chances are that the phone switches automatically to carrier data and continues with the download.
This is a sure shot scenario to cause surprise excess usage.
The WIFI might become unavailable due to any number of reasons like:
Straying out of the signal area - if you are moving around
Source getting disconnected - I have a cabled broadband with unlimited data on my laptop, I make my laptop a WIFI hotspot (kind of reverse tethering) using a USB adapter (wireless N150 USB adapter from buffalo). Whenever there is a power cut, my broadband connection goes off until I manually reconnect. Also, my connection periodically times off if it's on for a long time, or my laptop might restart.
The router might malfunction or in worst case, the phone's WIFI connectivity might itself dysfunction.
The point is, keep in mind that the WIFI can go off half way through the download and you might end up using carrier data.
The best solution is to turn off your carrier data. [Uncheck Settings -> Wireless and network -> Mobile networks -> Use packet data]
You can turn it on once the download finishes or once you have stopped/paused the download and you are sure that it won't use up your packet data.
This way, you can ensure that you are actually downloading through WIFi.
3. Firewall - allow/disallow data access to individual applications.
There are firewall applications on the market that allow you to:
Block internet access to selected apps.
Many apps like offline games and simple tools require full internet access permission. At first glance, this looks suspicious as these apps do not seem to have any business going online.
The main reason most of them use this permission is to allow in-app Ads.
By using firewalls, you can block internet access to selected apps that do not require internet access for their normal functioning.
Separate packet (3G/GPRS) and WIFI data.
Some apps consume too much data, like Facebook, Google plus and some games.
If you don't need to be online on these apps all the time, you can allow them only WIFI access, so that they can sync only when WIFI becomes available and they can never use up your carrier data.
Toggle blocking status.
Useful when you want to occasionally turn it on for a while.
There are many such firewall apps available on the market and some antivirus apps also come with inbuilt firewall features.
I personally use DroidWall
Note:
Provide access to all android system applications, and apps which come pre-configured from your vendor (I guess they could be trusted)
Make sure all apps that require internet access are given the access - both in WIFI and 3G mode.
Make sure known data guzzlers are denied access - both WIFI and 3G (provided they do not require access for their normal functionality)
If in doubt about any particular app - I prefer to provide it access. Better safe, than risk impaired functionality.
4. Download Manager - pause/resume downloads.
Say you are downloading about 10MB of data and the connection drops when you are about 8MB completed.
At this situation, you do not want to start downloading from scratch again when connection becomes available.
This way, if you are moving in and out of connection, you will end up trying to download the same data again and again, drastically increasing the usage.
You need a download manager with pause, resume, auto resume features to handle this situation.
There are many available on the market, search and use a one that best suits your needs.
This works only for downloading from browser links, dropbox, etc.
The download manager does not come into picture if you are trying to download data directly from an app (like many games download huge data when started for the first time after installation).
I am yet to find an app which can handle this kind of situation. Something like - intercept any downloads initiated from within other apps, and provide you option to manage those downloads.
If anyone knows of any such app, please do update us.
However, most games and apps which do huge data download have inbuilt capability to manage the download.
For example, Sygic has an excellent download manager that manages maps and other downloads for it. It comes by default with Sygic.
5. Push Notification Detectors.
When you install certain applications, they might have tie-ups with certain advertisers to send add notifications directly to your device's notification bar.
Such ads are called push notification ads. They allow the developers to make some revenue and help keep the free applications free.
These notifications show up on your notification area periodically, even when the original application which installed them is not running.
As of now, I cannot find any statics/benchmarks to understand how much data push-notifications consume. But they definitely do consume some data.
It is a personal choice whether you want such notifications or not, I personally feel a little bit of data usage is OK, as it is a small price to pay and helps the developers.
But some applications might be tied up with greedy advertising schemes that do extensive push notifications and consume excessive data.
One best way is to go through the apps description carefully before installing.
If the developer clearly states that the app uses push notification adds, it shows some responsibility on the developer’s part and you can assume he has taken the steps to ensure that the notifications are not excessive and does not consume excess data.
You can then choose to either install or not install the application.
However, there are many applications which are silent about the fact that they use push notifications.
There are many detectors on the market which detect all the installed apps on your device which appear to use known notification Ad frameworks.
They do not block the Ads, but inform you which applications are causing them. You can then choose to uninstall those applications or give them only WIFI data access or freeze them for a certain period of time to monitor your data consumption.
I personally use AirPush Detector
6. Freeze / Unfreeze applications.
If you suspect some application to be causing excess data consumption through push ads, you can freeze it for certain time and monitor the data usage to check if there is any significant change.
There are many such applications on the market which allow you to freeze/unfreeze select apps.
Most of them require root access (I do not know of any such app which works without root)
Titanium Backup (Requires Root) is the best application out there as per my opinion.
It does much more than freeze/unfreeze. It's a must have app for any root user.
PS:
Be very careful which apps you decide to freeze.
There are many apps that should not be frozen, especially system apps and some of those that come preinstalled on your ROM.
If you try to freeze any such app which should not be frozen, you might render your phone unusable.
Please refer threads related to your device to get a list of safe-to-freeze apps for your particular device.
Rooting might void warranty and has an associated risk of rendering your device unusable if done improperly.
If you are unfamiliar with concepts, read through the forums here on XDA, use the search button
This is all I can think of for now.
If you have any more useful tips/tricks or best practices related to data usage, please add them here, so that it can help others as well.
Cheers,
Sandeep

[Q] What is the random key icon in the status bar

I recently upgraded my z3 dual to android 5.0.2. I found that there is a random key icon in the status bar and I cannot figure out what it is, I don't have any VPN's active and that was my only conclusion to what it could be. What is it? and what does it do???

It means you're are connected or disconnected from a vpn connection.
Of you remove the connection from your phone (active or inactive doesn't matter) it will disappear again. But you were right on your first guess, it is vpn

If you pull down the menu and click on "Network may be monitored" (below quick access) it will tell you which connection is running.

Hi, did you solve it, I have the same key icon and cant get rid of it. !

Dr. Web
If you're running the Dr. Web anti virus app it'll gain permission to operate soley off a VPN it doesn't change your phones network status as far as what you are connected to for data.... The app itself operates using a VPN which will display the key symbol in status bar!

For me it has happened when using the app doze when I activated the aggressive mode of the app DOZE and would see the key icon popping up and disappears when i deactivate this mode after granting it access to my device.

Could be Opera Max
do
Opera max did it for me.

Hi, did not check how old this is, but recently I got Xperia XZ premium and noticed same icon , and I Remember when it appear on my phone, it is after installed netguard firewall it using vpn locally on your phone, so it does not transmit data to some vpn server in any case. I love it, it do job very well and it cause that small icond to appear in my status bar.

Something are turning on data transfer

Hello
I am using latest .93 firmware and i have noticed strange thing: something are turning on data transfer and then disable it.
My data trasfer is turned off, after disabling i hide the notification "data trasmission in cellular is turned off" but after some time when phone is inactive the notification appears and seems that i got charged by using data.
The monitors doesn't show any info which app using data transfer.
Are You experienced this ?
Is there any way to check logs which application enabling data transfer / how to block it ?
Seems even if i block cellular data for any app the connection to network is made and few kilobytes pass through.
Do You have any ideas ?

jishek said:
Hello
I am using latest .93 firmware and i have noticed strange thing: something are turning on data transfer and then disable it.
My data trasfer is turned off, after disabling i hide the notification "data trasmission in cellular is turned off" but after some time when phone is inactive the notification appears and seems that i got charged by using data.
The monitors doesn't show any info which app using data transfer.
Are You experienced this ?
Is there any way to check logs which application enabling data transfer / how to block it ?
Seems even if i block cellular data for any app the connection to network is made and few kilobytes pass through.
Do You have any ideas ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have that problem at all I'm on 33.2.A.2.93 myself, is the background data turned off for each and every app go to settings data usage and click on each and every app in the list for data+WiFi and set the slider at the bottom to the on position. The notification you get to say that data is disabled that looks like a small globe will come and go on its own anyway usually when you wake up the xa it's how it is it doesn't mean it has actually used any data it's to remind you it's off
Have you also turned the Bluetooth+WiFi always scanning for connections Inc when they are actually turned off. Go to settings location and tap the three dots top right turn both sliders to the off position.
This should stop any background data being used and won't effect the way any of the apps work
Sent from my Xperia XA using XDA Labs

jishek said:
Hello
I am using latest .93 firmware and i have noticed strange thing: something are turning on data transfer and then disable it.
My data trasfer is turned off, after disabling i hide the notification "data trasmission in cellular is turned off" but after some time when phone is inactive the notification appears and seems that i got charged by using data.
The monitors doesn't show any info which app using data transfer.
Are You experienced this ?
Is there any way to check logs which application enabling data transfer / how to block it ?
Seems even if i block cellular data for any app the connection to network is made and few kilobytes pass through.
Do You have any ideas ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 sometimes !

The bluetooth, wifi, cellular(agps) location helpers are OFF.
Trying for now not to disable all cellular data(the switch to block all traffic) because i am trying to indentify app that cause problem.
I get used to manually turn on and off cellular data and would like to keep that way with this phone.
'thing' that turn on data make me nuts.
"small globe notification" appeared once in last half day - t-mobile app says usage of 200kb but Data Usage Monitor does show nothing

I think that issue depend on signal strength.. Always when back from basement which is located underground i had that notification about mobile data.. Also in forest, when signal is gone or rly poor.
But had no idea which app is responsible for that. Also trying few times turn off notifications in random sys apps and nothing so far..

The beggining of the end...
The telegram app shows notifications too, strangw notifications, why? The app is not listed on the detailed ps list, is not running anything related to telegram, ate least the unrecognized service that poped up the notification.
This is new method they are using.
Is not online, but the notifications is poping up.
Called as Multidex odex(or dex from the app) and cached secondary-dexes provided by them when we last tine was online.
We ended and closed the app, but, the secondary dexes are in the Memory opened
Someday i was searching why my apps are all closed , but the ram is sluggy and filled?
This is why.
Preventing yourself agains these new kind of apks before installing.
This may contain virus.
This is destroying the cpu and the ram.
These secondary dexes processes are hidden, and unkillable (unless i root and forbid services)
Nothing is turning on the data.
The cached dexes are running in hidden background, showing the notifications that was not readed when was the app online.
This is a serious damage menace.
I disagree with this, after i discovered this, now, i am denying packages with Multidex inside.
Sent from SomeFon
---------- Post added at 10:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------
I forgot to mention:
Imagine:
I am running a newsapp, with fully adblock in action.
They will search a "V".
They creates a temporary secondary-dex, when my installation id is on line reading their news, the cached dex is , for exampling: deleting my pictures, uploading something mine to their servers, deleting musics, corrupting files, etc.
due to the secondary dex is updated periodically... on cache, free for do what they want do on my device...
They found "V" Vengeance
Because i am Ad blocker
Only because this.
This is why the RootCloak was created.
To hide root and commands that some apps runs in hidden background
I tried search how to forbid this Multidexes apps.
But untill now, the solution is
Not install.
Check the package before installing and read the Manifest.xml about the multidex version.
If no multidex tag found, is safe apk.
Remember the Quadrooter.
They may creates a secondary-dex for destroy the gpu easyly.
Sent from SomeFon

Rafixxxx said:
I think that issue depend on signal strength.. Always when back from basement which is located underground i had that notification about mobile data.. Also in forest, when signal is gone or rly poor.
But had no idea which app is responsible for that. Also trying few times turn off notifications in random sys apps and nothing so far..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right! I have checked that.
That notification reappears when i lost signal and get it back. Appears also when i turn on airplane mode and then switch it off.
So nothing actually switch on cellular data BUT ...
i found what cause the problem
it's localization
I have it enabled BUT helpers are switched OFF (wifi+cellular) and bluetooth but it still using AGPS.
When i use app that use localization - for example speedtest app (using wifi) then localization icon appears and a moment later two arrows (up/down) appear on gsm signal.
so the question is :
How can i disable AGPS ?? (settings -> localization -> three dots -> scanning -> both options are OFF)
Please someone check if You have same problem (turned agps off and using app with localization and celular data disabled you get two arrows on gsm signal)
EDIT: The mode of GPS is: only device. Note that evey switch off and on it defaults to best accuracy.
When i make sure it's only GPS (agps disabled) and helpers are off and run speedtest with localization it STILL using agps
BUG ?

The OS itself downloads data too, even on rooted.
100 per month going where ?

hp6830s said:
The OS itself downloads data too, even on rooted.
100 per month going where ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but android OS doesn't use data traffic when data traffic is disabled.
AGPS does

Solved
Problem was resolved by SONY's support:
Selecting device only will not disable assisted start on the GPS. It only disables location by WiFi, mobile network and bluetooth.
What you can try is to go to Settings -> More -> Mobile networks -> Access Point Names. Here check the APN type on all your APNs. If you have "supl" on the APN-type, try to remove this. Then turn off mobile data or connect to WiFi and see if it still uses the mobile network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Apn type says - default, supl. But there is no way to change it.Its greyed.
I think the only way is to dissable 4g (when not using the phone or when wi fi is active) , and remain on H+, for me its free. And that way will not lose my 1 Gb quota.

hp6830s said:
Apn type says - default, supl. But there is no way to change it.Its greyed.
I think the only way is to dissable 4g (when not using the phone or when wi fi is active) , and remain on H+, for me its free. And that way will not lose my 1 Gb quota.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have exactly the same issue. When I clicked on the APN type, I got a free text box and I didn't know what to type in. In the end I deleted the APN. This obviously means that I can't use mobile data when I want to. This is very frustrating and seems like a bug. Please post if you find a solution...