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[Q] Possible to use Android without any data plan at all?

I'm sorry if this has been asked already.
I'm very interested in getting a Samsung Vibrant. I wasn't a big fan of Android at first, but it's really growing on me. However, I have absolutely no interest in getting a data plan -- Everywhere I frequent has open wi-fi. If I got the phone, I know no carrier would let me leave the store without a data plan, so I'd just get one on eBay.
Is it possible to completely disable data, contact/email syncing, cloud connection, etc. and still use the full capabilities of an Android phone through wi-fi without screwing anything up? I've heard that if you don't have a data connection it's possible that your contacts will delete themselves when the phone tries to sync -- Is this true? Is there anything I should know about using Android without data, or are there any apps I should get to help with the whole process?

I have no data plan at all, G1 on T-Mobile. Vibrant shouldn't give you any problems, but if you're worried about contacts deleting (which has never happened to me), you can turn sync on and off, so just toggle it when you connect to wi-fi. Glad to see more interest in Android, hope you can make some contributions to the community.

Thanks for the info -- I didn't know you could actually toggle the syncing!
I hope I get more into Android, too. I'm a huge Windows Mobile person right now, but after looking at the Vibrant, I think I've been converted.
I also hope I can help in the community a bit, too -- I've been coming here for a long time, and I think you guys are amazing at what you do.

guitargler said:
I have no data plan at all, G1 on T-Mobile. Vibrant shouldn't give you any problems, but if you're worried about contacts deleting (which has never happened to me), you can turn sync on and off, so just toggle it when you connect to wi-fi. Glad to see more interest in Android, hope you can make some contributions to the community.
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I'm sorry, I've got one more thing to ask: So can you disable ALL data, except for the phone data (calls, texts, etc.)? I can actually still get apps and do pretty much everything data allows all through wi-fi without any issues?

You can do syncing/cloud connection over WiFi too.

Thee other say my wife forgot to pay her bill.they shut her phone off.. Connected phone to wifi in the house and was able to use google talk email market... No text or calls though
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

well i had a first gen my touch 3g, i unlocked it and put it on att. what i endened up doing was i set up a different apn and since the settings were wrong i couldnt get on the internet. i could be wrong, but i think thats what kept me from getting on the net with it. and then i realized i had a data plan on my contract so i put the correct info for the apn and got data.

U can delete all your APN Info so that your phone will not be able to connect via 3G or Edge only with WIFI ;-)
Have fun with this great os!

There is literally an option in the network settings to disable the "mobile network". This disables internet/3g data traffic but does not affect call/text (that is not considered "data").
Also, Android actually disables the mobile network connection when Wifi is active (at least on CDMA devices)

Awesome, this is exactly what I was looking for. I have no idea why I was told it wasn't worth using Android without data - This all sounds like just what I had planned to do. Thanks, everyone! :-D

deathsled said:
Also, Android actually disables the mobile network connection when Wifi is active (at least on CDMA devices)
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Relying on that alone won't work as soon as you get in the car with the phone...when it loses the wifi connection, it looks for a cell data connection again. You are right though, so long as it has a wifi connection, it doesn't look for 3G data at all.

People say it's no use having Android without data because there's literally TONS of awesome stuff you can do with data (Google Maps walking turn-by-turn, for example. And Zombie, Run!, which is the best game ever made). But if you're like me and are cheap/broke, or you just don't see yourself using data much, you'll be golden. But I think as you get into Android more and discover what you *could* be doing, you'll want to add data. I intend to put data on when I upgrade

i dn't have a data plan and when i attempt to use a data connection w/o wifi i get an msg from my provider (asking if i really want to and telling me how much it will cost). If your provider allows you access to their data network without you agreeing and then charges you that's pretty bull**** and i would definitely switch providers.

[Q] Android updating

I bought a Telstra Smart touch phone, powered by Android. I bought the phone because I wanted to use wi/fi and connect via my modem/router and use the phone when I have turned off my computers and leave the modem on so as to access the wireless. I didn't want to use the phone for the internet outside of the house via the 3G network because I can't afford that. I was told by my ISP that I could use the gigs I pay for by connecting to my router but that was not the case, I was misinformed. I only wanted to do this in case I thought of something after turning off my computers and leave the router on to access wireless. This did happen & I was able to pick up the wireless signal but I only did it once, one web site and 2 emails were sent in 3 weeks because I was worried that I was getting charged. Then I got my bill, $90 for internet charges for the mobile phone. After many questions to Telstra finally spoke to someone who seemed to know that the charges were because Android updates the applications on the phone. I tried turning off the Internet part but then I couldn't even use the calender on the phone unless I put in my gmail account, is there any way I can use the phone without Android updating all the time and causing me to be charged. I put the phone back to factory settings hoping I could just use it for general things, text messages, phone, calendar, reminders etc.
thank you,
Joan.

Turn off background data and uncheck "Automatic update" in the market under your installed apps. Apps such as Gmail, Maps etc. Is set to update automaticly.
And go through the phone settings and uncheck things that includes "data" and "auto".
Oh, you also want to disable auto sync. (it's in settings)
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA Premium App

thank you very much for helping me.
Joan

Sorry, I meant to ask ...if I do as you suggest will I be able to use the applications, such as the calendar, take photos etc., just like I can with my Samsung smart phone, but I don't have that enabled to the internet although it can be done but it's not wi/fi, thats why I bought this smart touch one and use it if I wanted to but only through my router wirelessly and it doesn't cost anything. I just want to be be able to send text messages including picture messages sometimes (I know the latter does cost). I could even use it as I first intended as a wi/fi phone at home, not through the 3G network though, through my router. I just don't want to have to pay for Android updates but would like to use the other features if they are available. I put the phone back to factory settings because I didn't think I could afford to use it but it's been bugging me so thought I would try again. I can't do anything with it though unless I enter my gmail account, so should I do that?.
Thank you very much for your time,
Joan.

WP7 is always data connected

Hello my friend,
I have recently migrate to WP7.5(Tango) and i have some little questions.
My data is always connected, but, i don't have activate the pushmail.
So, why my data are always on ?
Does Windows Phone has an autodisconnect feature ?
If no, is there a way in order to install an application in order to autodisconnect data after X seconds of innactivity.
Thanks a lot for your help,
Nixeus

What phone you are using?

Does your cellular provider charge by the minute, or something like that? All the rates for data that I've seen are either by the month or by the megabyte. I don't think I've heard of auto-disconnect as a desired feature since the days of literal modems (the kind that sent sudio tones over the telephone connection instead of using a communication protocol actually intended for data).
The only way I know of to turn off the data connection is manually, in the Settings hub. Be aware that a lot of the features of WP7 use data connectivity in the background, not just email sync. For example, syncing your Facebook (and Twitter and LinkedIn) account, syncing your contacts and calendar from the server, checking the Marketplace for updates to installed apps, and so on. These use very little data, but they connect fairly often.
In theory, I'm sure there's a way to programmatically turn the data connection on or off. It might even be possible to tell when it's not in use, and hasn't been for some time. This is not going to be easy, though, and as far as I know nobody else has figured it out.

Thanks for the answers,
So, i will coding an apps in order to turn OFF the DATA connection during a period.
( the night for me)

I want to create an unstealable phone.

I want to create an "un-steal-able" phone.
Of course this is impossible, but I want to make it as difficult as possible for thieves to get away with it, and as easy as possible for me to find it.
Assumptions:
Phone has available call and text messaging service.
Phone has internet capabilities and "permanent" Internet access. (We will consider 2G, 3G, or 4G cellular access with a data plan to be permanent. Depending on an open WiFi network to be available at all times is unreliable).
Phone is on and has some charge in its battery. (If the phone is off, we can't do anything).
Phone has an accurate GPS receiver.
Requirements:
Software that relays GPS coordinates via an Internet connection. As a backup for when there is no cellular data signal, software that relay GPS coordinates via SMS
Software cannot be disabled or removed without authentication.
GPS on phone cannot be turned off without authentication (alternative: remote activation of GPS receiver via Internet or SMS)
Cellular data and/or WiFi cannot be turned off without authentication (alternative: remote activation of cellular data via SMS)
Where GPS signal can be used for macro location (within 10 to 30 meters), there must be some method of micro location (within a few feet).
Phone cannot be powered off via any button press, on-screen menu, or removal of battery
Phone cannot be wiped by on-screen menu or by computer cable connection
Now I have approached this solution from two starting points: the iPhone running iOS, or an Android-based smartphone. Both have different advantages and technical details. Let's look at how we can meet each of these requirements one by one.
iOS solution:
Unfortunately, if your iPhone is not jailbroken, your choices are not so great. But FindMyiPhone does do the basic job of relaying GPS coordinates. For a jailbroken iPhone, iCaughtu seems to be the best of the bunch from the research I have done and gives you a bunch of cool anti-theft features.
and
Using the options under Settings -> General -> Restrictions, you can disallow users from deleting apps AND from turning off location services. Of course, you can accomplish something similar by simple setting a password to access your phone. Unfortunately I haven't yet seen any program that allows you to remotely activate the GPS receiver on an iPhone.
Unfortunately I don't think there is anyway to prevent a thief from disabling your cellular connection other than setting a password on the whole phone. This has its advantages and disadvantages.* Similarly, I don't see any way to remotely activate the Cellular Data on an iPhone via SMS.
This is where things start to get more complex and we need to start thinking of actually modding the phone. So far the best RF tracking solution I have found (in terms of size, cost, and effectiveness) is a cheap chinese-made product that I picked up in Asia and cannot find a link to. This one is very similar http://www.amazon.com/Loc8tor-LTD-Loc8torLite-LOC8TOR-Lite/dp/B0012GMDC4/ but the reviews are meh. It is RF-based but does not really give any directional information. Once you are close to the RF transmitter (using the GPS coordinates), you can use the RF receiver to basically play a little game of hot and cold and walk in different directions all while watching if the signal gets stronger or weaker. I've done two real world field test with the similar device and was able to successfully find a purposely concealed bag in a slum twice.
But how do we get this into the phone? If you disassemble the transmitter, it is a very small circuit board, but most phones these days are already packed to the brim. Additionally, these units need power, so you would need to solder it into the phone's power system.
For the iPhone, concerns about a battery-based shutdown are reduced by its "sealed" battery compartment. Of course, with the right tools, someone can get to the battery. But this is not likely to happen quickly and will likely occur in a specific home or shop, from which we can get coordinate data. We only need to delay the thieves long enough to track them. The bad news is that preventing an iPhone from being shutdown via button press is much more difficult. Even with a lockscreen password, anyone can turn off an iPhone with a long power/sleep button press. I found a mod on Cydia that required a password before any shutdown, but it seemed it was only compatible with iOS 5 and I am running iOS 6.
This is the most challenging problem, as the most common method for any experienced phone thief to avoid detection is simply to power off the phone (or disable internet/3G) and as quickly as possible get to a computer and perform a complete wipe using any number of computer programs. A password on the phone can prevent access to the menu options for resetting factory default, but very little can prevent a thief from physically connecting the phone to a computer and wiping it.
Again I turn to physical modding. Would it be possible to modify the iPhone connector in such a way that the pins for power and charging would still work, but the pins for a data connection would require a specially modified cable to conect to the computer? Once my phone is through its initial setup and/or, most anything I need to do as far as data can be accomplished via WiFi. If needed, I would keep my special data cable at my home only and never take it out. But losing the ability to charge from any iPhone cable would be too debilitating to daily usage.
So I ask the experts: how can I improve on or solve these ideas? Is there software out there that I don't know about, either on the App Store or the Cydia Store? Are there ways to remotely control the iPhone's wireless and GPS functions via text? There should be. Any ideas on incorporating a tiny RF transmitter into the iPhone? Is there any way to prevent an iPhone from being shut down via the sleep button? Is there anyway to sabotage the lightning connector in an intelligent way to prevent a computer-based wipe?
*Advantages and Disadvantage of a phone-wide password. Honestly, I would rather not have a lockscreen password on my phone. I'm not a privacy freak and I don't care if a thief sees my pictures of e-mails or Facebook. If my phone is stolen, I'm hoping it is stolen by an idiot and that they WON'T try to wipe the phone. None of my solutions are foolproof. Everything in here is about delaying the thief long enough to track them. If an idiot steals a phone without a password, he MIGHT just use it as is. But if an idiot steals a phone and can't doing ANYTHING with it, he is going to take it to someone who will be smart enough to wipe it MUCH SOONER. Of course, the disadvantage is a loss of privacy, but iCaughtu has a cool solution for that too.
Android solution:
Android phones are much easier to root, and software solutions exist that will work reasonably well even for nonrooted phones. The best software I have seen is Avast! Anti-theft (part of Mobile Security), AndroidLost, and Cerebrus. All of these can report GPS coordinates, and with Avast! at least, you can also see coordinate history online and actually follow the path of your phone through the minutes, hours, and/or days. AndroidLost can report GPS coordinates online OR via SMS!
,
and
Avast! cannot be removed without a pin code. It can also prevent the user from during off Cellular Data and GPS. AndroidLost can be used to activate WiFi, Cellular Data and/or GPS via internet command OR via SMS. There are a ton of other internet-based and SMS commands in AndroidLost as well. Even without an active lockscreen password, a thief would be powerless to disable communication between the tracking software and you. In this department, Android truly outshines the iOS solution.
Getting an RF tracker into an Android-based phone has the same challenges as an iPhone.
I haven't found ANY glimmer of hope for a mode to disable shutdown via a long-button-press on Android. At least I found one mod for iPhone, even if it was the wrong iOS version. This is a huge gap in the goal of building an "unstealable" phone for both operating systems. As for the battery: Android phones come in many flavors. Many have removable batteries, so if you want to make life more difficult for thieves you'll have to limit yourself to a phone with a "sealed" battery compartment such as the HTC One.
A computer-based wipe via USB cable presents the same challenges as an iPhone EXCEPT that we're dealing with a more standard interface so that MIGHT make modding an easier task. Is there any way to make the microUSB jack more "proprietary" so that any normal USB cable can charge it but only a specially one can transmit data?
There is one other detailed I am interested in, but which is, I believe, currently impossible since it would require modifications to the lowest level of the phone's software, and that would be an auto-on feature. If the phone's battery dies for any reason (or any other shutdown that is not user-initiated), I would love for the phone to automatically power back on whenever it receives a new power source (either being plugged into the wall or getting a fresh battery).
Why am I so interested in doing this? I live in a third-world country and I travel to many other third-world countries. For 3 years, I guess I had good luck, but in the past year I have had three phones and a laptop stolen from me on the street and I have been punched in the face. Several of my friends have also had phones stolen during that time, and one friend was even kidnapped and robbed. Maybe crime is getting worse or maybe it is just coincidence. I have tried to be more careful each time, but one should not live life in fear or blame ones carelessness alone. It is time to fight back. Money, time, memories, self-respect, and peace of mind have been taken away from me and from people I care about. These thieves bear the real responsibility for these crimes. And the police and government here is largely unwilling, incapable, uncaring, and/or corrupt. Maybe I can help others as well.
Thanks for your suggestions and input.

Your thoughts are well expressed.
Hopefully something is coming fast to consumers.:good:

[Q] Any app to monitor reason for data/3g/2g/edge disconnects

Hi,
My phone is constantly disconnecting and reconnecting to the data network. Sometimes a few times a minute. My provider charges me every time. The phone I know is designed to keep that connection open. It does this even sat on the desk, not being used (though apps are obviously running). I also have exchange client on there and that is also designed to keep the connection open. I think my providers network is to blame, but I want to check logs etc.
Is there any app / way I can (non-rooted) find out and log the reasons for the data disconnects? Primarily, I want to know if the phone is dropping the connection or if the network is. I don't belive it a phone fault as some colleagues have the same issue with the same provider on samsung galaxy etc.
Can anyone suggest any app that might do this? I can't find anything in the play store (used to have a great one for windows ce though!)