Help App that shows which apps are using the network

[groston]

When my phone, now a Pixel 7 Pro and previously a Pixel 3 XL, is near to my computer and I have computer music playing, every now-and-again, I heard static-like noise. I know that the phone is the source of the noise and I have to believe that it is caused by network communication. However, I believe that I have turned off most every snoopy-thing on the phone and it just sits there, so I am wondering what app is accessing the network.

As such, I would like to run an app that records which apps is accessing the network so that I can learn more about what’s going on with my phone. I did some searching for appropriate apps, such as here: Best 10 Network Monitoring Apps for Android 2023, but nothing really popped. What app would you suggest that I use?

 

[steiny180]

settings > network & internet > data usage

 

[mikedt]

When my phone, now a Pixel 7 Pro and previously a Pixel 3 XL, is near to my computer and I have computer music playing, every now-and-again, I heard static-like noise. I know that the phone is the source of the noise and I have to believe that it is caused by network communication. However, I believe that I have turned off most every snoopy-thing on the phone and it just sits there, so I am wondering what app is accessing the network.

As such, I would like to run an app that records which apps is accessing the network so that I can learn more about what’s going on with my phone. I did some searching for appropriate apps, such as here: Best 10 Network Monitoring Apps for Android 2023, but nothing really popped. What app would you suggest that I use?

"static-like noise" That could be caused by RF interference from your phone communicating with the local cell tower. If you move your phone away from the computer and speakers, or put it in flight mode, does the static-like noise still happen?

 

[groston]

settings > network & internet > data usage

Thanks, but... I do not have the Data Usage 'tab' on my phone and I would really like to see the apps time-stamped so I know which is using the bandwidth.

 

[mikedt]

Does this "static-like noise" sound like any of these samples? If so, keep your phone away from the computer and speakers, or put it in flight mode. Of course there's no app can fix this.

 

[groston]

Moving the pone away, of course, addresses the noise issue. But I really want to know what is happening, thus the app.

 

[mikedt]

Moving the pone away, of course, addresses the noise issue. But I really want to know what is happening, thus the app.

The phone itself will be pinging the carrier network periodically. That's what all cell phones do, to let the carrier MSC know it's turned on, where it is, and can receive calls. Also if you use any messaging apps, like WhatsApp, WeChat, Telegram, FB Messenger, etc. those will also be sending and receiving data traffic too and from their respective services occasionally. Some email apps may do the same thing as well.

 

[mikedt]

Thanks, but... I do not have the Data Usage 'tab' on my phone and I would really like to see the apps time-stamped so I know which is using the bandwidth.

I thought all phones have a data usage monitor or tab feature, usually found somewhere in the system settings options. On my Samsung it's under Settings > Connections > Data usage > Mobile data usage, where it lists all apps by their data usage, including dates and times.

 

[Hadron]

Yes. Its location varies, but I don't think I've ever owned a smartphone that doesn't have a data usage monitor in the settings somewhere.

I know that GlassWire can provide a histogram of data usage vs time (via it's VPN), but I don't know whether that time-stamps usage by individual apps. Maybe something that lets you browse system logs (not done that since my rooting days though, so not sure whether root access is needed for that).

But it may be nothing to do with app data connections anyway. As Mike says, phones will regularly do handshakes with the network to maintain the cellular connection, and you can't do anything about that unless you put it in airplane mode.

 

[groston]

I found the Data Usage on my phone, but that only kinda shows the information I want. It’s time granularity is one month, so there is no way to see which app was using the network at any given time. Following is the data (amounts rounded):

• Firefox, 55 MB
• Google Fi, 30 MB
• Gboard, 23 MB
• Maps, 14 MB
• Google Play Services, 6 MB
• Android OS, 5 MB
• Linked In, 3 MB
• 1Weather, 3 MB
• OpenGpsTracker, 1 MB
• Phone, 1 MB
• Out of Milk, 1 MB
• c:geo, 1 MB
• Google Play Store, 1 MB
• Trello, 500 kB
• Android System WebView, 400 kB
• Uptodown App Store, 400 kB
• Messages, 300 kB
• Photos, 300 kB
• Gas Buddy, 300 kB
• Calendar, 200 kB
• WordzUp!, 100 kB
• Shortyz, 100 kB
• Contacts, 100 kB
• X-plore, 100 kB
• Sticky Password, 50 kB
• AdAway, 50 kB
• Textra, 50 kB
• GPS Test, 50 kB
• Notepad Free, 10 kB
• Carrier Setup, 10 kB
• Enjoy Sudoku, 10 kB

Based on this, the first thing I did was to block gboard’s internet access (and this is purely spyware). I also blocked Google Play Services. I should also probably block Photos since I do not share any pictures I take. What is strange is the amount of data being used by Google Fi. I am quite certain I cannot block this, but again, this is almost certainly more spyware.

 

[Hadron]

Isn't Google Fi a US-only virtual service provider? If you have your contract with them then I don't know what blocking that would do (if you haven't, then I don't know what it's doing using any data at all, or even being on your phone in the first place).

Google Play Services is a framework that a lot of Google apps and services are based on. It's far from impossible that things will break when you block that, including some non-Google apps that use services provided by it. So if you find some unexpected thing stops working or updating, consider that as a possible cause.

I just checked, and the Glasswire app can show data usage at 1 hour granularity (select "day" view to see this). That's the closest I've found to what you ask, but it's still not a full timestamp.

 

[svim]

Not sure why you're assuming that this actually a 'networking' matter. Electrical interference,a possible cause of that audio static, isn't going to travel via any kind of cellular or WiFi wireless signal from your phone to your PC but rather emitted by the phone's internal components. You can disable all the cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, ad-hoc services, etc. you want on your phone but that is likely not the actual source. Neither does an audio signal running through your PC traveling through any external network connectivity, on the PC's logic board are various sound processors that are then connected to some kind of audio output card/chip. That's the interface that's picking up whatever un-shielded electrical interference is apparently being emitted by your phone.