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Help DIALER app stealibng more than half my monthly data !!!

AirCatHeavy

Well-Known Member
Mar 4, 2011
220
25
LG Optimus using 40 - 70MB of data per day with out me doing any Internet related things.

Wifi = off
GPS = off
updates = off
background data = off


So my phone is consuming 1.5 of my allowed 2.5 GB of data every month without me getting any benefit of it's use. I see lots of people complaining about this.

On my phone it seems DIALER (according to onavo)

The ONLY thing that stops the data bleeding is to set Mobile Networks --> Data Enabled to OFF

Since All "Androids" are basically under Google's command and control, I blame Google. Why are we allowing Google to steal our bandwidth ? Where is all that bandwidth going?

If you left Android, who would you go with?
 
The last few weeks, I've had no access to wifi, so using 3G exclusively, and I'm averaging ~52MB/day with data/background/sync on, and not an insignificant amount of browsing. Another vote for 'you probably have a screwy app.'

I did a factory reset.

The only installed app now is onova application montro.

DIALER is STILL gobbling up bandwidth via Data
 
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The following is a copy of an email I exchanged with Onavo help. Like many, I am puzzled by why default Dialer needs to use any bandwidth data at all. I hope it helps. I'm still a bit stumped, considering the following (and assuming it's correct), as to how MUCH data the Dialer seems to be exchanging... See my enquiry (at the bottom) for more about my issues. Onavo's reply follows first below...

--------------------

MAR 01, 2013 *|* 01:19AM IST
Hi Steven,

Thanks for reaching out.

Many don't know this, but the phonebook app on the Android operation system keeps a connection with the Google account for syncing the contacts, pictures, Facebook and google+ accounts.

Hope it helps.
Best regards,
Hank


--------------------

Steven
MAR 01, 2013 *|* 01:28PM IST
Original message
Hi,

I have tried, without success, to find the answer to this question on the web. From what I could find, it seems that a large number of people with the same issue mentioned using the Onavo app.

I use Android OS 2.3.5 on a HUAWEI U8850 phone. I use the default, pre installed Dialer app for phone calls.

There is no reason that I can think of that this Dialer app should require any form of data use to fulfill its function (to make and receive phone calls and maintain my rather small contact list).

However, in the past 8 days it has used 37 Mb of data, almost the same amount as my web browsing and significantly more data than other apps requiring exclusive use of the data allowance.

Are you able to shed some light as to why this is the case? Is it some error with Onavo; is there something about the Dialer app that does require such a large amount of data to function, etc?

Regards,

Steven
 
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Download "Periodic Auto Sync".
Set it to every 4 hours for 1 minute. That should keep you synced but keep data down.
Turn Auto sync off.
Open it up and set the parameters.
Double check it after setting it to see that sync came on, and just for 1 minute.



Thank you very much for the suggestion. I will give it a try and report back. I think the main concern is that there might be some malware or other issue harvesting possibly sensitive data from the phone. If your suggestion works, I think we can safely put the matter to rest. Thanks again..
 
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I'm rooted.
This allows me to use two apps.
1: LBE Privacy Guard. This allows me to make an app prompt me of what it's trying to do (read contact list, make calls, make changes, ask for position. etc.). I can then choose to allow or deny depending on what I'm trying to accomplish with it. It allows me to choose what apps gets to read my phone ID.
2: Kinetoo: It not only checks apps for a virus, but, will scan every single file on the system as well. Takes as long as a full scan on a computer, so I plug phone into charger and watch a TV show.
 
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Upvote 0
The following is a copy of an email I exchanged with Onavo help. Like many, I am puzzled by why default Dialer needs to use any bandwidth data at all. I hope it helps. I'm still a bit stumped, considering the following (and assuming it's correct), as to how MUCH data the Dialer seems to be exchanging... See my enquiry (at the bottom) for more about my issues. Onavo's reply follows first below...

--------------------

MAR 01, 2013 *|* 01:19AM IST
Hi Steven,

Thanks for reaching out.

Many don't know this, but the phonebook app on the Android operation system keeps a connection with the Google account for syncing the contacts, pictures, Facebook and google+ accounts.

Hope it helps.
Best regards,
Hank


--------------------

Steven
MAR 01, 2013 *|* 01:28PM IST
Original message
Hi,

I have tried, without success, to find the answer to this question on the web. From what I could find, it seems that a large number of people with the same issue mentioned using the Onavo app.

I use Android OS 2.3.5 on a HUAWEI U8850 phone. I use the default, pre installed Dialer app for phone calls.

There is no reason that I can think of that this Dialer app should require any form of data use to fulfill its function (to make and receive phone calls and maintain my rather small contact list).

However, in the past 8 days it has used 37 Mb of data, almost the same amount as my web browsing and significantly more data than other apps requiring exclusive use of the data allowance.

Are you able to shed some light as to why this is the case? Is it some error with Onavo; is there something about the Dialer app that does require such a large amount of data to function, etc?

Regards,

Steven

Ok... Since my last post, I have done further investigating, and I'm sorry to say that the mystery only deepens... BTW - I have not rooted my phone at this time, as I'm not sure I'm competent enough to deal with potential issues - but thanks for those root suggestions anyways...

1. I got rid of Onavo data monitoring app. It didn't matter if you refused an app 3G data access, it was just ignored. I have installed a far superior (IMO) app called My Data Manager. I can say that there was NO fault with Onavo Re- Dialer data use, as this new app also shows Dialer constantly using data.

2. It's not all at once, or just a few times a day. All throughout the day, the odd bits and bytes here and there add up to Kb and then Mb, until a few days go by and you see it's sent upwards of 40 Mb, for a very modest contact list and call activity.

3. If, as Onavo's reply states, it is just the syncing of contacts etc, why then, when viewing the system apps list are there multiple other apps that look better suited to the job (i.e., in addition to Dialer, we have Dialer Storage, Contacts and Contact Storage, and the plethora of Google/Android system apps that seem more appropriate for the job than the app which just dials my numbers (oh, and on further checking of properties, looks after a benign and useless thing called Sim Toolkit).

4. I could go on and on about how it just doesn't add up, but I literally can't find the answer anywhere. I'd even write to the software developers if I knew who to contact...

5. If there are any brainiacs out there that can rip the code apart, PLEASE - WHY DOES THE DEFAULT DIALER APP, WHICH JUST LOOKS AFTER PHONE CALLS, NEED TO USE ANY 3G DATA AT ALL, AND WHAT IS IT THAT THEY ARE SENDING?

Thanks in advance...


PS-I've even set my google account up to sync NOTHING except gmail, and I'll do that twice a week...
 
Upvote 0
I previously used 3G Watchdog (wasn't impressed with Onavo) and did not notice the dialer eating up that much data. Now, I just rely on the new Minutes Checker app to monitor my data through Virgin Mobile's website.

You can go into settings and adjust what is synced with Google, such as contacts, calendar, Drive, etc.

The Facebook app is a pig. Unless you really want Facebook integration with your contacts, do not sync with it. And turn off notifications, etc. It chews up a lot of data and RAM.
 
Upvote 0
Rooting really is much easier now days, that 99% of the time, the screens don't matter anymore. Flashing roms can entail a small risk, but rooting is the easy part. (There's an app that does it... Do a forum search for "root without a computer.")

Once done, download juice defender. It also restricts your data.
Have you tried using a replacement dialer?

Its also possible (but somewhat unlikely) that what says 'dialer' is actually a rogue app, as others have said.
 
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