• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Help Android OS is consuming much of my mobile data

Lataa

Lataa

Newbie
I have Huawei G630-U10 which I bought recently. Every time I trun on mobile data network, the Android OS is consuming more network than what I use. Why is Android doing this? Is there a way to prevent the OS from using the network?
Top data network users are:
  • Android OS -> 18.37MB
  • Opera -> 4.23MB
  • facebook -> 2.76MB
  • Twitter -> 39.07KB
 
In the settings screen where it lists usage by app, if you tap on the app it should give an option to restrict background usage for that app. You can try that for Android os in an attempt to limit the usage. Be aware it might possibly break some features that you're using. Probably not... just try it and see.
 
You don't say what period those data uses are over, but they are really very small and not unusual..
Click to expand...
Are you telling me that Android OS using data network more than the apps I use is normal? It does not sound normal to me. Why is Android using data network so much?
 
@electricpete
I have tried that before. Even with background data restriction set, Android OS continues to consume data network. Is there anything else I can try?
 
Look at the data usage picture
 

Attachments

  • consump.png
    consump.png
    128.7 KB · Views: 455
Your device is probably set up to do backups and sync accounts which will use data. In the pic you submitted, over how long a period was that a snapshot for?
 
The snapshot is for around 4 days. I usually turn off the data network when I am not using. This is consumed just during when I turned it on to access Internet. If I keep it on, it could be much larger.
 
I would be pleased with that. I am a light user and my device has used 500MB of data over the last 4 weeks. I would have thought your usage is normal
 
Agree with girolez that it does does not seem to be a large or unusual amount of data usage. Not out of line at all.

But...

Uninstall Clean Master! It contacts their servers and sends information about you back, which is bad of course, and was established long ago and is well known.

Clean Master is worthless crapware by a a truly unscrupulous company, Cheetah Mobile. For details see this:

http://androidforums.com/threads/cache-cleaner.923369/#post-7001396

And this:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?p=4435166
 
Probably it is normal but I am perplexed that the Android OS is using more data than me. That looks quite odd to me. What is the Android OS using the mobile data for exactly?
Clean Master is worthless crapware by a a truly unscrupulous company, Cheetah Mobile.
Click to expand...
I installed the antivirus app CM Security and this app recommended to me Clean Master because my phone was running out of space. Shall I uninstall CM security too or is it trustable?
 
Last edited:
Lataa,

Using Security apps from the Play Store is actually unnecessary. All Android devices come with an anti-virus preinstalled called Lookout. This is the official anti-virus by Google for Android phones. Should you ever suspect that you have a virus or a malignant program installed on your device, just reboot in Safe Mode and run Lookout, you'll be fine. It's also unnecessary to use other Task Managers from the Play Store, as many of them can actually shut down important processes needed for the stability of the device's version of Android (most manufacturers customize Android with their own processes over the stock Android, like Samsung and their TouchWiz, or HTC and their Sense UI). Better to use your own device's stock Task Manager to shut down apps and clear RAM memory.

As to your data usage, there are several things you can do to minimize this. First, make sure that apps are not auto-updating in the Play Store, even over Wi-Fi. Sometimes, you might start an update over Wi-Fi, then walk away far enough from the modem that it automatically carries over to mobile data. You want to manually update your apps as needed in this case. Second, consider disabling automatic syncing for your Google account/accounts, manually syncing them yourself as needed. Make sure services like Location are turned off and only switch those services on when you have active need for them, like when you need to use Maps or something. Finally, as a last resort, all Android devices come with a Data Limit feature in the device Settings where you can set limits to your data usage that will automatically turn data off once you reach a certain threshold of usage until your next bill cycle begins.

If all else fails, you can always master reset the device, as high data usage by the OS could indicate either a malignant process/program running in the background that your antivirus might have missed, or a corruption of the OS itself and it might be necessary to reinstall the OS. Make sure to backup contacts and content before taking this step.
 
I agree with all points made by previous poster. Especially that you should uninstall cm security.

Lataa said:
@electricpete
I have tried that before. Even with background data restriction set, Android OS continues to consume data network. Is there anything else I can try?
Click to expand...
Ok, I understand you have already investigated this aspect before. But it still strikes me as an important thing to look at very carefully, because my Android os data used had always been ALL background (no foreground) and the background data will be blocked with this setting.

Can you double check by tapping on "android os" in that screen and see how much of the data is in foreground and how much background.
 
@Lataa: As I said before, your data usage looks quite normal to me. Android is very likely just doing normal chores, such as keeping contacts, calendar, email and some other stuff in sync and up to date.

If you install and run Network Connections you will see your phone is making all sorts of connections, using a little data here and a little data there. Probably most of these are perfectly normal, nothing to worry about and should not be interfered with.

Network Connections app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.antispycell.connmonitor

BUT...some of that data traffic might be from software from these companies sending your private information to their servers and who knows where else:

Cheetah Mobile (All the CM stuff, QuickPic and more)
DU Apps (DU Battery saver, others)
Go Development Team (All GO apps)
360 Mobile Security

This is just a few of the worst offenders. Any software from these companies should be considered to be malware. They may have serious privacy concerns, they may throw up nag ads or scary-sounding warnings urging you to buy more software or else Bad Things will happen. They may simply be ineffective or worse, or they may be guilty of all of those things. But for some good reasons they are all crapware to be avoided.

If you haven't already checked out the information provided in the links in my previous post #10 in this thread, please do so. There's a lot of valuable information there.
 
Can you double check by tapping on "android os" in that screen and see how much of the data is in foreground and how much background.
Click to expand...
I just checked and it is background data consumption, not foreground. During the time I used the mobile data whose usage you see on the snapshot, the background data restriction is not set. I tried previously and it didn't seem to make difference. I will try it again.
BUT...some of that data traffic might be from software from these companies sending your private information to their servers and who knows where else:

Cheetah Mobile (All the CM stuff, QuickPic and more)
DU Apps (DU Battery saver, others)
Go Development Team (All GO apps)
360 Mobile Security
Click to expand...
I have CM security, Master cleaner, and Battery doctor installed on my phone. I uninstalled all the three after reading your post and @Kibaikasu's post. I have visited the link you attached and it is informative. I just downloaded the Network Connections app and I will see what I can find.
 
All Android devices come with an anti-virus preinstalled called Lookout.
Click to expand...
But I haven't seen one on my phone unless it is working in the background hidden.
As to your data usage, there are several things you can do to minimize this. First, make sure that apps are not auto-updating in the Play Store, even over Wi-Fi. Sometimes, you might start an update over Wi-Fi, then walk away far enough from the modem that it automatically carries over to mobile data. You want to manually update your apps as needed in this case. Second, consider disabling automatic syncing for your Google account/accounts, manually syncing them yourself as needed. Make sure services like Location are turned off and only switch those services on when you have active need for them, like when you need to use Maps or something. Finally, as a last resort, all Android devices come with a Data Limit feature in the device Settings where you can set limits to your data usage that will automatically turn data off once you reach a certain threshold of usage until your next bill cycle begins.
Click to expand...
I will try it. Thanks!
 
Lataa said:
I just checked and it is background data consumption, not foreground.
Click to expand...
Good. That's as it should be.

I have CM security, Master cleaner, and Battery doctor installed on my phone. I uninstalled all the three after reading your post and @Kibaikasu's post. I have visited the link you attached and it is informative. I just downloaded the Network Connections app and I will see what I can find.
Click to expand...
Excellent! Glad you got rid of that trash!

Kibaikasu was right about a lot, but he was wrong about Lookout. It is not installed by default on all Android devices. And it is certainly not an 'official' Google app. There no such thing as an official Google antivirus app, probably at least in part because no antivirus is needed.
 
Lataa said:
I have Huawei G630-U10 which I bought recently. Every time I trun on mobile data network, the Android OS is consuming more network than what I use. Why is Android doing this? Is there a way to prevent the OS from using the network?
Top data network users are:
  • Android OS -> 18.37MB
  • Opera -> 4.23MB
  • facebook -> 2.76MB
  • Twitter -> 39.07KB
Click to expand...
I hope Backup Data is the one that consumes such high data. Try switching off the backup data option. Check for a day or two whether there is decrease in data consumption. If so it is the culprit!Link
 
There's an app checker deal built into Google settings.apk that always asks (when installing apps) if you'd like Google to check your apps periodically for malware
 
murali_krishnaa said:
I hope Backup Data is the one that consumes such high data. Try switching off the backup data option. Check for a day or two whether there is decrease in data consumption. If so it is the culprit!Link
Click to expand...
That might be the majority of it. But IHMO turning it off for such a small savings in data is a poor trade-off. Better to keep those backups going. You can never have too many backups.
 
There's no lookout!!!! It says in Google , lookout is for LOOKING where your device is !!!!! No lookout in apps!! Are you pointing at android device administrator!?
 
The Device Manager and Lookout are two completely different apps (though Device Manager is just as useful for other reasons).

Here is the direct link: https://www.lookout.com/

Yesterday at 6:57 PM


Hey kibaikasu, the other one said that you must go in safe mode and lookout is preinstalled then run it ...
Are saying that the other person is lying?

Sorry ... my device is lagging
 
Last edited:
android bugger said:
The Device Manager and Lookout are two completely different apps (though Device Manager is just as useful for other reasons).

Here is the direct link: https://www.lookout.com/

Yesterday at 6:57 PM


Hey kibaikasu, the other one said that you must go in safe mode and lookout is preinstalled then run it ...
Are saying that the other person is lying?

Sorry ... my device is lagging
Click to expand...
I never said that. It all depends on what version of Android you're running. If your phone came with Jelly Bean pre-installed, chances are you won't have Lookout on your device and will have to download it manually. Thus far though, every device I've seen that comes with Kit Kat pre-installed comes with the app. That includes devices that only comes with stock Android like the Nexus series or the Motorola's. Seeing as how most devices nowadays comes with Kit Kat, it's pretty safe to assume the app came with the phone.

If the app is not on the OP's phone, then it was either running an older version of Android, or the user uninstalled the app at some point when cleaning his device out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom