Technology

Google apps for data cost cuts now arrive in Kenya

APP

YouTube Go app allows offline access to videos. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Google has brought to the local market three apps that are supposed to make it easier for smartphone users to save on their data costs and browse faster.

Kenya was one of 11 countries where the company launched its YouTube Go application. The app, which was previously only available in three countries, allows users to watch and share videos while offline.

“The app has been designed to give users more control over data usage, while being locally and socially relevant,” said Google in a statement.

Datally, piloted in the Philippines for most of 2017, controls data usage on all the apps on phone so that they only spend money on apps they care about. 

Using the app you get to see how much data you’re consuming every hour.

Once the data saver feature in Datally is turned on, a bubble which resembles a speedometer appears on the screen showing usage. Users can easily choose to block use on realising that consumption is past the programmed cost.

Datally also notifies users of available public WiFi networks and provides ratings on their reliability based on consumer reviews.

Files Go, a storage manager that enables browsing files faster, share offline and clean up storage. Files Go makes smart suggestions of what to eliminate based on phone use as well as sharing files even when offline.

The app is part of Google’s Android Go Initiative which aims at providing an operating system and apps for smartphones that are less powerful and have limited access to mobile data.

Both applications are available on Google Play Store, are products of global research on challenges that deny smartphone users better online experience.

Datally is available on smartphones running on Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and the subsequent higher versions.

Both apps are light on the phone and use up to 6MB of space.