Cell Phone Data UsageIt’s quite easy to exceed the limit of your cell phone data plan while using your mobile phone. A majority of mobile apps require internet access and if not monitored properly, your data usage can easily increase beyond your plan limit.

This can lead to your mobile bill to go spiraling out of control. Its always wise to keep an eye on the data usage and among many apps in the Android market, we chose to write about the one with the best performance.

3G Watchdog is an android app which protects you against costly internet overages.

About The 3G Watchdog App for Android:

Once you download and install 3G Watchdog, you have to update the setting according to your data plan. You can set the quota for daily, weekly or monthly usage and get alerts when the usage exceeds a specified percentage of the quota.

The app shows your current usage and also estimates your usage over a specified period. The table in the screenshot below shows the received data, sent data, total usage for the day, week and the month.

3G Watchdog App's Main Interface and Settings

There is also an option to automatically disable 3G when the usage reaches a specified percentage of your quota or re-enable it when the usage is back under limit.

Note: 3G Watchdog provides this functionality via external apps APNdroid and JuiceDefender. You will need to install either of these apps to enable this functionality.

3G Watchdog Settings

You can select if you want a notification icon to be displayed when the 3G Watchdog is active. The widget is available in 2 sizes and shows your data usage, the percentage of quota, alerts when on roaming and can use color text to reflect status.

3G Watchdog allows you to set quota counter and daily, weekly or monthly counters. You can also view quota traffic history and day traffic history and import/export it in CSV format.

3G Watchdog Features:

  • Keep a tab on your mobile internet usage with handy widgets and notifications.
  • Set internet data quota and  be aware of your usage pattern.
  • Get usage alerts and enable/disable 3G automatically (Needs other apps)
  • Set counters, view traffic history and import/export it as CSV.

3G Watchdog also has a paid version with advanced features listed below:

  • Advanced data usage prediction
  • Billing rules (counts in blocks, ignores uploads)
  • Usage by application (Android 2.2+)
  • 5 widget styles
  • Backup/restore
  • Redesigned UI … and a few more features.

Download 3G Watchdog from Android Market:

Start a barcode (QR code) scanner on your phone and scan the QR code below. This will take you directly to the Android market to download the app.

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