[APP][4.3+][19 Feb. - V3.0] NetLive - Monitor data speed and live app data usage

Search This thread

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
Hello all,

I spent my summer of 2013 developing my first Android app- NetLive.
It allows you to monitor your internet data transfer rate while also showing the app that is using the most data at the current moment. It runs both in the notification drawer or as a widget, so you always have access to your transfer rate information.

I stopped development for awhile, but these past few months I have been hard at it. Initially I was only going to update it to support Lollipop, but I ended up basically rewriting the whole thing to address the main gripes many users had.

Unfortunately, I had to drop support for Android versions before 4.3 because it was causing many users serious issues. Basically, I am using four API calls that may work on Android versions prior to 4.3, but it is not guaranteed. As a result, in previous versions of NetLive I was using a hack to get around this, but it was causing major battery life issues for some devices. It was a tough decision, but I think the best move was to drop support for those users that were getting a bad experience. For those curious, the API calls I am referring to are from the TrafficStats class: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/net/TrafficStats.html
Particularly these four methods: getTotalTxBytes, getTotalRxBytes, getUidTxBytes, and getUidRxBytes. These methods all give the warning: "Before JELLY_BEAN_MR2, this may return UNSUPPORTED on devices where statistics aren't available." JELLY_BEAN_MR2 is API level 18 which is Android 4.3.

All feedback you can give me is much appreciated:

Google Play Link: NetLive
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFVbDT2Bd90

Check out the source code here: https://github.com/octohub/NetLive

[19 February 2015 - UPDATE V3.0]:
•Complete rewrite
•Lollipop Support
•Bug Fixes
•Updated design
•Lower Ram Usage
•Lower CPU usage
•Lower Battery Usage

[3 March 2014 - UPDATE V2.5]:
• NetLive is now open source
• Streamlined settings
• Added share and rate options in menu

[22 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.4]:
• Bug Fix (thank you Jérôme)

[14 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.3]:
• Added V2.2 changes to the widget as well

[14 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.2]:
• Active app is now disabled by default, and also offer battery usage warning if it is enabled

[13 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.1]:
• Option to hide the notification icon
• Option to display total speed value
• Widget can now be added to the lock screen
• Bug fixed that would prevent the active app displaying in the widget if disabled in the NetLive notification

[13 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.0]:
Version 2.0:
• Notification icon changes whether you are uploading and/or downloading data
• The poll rate can be customized
• Bug fixes

[15 January 2014 - UPDATE V1.1]:
It has been a long time coming, but I have finally pushed out my first update. I have streamlined the settings, significantly reduced the APK size, and also now prevent my notification icon from taking up your precious notification area space. Many XDA users requested this, and I now use a low priority notification (like Google Now), which is available on Android 4.1 and up.

Reviews:
CNET: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57599959-285/use-netlive-for-android-to-find-data-hogging-apps-in-real-time/
lifehacker:http://lifehacker.com/netlive-monitors-network-traffic-in-your-notification-d-1305292895
dotTech: http://dottech.org/123711/android-review-netlive-app/
ghacks: http://www.ghacks.net/2013/08/23/netlive-android-highlights-apps-bandwidth-using-apps-realtime/
 

Attachments

  • NetLiveV3.0.apk
    792.7 KB · Views: 1,057
Last edited:

MLonon

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2009
113
5
Atlanta
App looks legit and seems accurate. Would like some way to view the speeds without opening notification shade. Maybe so,ethimg like the Facebook chat heads? Keep up the good work bro!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
 
  • Like
Reactions: rcllcr

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
App looks legit and seems accurate. Would like some way to view the speeds without opening notification shade. Maybe so,ethimg like the Facebook chat heads? Keep up the good work bro!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Thank you very much for your input. I want to improve this as much as I can over time, so your idea has been noted.

Thank you.
 

jcsy

Senior Member
Jan 9, 2009
3,753
949
Land of the Z1/EVO3D/GTAB10.1(2)
downloaded and will test

damn its showing me alot of apps using data that I didnt even know was using ;

endomondo, clock widget, facebook, steam, etc etc!


suggestions :

1. Make the ICON (Notification area) a bit more polished
2. Maybe a row of icons to indicate the other apps using data, rather than 1
3. No such thing as Idle state?
4. Total : Up : Down doesnt really mean much if its a dumb user
5. Don't think you need 3 decimal points.. such as 20.xxx
 
  • Like
Reactions: rcllcr

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
downloaded and will test

damn its showing me alot of apps using data that I didnt even know was using ;

endomondo, clock widget, facebook, steam, etc etc!


suggestions :

1. Make the ICON (Notification area) a bit more polished
2. Maybe a row of icons to indicate the other apps using data, rather than 1
3. No such thing as Idle state?
4. Total : Up : Down doesnt really mean much if its a dumb user
5. Don't think you need 3 decimal points.. such as 20.xxx

jcsy, I was very surprised as well to discover apps that were running in the background.

1. I agree the notification icon can improve. My friend is the designer and I will talk to him about this.
2. For the widget, notification drawer, or both?
3. What do you mean by idle state? Do you mean that if no app is using any data, no app should be displayed? If so, I agree.
4. This is true. It is difficult to use wording that is both to the point and meaningful. There is only so much real estate. But I agree.
5. LOL, yeah, it is a bit overkill. I will look into this, at the very least making it customizable. I left that in their to make the point to users that the data monitoring is quite accurate. Also, if users set it GBps, nothing will shows if I do not have those decimal points. But I do hear what you are saying.

Thank you very much for your very specific input.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jcsy

jcsy

Senior Member
Jan 9, 2009
3,753
949
Land of the Z1/EVO3D/GTAB10.1(2)
1. the notification area, which is what I added
2. notification area. I meant as in ; kbps (Steam) into kbps (Steam / Whats app / Facebook ) ?
3. If no app (whch looks like unlikely because I was staring at that god damn thing for 30 minutes) and discovered that its NEVER IDLE... unless I off the data altogether
4. How about Download/Upload? lol yes, i know its hard
5. I tried a few settings ; kbps,mbps,kBps etc and got fed up. too many decimal points, lol... its not a F1 race (with decimal timing is important :D) but yea, can see how accurate the thing is

keep up the work ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: rcllcr

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
1. the notification area, which is what I added
2. notification area. I meant as in ; kbps (Steam) into kbps (Steam / Whats app / Facebook ) ?
3. If no app (whch looks like unlikely because I was staring at that god damn thing for 30 minutes) and discovered that its NEVER IDLE... unless I off the data altogether
4. How about Download/Upload? lol yes, i know its hard
5. I tried a few settings ; kbps,mbps,kBps etc and got fed up. too many decimal points, lol... its not a F1 race (with decimal timing is important :D) but yea, can see how accurate the thing is

keep up the work ;)
Thank you for the clarification. This is a 1.0 product, so look for updates very soon.
 

short/y

Senior Member
Mar 9, 2006
658
67
Silly-con Valley
Verrrrrryyy interesting app! I, too, have seen apps using network that surprised me. My suggestion: keep track of apps' network usage and let me see a table of usage over the last 5 minutes, hour, day, etc. Maybe more granularity and the ability to see a particular app's usage over time in a paid version of the app? But even without these features, it's a cool app. TYVM
 

teorouge

Senior Member
Jul 29, 2008
2,599
294
42
Trento
Thanks, any chance you can add 3.2+ compatibility? Honeycomb is often overlooked but shares quite a few pieces with ICS. Thanks anyway, gonna try that on my One too. ;)
 

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
Verrrrrryyy interesting app! I, too, have seen apps using network that surprised me. My suggestion: keep track of apps' network usage and let me see a table of usage over the last 5 minutes, hour, day, etc. Maybe more granularity and the ability to see a particular app's usage over time in a paid version of the app? But even without these features, it's a cool app. TYVM

Thank you very much for the recommendation. It seems a lot of users would like this.

Thanks, any chance you can add 3.2+ compatibility? Honeycomb is often overlooked but shares quite a few pieces with ICS. Thanks anyway, gonna try that on my One too. ;)

My hope is that I will be able to make this app 2.3+ compatible. I only had so much time this summer, but 2.3+ compatibility is definitely on the list of things I need to do. After all, it still makes up 33% of Android devices.
 
  • Like
Reactions: teorouge

DeucesAx

Senior Member
Oct 27, 2012
227
38
Nice app. For the dumb user like me, you should write out the unit of measurements settings. Not everyone knows the difference between MB and Mb.

I world like to "open" the app, so not using the notification or widget.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rcllcr

souler456

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2013
1,320
627
Calamba, Laguna
Hey man, nice app, but can you add a feature that shows the Total Data Consumption of an Application?

I play some Online Games on my phone, and I would like to see how many Accurate MBs did I spent for each game sessions I make. Why? Cause I only have a limited data plan..

And when I ran the app, it consumes on an about 19MB on RAM. Is this normal? Cause I only have 301MB RAM (150 RAM Unused), and having a 19MB running app is quite big...
 
  • Like
Reactions: rcllcr

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
Nice app. For the dumb user like me, you should write out the unit of measurements settings. Not everyone knows the difference between MB and Mb.

I world like to "open" the app, so not using the notification or widget.

Thank you very much for your input DeucesAx, I really appreciate it.


Hey man, nice app, but can you add a feature that shows the Total Data Consumption of an Application?

I play some Online Games on my phone, and I would like to see how many Accurate MBs did I spent for each game sessions I make. Why? Cause I only have a limited data plan..

And when I ran the app, it consumes on an about 19MB on RAM. Is this normal? Cause I only have 301MB RAM (150 RAM Unused), and having a 19MB running app is quite big...

Many users have requested data usage logging, I will definitely explore this feature. As for the RAM, this is not an unusual amount for the app. It is higher than it should be though. I wanted to release this before school started and I did not have as much time for optimization as I wanted. I will be optimizing this app more as soon as I can. Thank you for your input.

Thanks mate!!
Really nice and cool app!!
Thank you! Let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions :)
 

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
Hello all,

I am currently working on gingerbread support for NetLive.

Also, I have gotten some love for my app from a few tech sites. I think they do a great job of conveying what my app is about. If you are on the fence about trying my app, give them a read :)

CNET: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57599959-285/use-netlive-for-android-to-find-data-hogging-apps-in-real-time/
dotTech: http://dottech.org/123711/android-review-netlive-app/
ghacks: http://www.ghacks.net/2013/08/23/netlive-android-highlights-apps-bandwidth-using-apps-realtime/

Download Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.richardlucasapps.netlive&hl=en
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: killoid

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
I have started school and I am not able to devote as much time as I want to NetLive, but I am working as much as I can and determined to get Gingerbread support. I have made progress, but there is still more to be done.

If you have a Gingerbread device, and a little bit of time, I would greatly appreciate some volunteers to help test my app.

Let me know if you want to and I will PM you.
 

rcllcr

Senior Member
Oct 30, 2010
96
38
NetLive V1.1 Update

It has been a long time coming, but I have finally pushed out my first update. I have streamlined the settings, significantly reduced the APK size, and also now prevent my notification icon from taking up your precious notification area space. Many XDA users requested this, and I now use a low priority notification (like Google Now), which is available on Android 4.1 and up.

Especially since Google removed the arrows that display on the WiFi and cell indicators when data is being transferred. I think my app is now even more useful. You can now quickly tell if data is being transferred.

Feedback is greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoy your experience.

Google Play Link: NetLive
 

Top Liked Posts

  • There are no posts matching your filters.
  • 32
    Hello all,

    I spent my summer of 2013 developing my first Android app- NetLive.
    It allows you to monitor your internet data transfer rate while also showing the app that is using the most data at the current moment. It runs both in the notification drawer or as a widget, so you always have access to your transfer rate information.

    I stopped development for awhile, but these past few months I have been hard at it. Initially I was only going to update it to support Lollipop, but I ended up basically rewriting the whole thing to address the main gripes many users had.

    Unfortunately, I had to drop support for Android versions before 4.3 because it was causing many users serious issues. Basically, I am using four API calls that may work on Android versions prior to 4.3, but it is not guaranteed. As a result, in previous versions of NetLive I was using a hack to get around this, but it was causing major battery life issues for some devices. It was a tough decision, but I think the best move was to drop support for those users that were getting a bad experience. For those curious, the API calls I am referring to are from the TrafficStats class: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/net/TrafficStats.html
    Particularly these four methods: getTotalTxBytes, getTotalRxBytes, getUidTxBytes, and getUidRxBytes. These methods all give the warning: "Before JELLY_BEAN_MR2, this may return UNSUPPORTED on devices where statistics aren't available." JELLY_BEAN_MR2 is API level 18 which is Android 4.3.

    All feedback you can give me is much appreciated:

    Google Play Link: NetLive
    Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFVbDT2Bd90

    Check out the source code here: https://github.com/octohub/NetLive

    [19 February 2015 - UPDATE V3.0]:
    •Complete rewrite
    •Lollipop Support
    •Bug Fixes
    •Updated design
    •Lower Ram Usage
    •Lower CPU usage
    •Lower Battery Usage

    [3 March 2014 - UPDATE V2.5]:
    • NetLive is now open source
    • Streamlined settings
    • Added share and rate options in menu

    [22 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.4]:
    • Bug Fix (thank you Jérôme)

    [14 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.3]:
    • Added V2.2 changes to the widget as well

    [14 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.2]:
    • Active app is now disabled by default, and also offer battery usage warning if it is enabled

    [13 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.1]:
    • Option to hide the notification icon
    • Option to display total speed value
    • Widget can now be added to the lock screen
    • Bug fixed that would prevent the active app displaying in the widget if disabled in the NetLive notification

    [13 February 2014 - UPDATE V2.0]:
    Version 2.0:
    • Notification icon changes whether you are uploading and/or downloading data
    • The poll rate can be customized
    • Bug fixes

    [15 January 2014 - UPDATE V1.1]:
    It has been a long time coming, but I have finally pushed out my first update. I have streamlined the settings, significantly reduced the APK size, and also now prevent my notification icon from taking up your precious notification area space. Many XDA users requested this, and I now use a low priority notification (like Google Now), which is available on Android 4.1 and up.

    Reviews:
    CNET: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57599959-285/use-netlive-for-android-to-find-data-hogging-apps-in-real-time/
    lifehacker:http://lifehacker.com/netlive-monitors-network-traffic-in-your-notification-d-1305292895
    dotTech: http://dottech.org/123711/android-review-netlive-app/
    ghacks: http://www.ghacks.net/2013/08/23/netlive-android-highlights-apps-bandwidth-using-apps-realtime/
    2
    Version 2.2 is live on Google Play and also attached in my original post. Technically not on Google Play yet, so my XDA brethren are getting it first.
    1
    Cool will check it out

    Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 4
    1
    App looks legit and seems accurate. Would like some way to view the speeds without opening notification shade. Maybe so,ethimg like the Facebook chat heads? Keep up the good work bro!

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
    1
    NetLive v3.0 is live!

    Refer to the original post for more info. Feedback greatly appreciated!
    [19 February 2015 - UPDATE V3.0]:
    •Complete rewrite
    •Lollipop Support
    •Bug Fixes
    •Updated design
    •Lower Ram Usage
    •Lower CPU usage
    •Lower Battery Usage