Restrict which apps get to use the data plan vs using WiFi only - NOT background data

[gamul1]

Hi,

First - note that I am not talking about background data. I am talking about restricting individual apps from using data at all while I am actively trying to use the app.

I've been stuck on iOS for a while and am just coming back to android (used to use it years ago). On iOS under the data usage I could control which apps could access my data plan and which could only be used while connected to a WiFi network.

For example, I do not want Spotify to use my data plan at all. I want it to only talk to the server if I am connected to a wifi network. So if I am only on data and I open up Spotify I would not expect to be able to download any new songs.

Does Android have anything similar where I can restrict individual apps from being able to restrict their use of my data plan at all while allowing others (like email, snapchat, etc) to have free reign? Even a 3rd party app that does this would be helpful.

Let me know if I am not being clear enough and I will try to explain better.

 

[chanchan05]

There are two apps I know of that can do this: Samsung Max and Datally.

Samsung Max has more features but there is no ad free version and it's an annoying lockscreen ad to get the premium features. Such as WiFi and mobile data saving through server side compression, identity protection, and other micromanaging features. Personally though the ads are too intrusive for this to be worth the features. You can choose to have no ads, and you get data compression and the switchboard for apps allowed to use mobile data. But some apps may not work with this due to the data compression server. Some apps detect the rerouting and see it as a security breech.

Datally is an app made by Google themselves but did not build straight into the OS. It's simply a switchboard on which apps gets to use mobile data and which ones do not. It also creates a "chat head" on screen when you're using an app on mobile data providing you with close to real time data usage. It doesn't have identity protection or data compression features to save on data, but it does what you want.

Although on your example, spotify does have a switch to "not download songs over cellular." Completely blocking spotify from using mobile data will also prevent it from streaming.