Difference Between Background Data and Auto-Sync

Dannemand

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That's a great question. I'd like to know that too.

In my experience, Auto Sync doesn't work without Background Data enabled. And Background Data doesn't do anything on its own. And even with both of them disabled, that's no guarantee that some apps (or the system) won't transmit data in the background.

But that's just my observation. There may be some real theory and logic behind these two. I'd love to know.
 

jdcnosse

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I'm guessing auto sync is for the accounts located in that menu, and background data is just for general use. But that's just my opinion
 

MicroData

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sync is just to sync your accounts.
Background data just allows data to run in the background, it could be to sync your accounts, update your apps or just let apps communicate with their server.

edit
just noticed that the post above this says the same thing.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk
 

Dannemand

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Thank you both. I understand what you say.

I guess what makes it a little fuzzy is that apps and the system can use data regardless of whether Background Data is enabled or not. (The only way to completely avoid data transmission is to disable the radio.) So why even have that option at all?

Still thanks for clarifying!
 

Quodsolaris

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What do you mean clarifying? None of those replies did anything other than state the obvious. I'm still just as baffled as before regarding those settings, what about you? :)
anyone else got a definitive answer to the question?
Thanks.
 

jdcnosse

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What do you mean clarifying? None of those replies did anything other than state the obvious. I'm still just as baffled as before regarding those settings, what about you? :)
anyone else got a definitive answer to the question?
Thanks.

Googled it, found this post at HowardForums: Background Data vs Auto-Sync - Whats the Difference?

Drillbit said:
Background Data includes Autosync plus other functions that involved sucking data, notably background polling and notifications such as what Twitter apps do.

To turn off Sync, you have to set up the Power Widget on your homescreen. You do this by pressing on the Homescreen long enough for a menu to appear, and this menu gives you options to Add to the Homescreen: Shortcuts, Widgets, Folders and Wallpapers. If you click on them, each will show you more options to install. The Power Widget is something I recommend installing because it is that useful.

There is going to be five buttons on the widget - Wifi, Bluetooth, GPS, Sync and Brightness. Turn off Sync. The function for the other buttons are obvious.

If you go to Settings there is also Accounts and Sync Settings. YOu can turn off both Background Data and Autosync. You can also turn off the Sync accounts.

At this point, your data usage is completely on demand, but you don't get push email, automatic contacts reconciliation and stuff like that. Twitter and newsreaders don't poll and pull out data on the background at intervals. Neither will weather apps pull data from the web on the background. Your data use is completely on your will.

Which is pretty much what I was going to say anyways. AutoSync manages your sync accounts (like your Google account, Facebook, Twitter, etc) and allows them to automatically sync whatever data is under that account whenever it feels like it (like I know with Facebook, there's an option to sync contacts but that's it. Under my Google account, there's an option to disable/enable syncing of Books, Docs, Contacts, Gmail, Music, Picasa Web Albums, and Calendar (because I have all those apps installed). When you uncheck AutoSync you lose the ability to sync these particular things.

Now background data includes AutoSync, but also includes everything else (notifications, automatic refreshing, etc) like as said above in the quote.
 

jdcnosse

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Thank you both. I understand what you say.

I guess what makes it a little fuzzy is that apps and the system can use data regardless of whether Background Data is enabled or not. (The only way to completely avoid data transmission is to disable the radio.) So why even have that option at all?

Still thanks for clarifying!

Possibly for the people who still want data on their phone, but only when they know it's being used (ie they don't want facebook running and updating in the background, only when they say so)
 

Whyzor

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Thank you both. I understand what you say.

I guess what makes it a little fuzzy is that apps and the system can use data regardless of whether Background Data is enabled or not. (The only way to completely avoid data transmission is to disable the radio.) So why even have that option at all?

Still thanks for clarifying!

Background Data is a global setting that apps should obey before trying to use data. But badly written apps can ignore it. Just like rotating the screen has a global setting, but some apps (like camera & gallery) ignore it and rotate always.
 

Dannemand

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What do you mean clarifying? None of those replies did anything other than state the obvious. I'm still just as baffled as before regarding those settings, what about you?

I think these replies did in fact point out what the differences are between the two settings - and I wanted to let the posters know I appreciated their answers.

That said, the design remains a bit fuzzy since (as another poster kindly pointed out) the settings are only "suggestions" - apps can still do whatever they want regardless of these settings.
 

Dannemand

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Possibly for the people who still want data on their phone, but only when they know it's being used (ie they don't want facebook running and updating in the background, only when they say so)

Yes, that's a good point. Also, re your other post, I added the power widget to my home screen the first day I got the phone. I use it all the time exactly for that purpose.

Here's what I think is odd about this design: Auto sync only works when background data is enabled - but background data serves ALMOST no purpose because apps can still access data regardless of it.

Auto sync should work whenever enabled (and does, actually, because it forces background data on). Background data should be called "Manually invoked data use only" and prevent data access to help protect users with paid or limited data plans.

That would make more sense to me. It's not a major issue for me, though, once I got used to it.
 
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pwoita

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If battery issue and/or data costs are a concern (and it usually is), then only allowing sync for say 5 minutes every hour or two will help reduce battery use and data costs significantly.

Either of these excellent apps can automate this so that it will turn on every X hours/minutes and turn off X minutes later (you will have to define the rules for it, but you can ask for help from their websites if you need)

Llama - Location Profiles
AutomateIt
 

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