Google has released an app to help Android users manage the amount of data they use each month.

Datally will allow smartphone users to limit their daily usage, control how much data each app uses and shut off connections to apps that are too demanding. A pilot test was run in the Phillipines and about 500,000 users managed to save about 30% more data each month, according to Techcrunch.com.

The video describes data as "how we connect to the world".

"When we run out, we miss out. It's time to get smart," the video says. The app provides real-time updates of data use.

Information can be broken down into daily, weekly and monthly graphs to detail where and when most data is being used. Google is also using the app to help Android phone owners find free WiFi hotspots. When selected, the "find Wi-Fi" section gives users a list of nearby hotspots and lists how they are protected (eg. password, web login, nothing).

The app is only available on Android but iOS users can still manage which apps use data in the settings. Apps can be entirely switched off from using mobile data.

Despite packages rising in quantity over the past several years, the increasing availability of streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube has taken a significant chunk out of monthly data allowances. Watching just one hour of HD content on Netflix will cost users around 3GB of data.