Not so long ago, we witnessed the release of Google News as a replacement of Google Play Stand and Google News & Weather app. The “reimagined” app was supposed to beat all other news aggregators since its the pinnacle of AI.
As it turns out, the news app is not so smart as advertised. Initially pointed out by The Verge, many Android users have reported that the news app from Google is using a massive amount of background data, without user’s knowledge.
On the Google News Help Forum, users have been reporting this issue as long back as June, one month after the app release. In September, the problem was acknowledged by Google News Community Manager, stating that Google is investigating the issue and working on a fix. However, going by the user complaints, the issue remains to be dealt with.
One Google News App user said to the Verge “The Google News app is randomly using a ridiculous amount of background data without users’ knowledge. The app burned through over 12 gigs of data on my phone while I slept and my Wi-Fi had disconnected. It led to $75 in overage charges.”
@Google #news #bug need to publicise this Google News App bug on Android that consumes vast amounts of background data overnight. Started after last app update mid Sept. Google keeping quiet but cost me £190+ in excess data charges with @o2 @BBCNews. G News forum covering it pic.twitter.com/ezsKD7I7kL
— Barrie (@BWSConsulting) October 4, 2018
Some users also report that the app used up their carrier data even when the “Download over Wifi” was turned on. Google is currently looking into the matter and is working on solving the issue.
In any case, if the Google News app bug hits you, the best thing you can do right is un-install the app. Or else, simply stop its background data usage.
How to stop Google News from using excessive background data?
- Go to Android Settings
- Head over to Apps settings
- Tap on “Google News App” ⇒ Data Usage
- Disable Background Data
Also Read: Samsung Is Working On A Foldable Laptop With Flexible Display
