Get OpenSignal for Android - a multi-function monitor

Have you ever been in a situation where you have a really poor mobile phone signal? Just one bar one second and nothing the next?  Have you tried to use a Wi-Fi hot spot, but you are too far away and have a poor connection? The solution is to walk in the direction of the mobile phone transmitter or Wi-Fi access point. But which direction should you walk? OpenSignal can tell you this and a whole lot more. It's a free Android app from the Google Play Store. (Search for 'opensignal').

The home screen is the Dashboard tab and there are simple and advanced views. The advanced view shows things like the IP address, MAC address, and other network details. The simple view (see the screen shot) shows a compass, voice and data quality, and the Wi-Fi network name.

The compass in the middle top part of the screen shows the direction of the nearest mobile phone tower, so if the signal is poor just head in that direction. Tap the Map button and you can see mobile phone towers and Wi-Fi hotspots on a Google map. This enables you to get closer and improve the signal.

 

Select the Test tab and you can measure the bandwidth available. I was at McDonalds when the screen shot below was taken and you can see the upload and download speed and ping (response time). Ratings are given for web, video and VOiP use. The map below shows the 3G coverage for the area around me. You can also see how good your mobile phone operator is compared to others.

 

There are too many screens to show here and there is a lot of useful information displayed by this app. For example, it monitors the mobile phone signal and records any periods where you lost the signal. This is displayed on various charts and there is a history that shows hourly and daily signal strengths.

It monitors the amount of data used and you can tell it your monthly bandwidth allowance. It can then tell you how much is left and how much you can use each day without going over. It records the minutes spent in voice calls and the number of SMS texts sent too. This is great if you need to keep an eye on your phone usage and avoid excessive charges because you have gone over the limit.

OpenSignal is an excellent utility that deserves a place on your Android phone. It's easy to use and displays useful information about phone usage and signal quality.