Do android phones use data without you knowing? ?

[Joe Ross]

If you can have widgets on the home screens that tell you stuff like the weather and facebook and stuff. Does the phone use data to get the info for the widgets even when the phone is in your pocket and not being used? If it does use data will people with a 2gb a month have to worry about there phone using data without them knowing? And If it does use data is there a way I can track how mutch data is being used?

[Android Core]

If you can have widgets on the home screens that tell you stuff like the weather and facebook and stuff, Does the phone use data to get the info for the widgets even when the phone is in your pocket and not being used?
----------------------- yep! androids... iphones... blackberries... windows phones... palms... that why they are SMART phones... Any App or widget that updates constantly with information from a website or service, like Accuweather, google weather, weatherbuig, facebook, twitter, myspace, Google+, Pandora, PowerAMP, email notifications and pushes, etc etc etc etc etc will use data in the background (background means phone is on but screen is off)

If it does use data will people with a 2gb a month have to worry about there phone using data without them knowing?
----------------------not really. 97% of people use 2GB or less. Background data doesnt use that much data at all... think of it--- if you get a facebook message (about .000001GB or 10KB), your gonna have to get ALOT of facebook widget notifications to make that .000001 GB or 10 KB turn into 2GB or 2,000,000KB... lol....... What YOU REALLY need to worry about is video/gaming streaming.. like youtube, netflix, Words4Friends, Online scabble, etc... streaming can kill 2GB plan in days or even hours if your a severe youtube addict!

And If it does use data is there a way I can track how mutch data is being used?
----------------- if your ATT, use *data#... free *star service. Your Android phone will even come with a ATT App to help track data usage. You can even log into your ATT online account and track data usage there too... All wireless carriers are something similar to ATT's above... when you get service with them, simply call them to get the *star service code and other info. :-)