Onavo

Frequently Asked Questions

• How does Onavo Extend work?

  Onavo Extend's installation process consists of two steps:

  • Download Onavo Extend from the App Store, just like any other app
  • Install the Onavo Extend profile on your device.

  Onavo Extend installs a configuration profile (which includes your operator’s APN settings) on your device so that data you receive from the Internet is compressed in our cloud-based compression service, located in datacenters operated by Amazon Web Services. The compressed data is then sent to your mobile device so that you get a leaner, faster and more efficient version of the web.

  Onavo Extend also gives you insight into your data usage so you can see exactly how much of your data plan is being consumed by each app you are running.

  

• Why should I use Onavo Extend?

  Why not? Whether your data plan is capped, metered, unlimited or you're afraid of being throttled, there is no reason why you shouldn't extend your data plan with Onavo Extend. Onavo Extend makes it easy and worry free to do more with your data plan whether you're at home or abroad.

• Is Onavo Extend free and what is your business model?

  Onavo Extend is currently free. In the future, some parts of the app may come at a cost. As Onavo helps users save money we are confident that it will be justified to ask for a small fee in exchange for use of the service (that will be low enough that you still save overall).

• Is Onavo Extend saving from the moment I download or do I need to 'start' something?

  Once you complete the installation process described above, Onavo Extend is active and your downloaded traffic is streamed through Onavo Extend's compression servers. The service remains active even if you "kill" the app itself. You can control compression and reporting via the app's Settings page.

• Does Onavo Extend shrink data I send, receive or both?

  Currently Onavo Extend compresses data that is received (downloaded) by your mobile device and does not shrink data you send, such as photos or videos you upload. Please note that your operator's data usage accounting may differ from ours.

• Can I control the compression?

  Sure! Onavo Extend gives you control over what is compressed from the app's Settings. Here are some frequent use cases:

  • I just want to see data usage breakdown (Reports tab), no compression please.

    Onavo Extend starts compressing your data (and shrinking your bill) from the minute you install. If you want to use Onavo Extend without compression, set Savings to OFF on the settings screen.

  • I want to stop streaming data through Onavo Extend, temporarily.

    Go to the app's Settings, set Service Status to Off. This will install a temporary profile that disconnects you from the compression servers.

  • Images are blurry, can I improve the quality?

    Yes. Go to the app's Settings and set Image Quality to your desired level.

  • I want to compress my data, but without emails please

    Go to the app's Settings, set Email Compression to OFF.

  • I want to reset the counters and start my savings

    Go to the app's Settings and tap Restart Savings.

• The Personal Hotspot feature disappeared from my Settings. How can I restore it?

  Unfortunately the Onavo Extend profile conflicts with the personal hotspot feature on a handful of operators and our team is working to resolve that known issue. Disabling the profile via the app settings (Service Status to Off) will restore the personal hotspot feature.

• 'Cannot Verify Server Identity' - what is that?

  This message is a note from your iPhone informing you that your email is being compressed by Onavo Extend. Click ‘Continue’ and you'll be good to go (and will not be asked again). If you prefer not to shrink your emails, tap the Settings button in the app and set the Email Compression option to OFF.

• What about privacy? Encrypted HTTPS traffic?

  We take our users’ privacy very seriously, only storing the bare minimum necessary to support the service - all aggregated and anonymized. This is so that the app can report your savings, usage, etc. We do not store any content such as messages, passwords, etc.
  Onavo Extend acts quite like any router or provider on the Internet through which your data passes. Only metadata (types of applications, etc.) on the data, aggregated and anonymized, is stored - for two purposes:

  - Showing you your data usage and savings
  - Researching aggregated statistics in order to improve the service
  

  To avoid any doubt, Onavo Extend does not store any content of the data, and cannot read encrypted SSL (HTTPS) traffic. The only exception is Exchange Mail traffic, which requires the user's explicit approval (appears as a Server Authentication message after finalizing the Onavo Extend install process). This can be turned off from the app's Settings.

• Why do my emails show up as plain text with lots of links inside?

  Onavo Extend's email compression employs many techniques to shrink your data. One of them is to re-format your emails to plain text - images, bold, underline and other formatting are replaced with plain text. At the end of such emails you'll see a message "This message has been downloaded as plain text". To see the original rich-text message, scroll down all the way and tap the Download full message button.

• Why do some images appear pixelated?

  One of the many shrinking methods Onavo Extend uses is to reduce the quality of images which frequently take up a lot of data. You can choose your own balance between quality and savings in the app's Settings screen.

• I use Gmail, not Exchange Mail, can I still use Onavo Extend to shrink my data?

  Absolutely! Please refer to Google's instructions on how to set up your Gmail account as an Exchange server.

• Does Onavo Extend shrink encrypted (HTTPS) data?

  No. Encrypted data, such as login information to a social network or your online banking session, is completely inaccessible to our service. It is passed on as is and for security reasons we do not shrink it.

• Does Onavo Extend shrink data usage on personal hotspot or tethering?

  Currently Onavo Extend shrinks only data from apps on the device itself.

• Does Onavo Extend shrink voice calls, VoIP, or WiFi data?

  Onavo for iPhone/iPad only works on downloaded HTTP traffic over cellular networks at this stage and does not shrink or affect your voice calls, VoIP services such as Skype/Viber or WiFi data.

• How does Onavo ensure my privacy?

  Onavo Extend takes your privacy very seriously. Our data compression process is totally automatic and no humans are involved in any part of the process. We do not sell, rent or lease any personally identifiable information to third parties, except as detailed in our Privacy Policy.

• How do I uninstall Onavo Extend?

  In the event you decide to uninstall Onavo from your iPhone or iPad, simply follow these steps in order to remove the app and profile:

  1. Go to your Settings app -> General -> Profiles
  2. Locate the profile called "Onavo"
  3. Tap Remove
  4. Go back to your home screen and delete the Onavo Extend icon
  

  We would like to hear why you decided to uninstall Onavo Extend - please email us at why@onavo.com.

• How can I contact you?

  For more information, questions or suggestions, please visit our Support Forum or write to us at support@onavo.com. You can also reach out through our Twitter or Facebook page.