Many of us think ANT Radio Service is a variation of Bluetooth, but that is not right. But if we remove Bluetooth support from our phone, ANT Radio Service will also go away. This service is installed by the manufacturers themselves. Also, none of the apps you are using asks for ANT service, it will barely consume the battery.
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ANT Radio Service
The service allows your phone to use the pre-installed communication device which is similar to wireless connectivity. If none of the apps you are using triggers it, you will not be able to see any functions of it. As an example, you can collect and transfer health and fitness data in real-time with a fitness device you have on your Samsung Galaxy device.
If your device does not have the ANT radio service, you have to install the ANT Radio Service, ANT+ Plugins as well as the ANT USB service too to use the service properly. Although the Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, Sony Xperia, and some newer models from Huawei, like P9, P10, as well as P8 has it pre-installed.
The main purpose of it is to consume a lower battery than Bluetooth. Furthermore, the radio plays the role of a real-time communicator between your health monitoring device and your phone. Also, it does not interfere with the network signal.
Reasons to Use ANT Radio Service
- The ANT Radio Service is designed for all applications and it allows compatibility from all devices.
- You can track and save data in real-time, as you can monitor your heart-rate while doing some exercise.
- It provides inter-connectivity between sensors and displays, so it can extend its provision to all other smartphones.
- Extremely simple to use without any extra settings to change.
The only problem is with an android version update your ANT+ service might stop working until the manufacturer pushes another update.
Installation
As mentioned earlier, the service is pre-installed on your phone from the manufacturer, so you have nothing to tinker on the hardware side. If this service is not pre-installed on your phone you may still be able to enable ANT+ communication, check here for more info.
If your ANT+ enabled applications require the ANT+ Plugin application download it from the PlayStore.
Popular Apps with ANT Radio Service
To use the service you need to know which applications use it, as there is no toggle from which you can use it manually. Mostly the health-related software makes use of it. Like Samsung S Health, Garmin Fit, Sports Tracker by STL, My Tracks, Run GPS Trainer UV, Sporty Pal, etc.
Now if you do not use any of these apps and you are facing any issues with ANT service, like battery consumption without any reasons, you can disable the service. Keep in mind, it is not possible to uninstall the service completely as it is a standard software. You can seek help from the manufacturer of your device for further instructions.
ANT and Bluetooth
ANT and Bluetooth are two different services, let us have a look at the characteristics.
- Bluetooth is a standard service on all the android and iOS devices, but ANT Radio is not. Some manufacturers tend to not pre-install it on their smartphones.
- ANT lets you connect one thing to multiple devices, but the same cannot be said about Bluetooth. It can only connect between two devices at a time.
- Bluetooth allows you to connect with various devices and apps, but ANT plus has a few specialized apps for connectivity.
- Bluetooth consumes more power while in use, but it comes with a power meter app that regulates the power consumption far better than ANT Radio Service.
Verdict
So as you can see, ANT Radio is similar to Bluetooth but not the same service. It is mostly used with health-related apps, to track and save your data on multiple devices at once. If you are not fond of using these kinds of apps you can disable the service completely without interfering with how your device works.
