ANT+ Plugins Service

ANT+

About this app

ANT is a wireless protocol, similar to Bluetooth®, that is predominantly used for sport and fitness wireless connectivity. Pre-installed by the phone manufacturer, this service allows you to connect ANT+ devices to apps on your phone. ANT Wireless is a division of Garmin Canada Inc.

ANT enabled apps can utilize this service to connect:
• Heart Rate: Receive live heart rate data from heart rate straps or wearables produced by many popular manufacturers
• Fitness Equipment: Connect ANT+ enabled fitness equipment and bicycle trainers to popular training and workout apps
• Bike Speed and Cadence: Capture bike speed, distance, and/or cadence data
• Bike Power: Capture data from ANT+ cycling power meters such as Garmin Vector
• Stride-based Speed and Distance Monitor: Capture speed and distance data from running footpods

For a full list of compatible ANT+ apps and devices visit https://www.thisisant.com/directory/

FAQ:
How did this app get on my phone and is it spyware?
This service is standard software, included by the manufacturer of your phone. It is not illegally downloaded, and it is not spyware. It will not cause system malfunctions or pop-up ads to appear. It is not bloatware and typically uses a max of 20 MB of space. For example, on a 16GB phone, this service takes up 0.0013% of space. We do not pay phone manufacturers to have this service pre-installed.

How can I remove this service?
Since this service is standard software, you’re unable to delete it from your phone. Instead, you can disable this service by following the manufacturer’s instructions. The typical process is: settings>applications>application manager>appropriate app>force stop>disable

Disabling this service will not affect your phone’s software. If, in the future, you require the ability to connect to services and devices via ANT+, just enable the service again.

NOTE: Since this is a factory installed service, it may enable/re-download if you reset and/or update your phone. Don’t panic! Just follow the instructions to disable it again.

Does this service track me without my knowledge?
No. The ANT Radio Service and ANT+ Plugins Service applications provide a wireless connectivity service, similar to Bluetooth or WiFi, but with very low power. These services do not collect any personal data.

Is it difficult to develop an app with ANT+ capabilities and is there a fee?
Using the ANT+ plugins in your app to communicate with ANT+ devices is quick, easy, free and uses a simple API. Visit the ANT Android Developer page (http://www.thisisant.com/developer/ant/ant-in-android) for more information and to download the SDK.

How do I know if I own any ANT enabled products?
Visit https://www.thisisant.com/directory to search for ANT/ANT+ enabled products, devices and/or services.

Ratings and reviews

I don't use smart watches ect. This should be an optional separate download for people who use those devices. Btw, Google will force disabled apps to turn on. They use Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and data to triangelate your position at all times including sniffing in your personal information, texts, phone etc. I have multiple times turned off Google apps permissions only to come back and it's turned back on especially collecting your contact list. Anytime you create a new contact they turn back on.

This is a driver. Not an app. If it's preinstalled on your device, it means your device's hardware supports the ANT+ communication protocol, (Similar to Bluetooth and NFC) and this driver is required for it to function. The ANT+ protocol was developed by Garmin, and is frequently to communicate with smart devices. (watches, fitness trackers, etc) This driver cannot be uninstalled for the same reasons you cannot uninstall the Wifi driver, or the NFC driver, or the Bluetooth driver. It only takes up 2.27 MB of your storage. It will not run or use system resources (RAM, battery, CPU, etc), unless a running app requires the ANT+ communication protocol. It's probably in Play Store, and not built into the operating system (like most of the other drivers are) to allow for easier updates. If it was built into the system, updating it would require a system update, which would have to be approved and pushed by the device manufacturers. It's also in the Play Store for users who don't have hardware that supports ANT+ but do have a dongle that supports it. TL;DR: It's a driver. Not an app. It's important. It's small (2.27 MB). It won't use ram or other resources unless another app needs it. Don't worry about it.

This App is a plugin service. It uses sensors, location to record data from smart watches straight to your phone, TV or Tablet. It does not give information to 3rd parties to gather data. It is purely for you to use, operate and monitor your digital wellbeing. I use a smartwatch through the App to check my heart rate, blood pressure, Water levels and even records my sleeping patterns. Records your steps walked daily. Perfect for long distance runners and fitness fanatics.

What's new

* Support for Android 13
* Fix crash when connected to ANT+ CTF Power Meters
* Apps may require an update to Android ANT+ Plugin Lib 3.9.0 on devices running Android 11 or higher
[Full changelog on our GitHub SDK README]