It offers packet capturing without requiring root permissions by using the VPN Service of the Android OS. Just about all the network sniffer apps will only work on rooted devices if you haven’t unlocked your Android device yet, consider the free tPacketCapture app. Or you might just be curious of what the real data packets look like or exactly what devices and apps are sending and receiving. They can also aid in security auditing, penetration testing, and ethical hacking, or so you can better visualize and understand certain network vulnerabilities. These sniffers can be useful when performing advanced troubleshooting of wireless connectivity or performance issues. ITworld/Eric GeierĮxample of capturing wireless packets with Intercepter-NG. Instead of having to run captures on your bulky laptop, you can walk around with your Android tablet or phone tucked away in your pocket. I’m not just talking about Wi-Fi stumblers or traffic usage apps, but full network sniffers that can capture and display the raw 802.11 network packets from the airwaves. Monitoring or capturing Wi-Fi traffic on Android smartphones and tablets is possible.

Wireshark android packets