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iPhone 5 drops wifi when locked.

penajmz

penajmz

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 11, 2008
3,797
4,029
New York City
Whenever I unlock my iPhone it says LTE and a second or two later connects to my wifi.. So this means whenever locked, it disconnects from wifi? This is most likely an iOS 6 issue and I don't like it.

Does this happen to anyone else?
 
I never noticed that on my older iPhones, even my 4s with iOS 6. So it is weird. I don't want it to be using data over the network when locked.
 
I'm almost positive this is normal. It'll be on wifi for a bit after you lock it then turn off. Always been like that
 
penajmz said:
I never noticed that on my older iPhones, even my 4s with iOS 6. So it is weird. I don't want it to be using data over the network when locked.
Click to expand...

What exactly is it going to be doing while locked to use a significant amount of data?
 
r.j.s said:
What exactly is it going to be doing while locked to use a significant amount of data?
Click to expand...

That's the thing, I don't know. I have seen usage around 1 am when I'm sleeping on AT&T's website that obviously wasn't me. Its a substantial amount of data and it happens regularly.
 
penajmz said:
That's the thing, I don't know. I have seen usage around 1 am when I'm sleeping on AT&T's website that obviously wasn't me. Its a substantial amount of data and it happens regularly.
Click to expand...

While I'm pretty certain this is normal battery-saving behavior, I could see how it could be a problem if you have certain apps set to check for updates over cellular data. For instance, I think some podcast apps can be set to check for updates at varied intervals. Instacast gives you the option to restrict updates to wifi only, but if you had it set to check daily AND use cellular or wifi, I'm not sure whether the phone would allow the app to check for an update and activate wifi before downloading any new episodes. So maybe you have something like that going on.
 
Look at what I mean. Some of that usage happened while I slept and it happens constantly.

reltm said:
While I'm pretty certain this is normal battery-saving behavior, I could see how it could be a problem if you have certain apps set to check for updates over cellular data. For instance, I think some podcast apps can be set to check for updates at varied intervals. Instacast gives you the option to restrict updates to wifi only, but if you had it set to check daily AND use cellular or wifi, I'm not sure whether the phone would allow the app to check for an update and activate wifi before downloading any new episodes. So maybe you have something like that going on.
Click to expand...

Hmmm thats a good point. I'm gonna check my app and see if any of them are the cause of this. Thank you!
 

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penajmz said:
Look at what I mean. Some of that usage happened while I slept and it happens constantly.



Hmmm thats a good point. I'm gonna check my app and see if any of them are the cause of this. Thank you!
Click to expand...

Yeah, hats not insignificant. Makes me want to check on mine.
 
The time you used the actual data and the time AT&T finally posts it on their site is way off.
Im pretty sure its not the actual usage that you pulled at 1-2am but probably the usage of the whole day or many hours before.
Its not an instant counter that get reported and billed by the second or minute ang goes through their billing system and displayed instantly.

And like others said yes, thats how all iphones behave.
If your phones screen is off then wifi turns off and disconnects to save battery.
There's no point in keeping a wifi connection when you're not using it for hours.
 
When plugged in and locked and connoted to wifi, the iPhone (when settings turned on appropriately) is supposed to backup to iCloud and sync to iTunes. If it is is connecting from wifi then it is not able to do this.
 
Wifi is persistent only when you're plugged in to a power source, although the status won't indicate this. Even if it's connected to wifi, there are still some processes that use cellular data but it's pretty small.

Take home message: Charge your iPhone overnight, every night.
 
Apparently this is to save battery but i dont see how wifi uses more battery than 3g/LTE.

Regardless, you don't have to worry about data as the phone still activates and uses wifi when exchanging data when locked, so this doesn't impact data usage.

You can test this by locking your phone and listening to some radio, automatically downloading an app from iTunes on to the phone, or sending yourself an email with a large attachment... Your data usage won't increase.
 
Normal : P

It may be "normal" but my iPhone 4 didn't completely lose the wifi signal. I use wifi when at home because I do not have a cellular signal and with my 4 I could let it go to sleep and still iMessages would push through. With the new iPhone this doesn't happen. I miss emails and iMessages because since it kicks off wifi and has no cell service at that particular room, there's no signal at all going to the phone. My iPad does not do this, but I shouldn't have to keep my iPad beside the bed at all times just to compensate for a NEWER piece of equipment. It needs fixed back to whatever kept the iPhone 4 accessing my home wifi while screen is in sleep mode.
 
Ok if the wifi is supposed to drop while being locked, then how come when i send an iMessage to my wife or a whatsapp message it reaches her immediately. She has an iPhone 4 with iOS 5.1.1 and mine is a 4S on 5.1.1.

Her phone is on wifi full day while there is no data plan so she basically does not have internet activated on her SIM card and is permanently turned off (cellular data).
 
Other than iOS devices, any other devices you have at home connected to the same wifi router? What if the issue is with the Wifi Router?

I had some techie friend of mine setup a timeout if no access to wifi for n number of minutes; I can't seem to remember the setting at the moment.

if you can have a quick check on it..it may help.

having said that, i have my iphone 5 connected to wifi even when sleep but iphone 4 disconnects..
 
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