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Ridiculously high data usage.

A

andyp350

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 14, 2011
807
460
Is anyone else experiencing insanely high data usage on the iPhone 5?
I've just come from a 3GS where I averaged 150-200mb a month. My sim activated 3 hours ago, and within an hour after leaving my house (where I was connected to wifi) my phone has used over 200MB of data, in under an hour, and all I did was send a couple of imessages. Surely there is something wrong here, is the phone doing something in the background that I can stop it from doing. I do have iTunes match turned on but its set not to use cellular data. This is totally crazy, I only get 500MB a month, im set to use more than this in one afternoon!
 
andyp350 said:
Is anyone else experiencing insanely high data usage on the iPhone 5?
I've just come from a 3GS where I averaged 150-200mb a month. My sim activated 3 hours ago, and within an hour after leaving my house (where I was connected to wifi) my phone has used over 200MB of data, in under an hour, and all I did was send a couple of imessages. Surely there is something wrong here, is the phone doing something in the background that I can stop it from doing. I do have iTunes match turned on but its set not to use cellular data. This is totally crazy, I only get 500MB a month, im set to use more than this in one afternoon!
Click to expand...

I know you said all you used was imessages, but did you use the speed test App at all?

I thought my data usage was crazy at first as well. Then I narrowed it down after going into Settings > General > Usage > Cellular Usage.

With LTE we're getting faster speeds so my Speed Test App is using over 10MB per run.

I reset statistics and went about a normal day. Didn't find anything out of the normal.

Reset again and with just two speed tests I was at close to 30MB used.
 
OneMike said:
I know you said all you used was imessages, but did you use the speed test App at all?

I thought my data usage was crazy at first as well. Then I narrowed it down after going into Settings > General > Usage > Cellular Usage.

With LTE we're getting faster speeds so my Speed Test App is using over 10MB per run.

I reset statistics and went about a normal day. Didn't find anything out of the normal.

Reset again and with just two speed tests I was at close to 30MB used.
Click to expand...

the built-in data tracker in iOS 6 does not seem to be accurate.

Use your carrier website instead.

In regards to the topic at hand, I have seen an increase in data use just in the first two days... we usually use .6GB or so per month and as of the last 2 days, we're already at .16GB. using that as a forecast, we're in line to use about 2.4 GB this month...

I'm still hoping that this increase is more fallout from: a. the phones being new to us (my 5 is new and my wife's 4s is new to her) b. My wireless flaking out when my 5 connected (this would lead to more celluar use than normal).

I'm hoping it decreases. If not, I'll need to drill-down a bit more on what is taking up 20-30Mb randomly. I see a lot of logs on the data use spreadsheet for .0XMB then, suddenly, there's an entry for 27MB. How do we go from basically an email's worth of data to twenty or thirty-something MB?
 
It none of these things you guys have mentioned. When I say I only sent a few imessages I literally mean that, no speed tests nothing.
And its definately with my carrier as well as within an hour of taking the phone off my wifi network I had a text from O2 saying I had used up my data allowance.
 
I have the iPhone 5 on Verizon. I have owned the phone for about a week now, and I use this iPhone about the same amount I used my 4S. Previously on my 4S, I was using about 1.5 GB/month. Knowing this, I signed up for the 2GB per month plan. Within 6 days of owning and using the phone as I regularly do, I receive a text from Verizon informing my that I have used over 60% of my data. I visited a Verizon store to confirm this, and they said that I have used this much. The rep at the store was baffled that the phone would use this much data in less than a week. He'll be following up with me if he hears more about this from iPhone 5 users. I'll keep you fellas posted.
 
if you have diagnostics & usage to be automatically sent, turn it off in settings -> general -> about -> diagnostics & usage
 
reputationZed said:
I was referring to the general consensus amoung those of us who are seeing a discrepancy between the usage reported by iOS and the usage being reported by the carrier, not the general consensus of all iPhone 5 users. Sorry for the confusion.
Click to expand...

So iphone5/ios6 ON Verizon.

Which means it's not "LTE speeds" (since ATT has those too, in some locales).
Am I understanding this right?

I'm considering returning my iphone5 and jumping to Verizon, so this is important to me right now. :) thanks
 
LapsangSouchong said:
So iphone5/ios6 ON Verizon.

Which means it's not "LTE speeds" (since ATT has those too, in some locales).
Am I understanding this right?

I'm considering returning my iphone5 and jumping to Verizon, so this is important to me right now. :) thanks
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say its restricted to Verizon, just that it might be more of an issue with Verizon. Originally I had thought that iOS was reporting higher than actual cellular data usage. Now that I have locked down most of the cellular data options in settings iOS it doesn't seem like my data usage is that much higher than I had with my iPhone 4 (AT&T). There is still a signifficant delta between iOS and Verizon, but I'm leaning towards the Verizon underestimating (in my situation) as the culprit. It going to be hard to make a call on accuracy until I get my bill. I'm not to worried because at my current daily usage rate with iOS, the higher of the two, Ill still be below my monthly limit.
 
Same problem, bro.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1456838/

Its sucking data like a vampire. 250 mb just to check a facebook page and my email. PLUS, it does this while indicating that it is connected to wifi!!!

I've used 600mb in 4 days; my 4s on ATT used 1 gig/mo. No changes in data habits; no streaming, etc.

This is a huge problem. Wait till the bills hit the mailboxes!!!!:eek::eek::eek:
 
Ive been noticing the same. My LTE usage is at just over 1 gb, almost 1.1.
I have been using WIFI as much as I can. The only thing Ive done , and moderately at that, is use my itunes match to play some songs. This is highly unusual for me. Ive had the phone since launch, 8 days, and Ive already burned up a gig.

Seems too high. And Im on ATT unlimited
 
I'm right at 5000 mb so I guess I'm going to be getting throttled very soon! I used lte with Facebook mostly to upload some photos one day this week and watch one low quality podcast. No YouTube or other videos. I usually use 2 gb per month. On wifi at home always. It's got me a little frustrated.
 
ROLLTIDE1 said:
Data gate ?
Click to expand...

qlnfg.jpg
 
This has been addressed on a couple of sites. For some reason, both cellular and WiFi data are being combined in the usage section of the Settings>General pane. If you check your usage on the carrier's website, you'll see the accurate (i.e., cellular-only) amount.
 
dmccloud said:
This has been addressed on a couple of sites. For some reason, both cellular and WiFi data are being combined in the usage section of the Settings>General pane. If you check your usage on the carrier's website, you'll see the accurate (i.e., cellular-only) amount.
Click to expand...

Incorrect, at least for me. I verified with verizon that the usage was 600 mb in 4 days.
 
I'm on Verizon LTE. I activated my phone on 27th, so far I burned through 600 megs of data. I started turning off cellular data while on wifi and that seems to have helped. Also I verified my data with Verizon and it checks out. With only 2 gigarios of data I'm dun goofin
 
Wait, you were using only 150-200MB per month?

I'm retired so I'm usually home most of the time with my computer's wifi running (it's a cheapo usb dongle access point, not a stand alone wifi), and I've always used at least 1GB per month since I've had my iphone 4. I do use the MotionX gps app a lot because I moved to a new city (Vegas) but I was still using 1GB/mo before then. I can't imagine how you were using so little data.

I don't do any texting and have all push notifications off. Check your location features. So many apps want to have it ON for whatever reason. I only allow a few of them such as 'Gas Buddy' and of course MotionX GPS (great app btw, works flawlessly).
 
Last edited:
I gave my wife my 4s on ios 6. When we restored her iCloud backup, it sucked down 4 GB downloading the songs that were on her old phone. She didn't have songs backed up iCloud, but did have iTunes Match turned on.

Easy mistake, and would be nice if there was warning before it started downloading so much data over cellular.
 
Wildgift said:
Incorrect, at least for me. I verified with verizon that the usage was 600 mb in 4 days.
Click to expand...


Me too. My data usage is verified through att. I never go by what my iphone says.
Some facebook activity, and itunes match playing and 1.1 GB in 8 days
 
protobiont said:
I gave my wife my 4s on ios 6. When we restored her iCloud backup, it sucked down 4 GB downloading the songs that were on her old phone. She didn't have songs backed up iCloud, but did have iTunes Match turned on.

Easy mistake, and would be nice if there was warning before it started downloading so much data over cellular.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that will do it too. Good point. I'll have to make sure my wifi is running when I get my iphone 5 on Monday.

----------
Gnarl said:
I'm on Verizon LTE. I activated my phone on 27th, so far I burned through 600 megs of data. I started turning off cellular data while on wifi and that seems to have helped. Also I verified my data with Verizon and it checks out. With only 2 gigarios of data I'm dun goofin
Click to expand...

Did the alcohol kick in during that last sentence or something? j/k lol
 
Upgraded to iOS6, 9 days later I'm at 1.8GB, and I haven't done that much per say, roughly same usage :()
 
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