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Unusually High Data Usage on iOS 8?

Natesac

Natesac

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 29, 2008
816
47
Dallas,Tx
My entire family is noticing very high data usage since upgrading to iOS 8. Two iPhone 5S's, an iPhone 5, my iPhone 6 and my LTE iPad Air.

We have all been using iOS 8 since it lauched and upgraded to 8.0.2 when it was pushed out.

There must be some part of the OS that has gone rogue. My iPad Air has not left the house (and wifi) since upgrading to iOS 8 and has used all of it's 200MB data in two weeks (typical usage 40MB a month).

I am having to be very concsious of my iPhone 6 data usage to avoid going over my 5GB this month. I don't do any streaming audio/video and somehow I'm using 100-200MB a day. Mild safari/iMessage/Maps usage daily. All of our phones spend most of their day bathed in wifi.

I upgraded to iPhone 6 the day after my plan rolled over over and I had my cellular statistics reset the day after that. There's over 1GB of data that is unaccounted for. I have checked all the usual culprits: background updates and app refresh. All the settings are the same from iOS7

Something is up here. I hope 8.1 solves this issue.
 
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If you go to Settings > Cellular and scroll to the bottom, you can see a breakdown by app and service of exactly what is using Cellular data and how much. This should help you narrow it down.
 
I too have noticed an increase. I have two lines sharing 6gb and chewed through it and 3/4 of my promotional 1gb. Usually never get over 5gb. All started after I got my iPhone 6.
 
gordon1234 said:
If you go to Settings > Cellular and scroll to the bottom, you can see a breakdown by app and service of exactly what is using Cellular data and how much. This should help you narrow it down.
Click to expand...

this only shows cellular usage though right, not wifi usage? The ipad being on wifi would not report any usage on that screen then.

The reason I mention it this way is, wifi in my case, I use an aircard/wifi router for home internet so all data whether cellular or wifi for me is pulled from my share everything data.
 
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E2EK1EL said:
Join in here please

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1794719/
Click to expand...

Well, the OP's problem may not be related to strange iBook data use as that thread appears to be about. I'm also chewing through 5GB of data much faster ever since I upgraded my iPad to iOS 8, and out of 34 total GBs used only 5MB has been used by iBooks and 163MB by iTunes Accounts. That's nothing.

My problem appears to be that Safari is using up data at a much faster rate than before. It accounts for 27GB of the 34GB used by cellular, and don't watch YouTube or other video which might account for high usage.
 
Conspiracy Theory

;) This is because American wireless providers are in cahoots with Apple since they've moved to tiered data plans. It's a way for them to be able to charge high usage fees. Hide data usage somewhere that can't be turned off because of the walled garden.
 
Yes I'm seeing a higher data usage. I upgraded to a IPhone 6 from a 5 last weekend and have used 1.3g already. It's very rare that I went over 2g for an entire month in the 5 using iOS 7
 
If you have Facebook app installed Check the AutoPlay settings (Settings->Facebook->Settings->Autoplay) and turn off. This keeps from videos playing in your timeline (uses data).

Also

Check your Data usage with you carrier. If all your devices are connected to wifi, when you plug it in to charge this turns off the wifi radio. Which then the cellular is used and uploads data.

For example I put my phone in the charger when going to bed. When I look at my data via Att website I see at 9pm, 12am, 3am, 6am (etc) there's data sent. It's not much but it does add up with multiple devices.

In the pic mines low. But my wife on the other hand here's is much higher!

I know this isn't the sole cause but at lease a heads up!

MCwSoKM.png
 
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I have cell data turned off for Facebook so that's not it. Oddly my wife updated to the iPhone 6 the same time as me and has used less than 300mb all week.
 
I've notices this as well. Have a 10GB plan with AT&T that both my iPhone 6 and iPad Air are sharing. I've used up 7Gb. Never gone that high before as far as I can remember.
 
Fantasigraphic said:
If all your devices are connected to wifi, when you plug it in to charge this turns off the wifi radio. Which then the cellular is used and uploads data.

For example I put my phone in the charger when going to bed. When I look at my data via Att website I see at 9pm, 12am, 3am, 6am (etc) there's data sent. It's not much but it does add up with multiple devices.

Image
Click to expand...

This is happening to us, as well. I've gotten two different answers from AT&T about it. One CS rep said that all updates happen only over cellular data, not wifi (I think this is not correct). The other said that any time the cellular data is on in settings, it counts against your data total even if you are using wifi (I know this is not correct).

Your answer at least makes some sort of sense, but then the only solution would be to turn off cellular data every time you are charging (which for a lot of people is overnight). I might be able to remember this, but with 6 iPhones in one family, what are the odd that everyone will?
 
sixxmum said:
This is happening to us, as well. I've gotten two different answers from AT&T about it. One CS rep said that all updates happen only over cellular data, not wifi (I think this is not correct). The other said that any time the cellular data is on in settings, it counts against your data total even if you are using wifi (I know this is not correct).

Your answer at least makes some sort of sense, but then the only solution would be to turn off cellular data every time you are charging (which for a lot of people is overnight). I might be able to remember this, but with 6 iPhones in one family, what are the odd that everyone will?
Click to expand...

I put my phone into Airplane Mode. A lot easier than turning off cellular on and off every time
 
Fantasigraphic said:
I put my phone into Airplane Mode. A lot easier than turning off cellular on and off every time
Click to expand...

My job requires me to have my phone on and with me basically 24/7, and with a lot of kids - including 2 in college and 2 in their early 20s, we would usually want to be available at night even if it didn't. Otherwise, that would be the easy option, I imagine.
 
Similar issue here - I hit 80% of my 3gb data cap in the week after updating to iOS 8, and I don't eve recall doing anything outside the norm (I typically average under 2 GB of data each month). I have since exceeded my cap and will need to pay an extra $10 with my bill comes later this month.
 
sixxmum said:
My job requires me to have my phone on and with me basically 24/7, and with a lot of kids - including 2 in college and 2 in their early 20s, we would usually want to be available at night even if it didn't. Otherwise, that would be the easy option, I imagine.
Click to expand...

I does have its cons
 
It is possible the issue is because of wifi issues with 8.0.2. At least with the iPhone 6, I've noticed that it will randomly disconnect from wifi and only a restart fixes it. Luckily I have enough data that it hasn't bothered me too much yet.
 
I had this problem in ios 8 beta, after GM everything was good :) I'm using dataman app to have alerts on my data usage and the widget is a great plus also.
 
From what I've tested, iOS 7 uses about 45-50MB a day for system services and especially in the highest consumption area is iTunes Accounts in system Services, even when you turn off cellular service for individual 3rd party apps.


iOS 8 can use from 200-250MB a day in the same area, iTunes Accounts just burns so much data even when your idling and sleeping.

Facebook, Instagram, Safari and YouTube can consume as much as iTunes Accounts for heavy users. In the end it all adds up massively per day. I've blasted through 1.2 GB one day without using YouTube just on LTE.
 
Yes, "iTunes Accounts" is killing my mobile data, 4S with 8.0.2 here... :mad:
 
CarlosQG said:
Yes, "iTunes Accounts" is killing my mobile data, 4S with 8.0.2 here... :mad:
Click to expand...


Turn of "Use Cellular Data" and "Suggested Apps" under Settings > iTunes & Apps

Also turn off data for any apps that you don't really need on the go under Settings > Cellular


This will reduce the data usage for "iTunes Accounts" to only a few KB per day.
 
X-X said:
Turn of "Use Cellular Data" and "Suggested Apps" under Settings > iTunes & Apps

Also turn off data for any apps that you don't really need on the go under Settings > Cellular


This will reduce the data usage for "iTunes Accounts" to only a few KB per day.
Click to expand...

Already done that since day one with iOS 8 :/ thanks though.
 
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