iPhone SE (2022) Using my phone as a hotspot for my laptop / consume a huge amount of data suddenly

[ddblum]

Using my phone as a hotspot for my laptop / consume a huge amount of data suddenly​

Hello,

While on the road, I am using my iphone as hotspot. I have been doing that for years and it has never been a problem. Yesterday, I used my iphone as a a hotspot and after 30 mn I consume 200 MB of data. I am just doing emails and internet browsing (non media, non streaming no photo, no video, downloading). This issue started a few months ago when I updated my iOS system. I just changed my iphone SE 1st generation to a iphone SE 3rd generation and the problem is still there. I am using a SAMSUNG laptop. Please let me know as I cannot go on like that. The data are too expensive.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

200MB isn’t a lot…

 

[BugeyeSTI]

200mb is nothing to complain about..

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you can't afford 200MB, which is really nothing when it comes to internet data, stop using your phone as a hotspot. I think you are worrying over nothing.

 

[NoBoMac]

^^Those.

And you're not taking into account other activities. OS on the Samsung phoning home to check on things, programs (eg. Google likes to fire up their updaters to check what needs updates; Dropbox etc syncs).

Computing devices are "chatty" even when "idle".

 

[max2]

I use 200 GB in no time.

 

[ddblum]

Well it is 200 MB consumed in 30 mn whereas before I could last weeks doing emails and light browsing. Something clearly has changed. Any idea where to look?

 

[jav6454]

200MB? You do realize that even the cheapest Hotspot plan on a major carrier offers 6GB of high speed data right? Even if you hit the limit it'll only slow you.

That said, perhaps the web pages you were visiting contained embedded media that you didn't realize was data heavy.

 

[ddblum]

My plan allows 2 GB of high speed data monthly. The question is not there though. Once the limit is reached, it is like I have no internet What concerns me is that before the iOS update, I was able to use the hotspot for weeks. I did not change the websites I consult, I did not change my laptop. The only thing that change is the update to iOS. I also purchased a new phone thinking it is going to solve the problem. But it is the same thing. Once I start using the hotspot, the data goes VERY fast. A full day will consume almost 1 Go (no streaming, no video, no photo...). Email and light browsing. Any idea what caused this change? How come suddenly the hotspot uses so much data ?

 

[zorinlynx]

It is unlikely that an update to iOS changed usage while using hotspot. My guess is something running on the laptop consumed the data.

You're going to have to look at what you're running on the laptop to see what it might have been. Even something like syncing iCloud photos can burn that much data. For example if you took a lot of photos and videos since the last time you used the laptop, as soon as the laptop gets online it will download them all and burn the data.

For this reason I always try to make sure I turn on my laptop and let everything sync up the night before I leave on a trip; I don't want it to try to do that on hotspot or on slow shoddy hotel WiFi.

 

[GBaughma]

Probably background windows updates.

 

[ddblum]

I just reset my statistic data usage on my laptop. I am on the wifi today. Let's see how much data I use for a full day by using emails and light browsing. If the data used at the end of the day is low, then I will know that the issue comes from somewhere else. Thank you all for your help. I will post the result later today.

 

[jav6454]

Again, I am quite sure that the update didn't bring your consumption of data up. Most likely it's the website you listed that either had high data-driven media embedded or an ad pushed data.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

The PHONE is barely using any data in hotspot mode. The laptop is. The issue, such as it is, is on the laptop.

 

[ddblum]

Yes you are ALL right. I am testing the laptop today and I monitor the usage per software. Apparently, chrome is using A LOT of data for a minimum usage (no photo and no video, no streaming...). I closed chrome and I am testing another browser. I reset my statistic again. I will let you know the outcome. This forum is AMAZING!