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Iphone 5c overage every month

Can anyone tell me their average monthly data usage without connecting to wifi? I have a 8 GB plan and go over EVER month by myself. How is this possible? I have celluar data turned off on most of my apps (including e-mail), auto play turned off, and I turn my celluar data off most nights when I go to bed. I do not connect to wifi but I did not on my old phone either and never went over 5 GB. What good is a phone if I cant use it to its potential? I should have never upgraded from my unlimited plan.

Comments

Verizon_Support

I can understand your concern with the increase of usage, jschools8589. Every person and phone is different, so what one person may average will not usually be what's true for the next person. You've already taken some great steps toward managing your usage though. When you go into Settings > Cellular and scroll down, what are the top 5 applications listed? Have you been listening to any streaming music or watching videos?

JenniferH_VZW

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jschools8589

It looks like the top apps are safari, Facebook, app store, Spotify, then Etsy but again I am not doing anything different with this phone that I was not doing with my old phone. I was on the phone for an hour yesterday with a tech from Verizon with no solution. I just don't understand how I am using this much data by myself. What good is the phone if I have to turn everything off? I went back a year on my plan and most months I used around 4 GB and occasionally went to 5 so I assumed I would be completely safe with 8 GB. There is clearly an issue somewhere.

Verizon_Support

I can understand your concern, especially over something like this that impacts your bill. Did you have a 3G phone before this 4G iPhone? While you may be accessing the same sites, you are able to do a whole lot more with the 10x faster speeds on 4G than you would on 3G. For example, loading pages on Facebook while on 3G may take longer than loading a page on 4G, so it allows you to scroll through pages faster, and thus using more data. You may feel that you might be using the same amount of time for the same apps, but 4G is faster and you will load more in the same amount of time.

jschools8589

My old phone was a Droid Razr M so it was 4G

Planetkimi

We are having the exact same problem. With 6 phones, our data stayed between 10-12 Gygs a month the entire 2 years. We all got iPhone5c the end of May '14 and EVERY month our data usage is 24+ gygs and that's NOT including the 1 FREE gyg a month they said they gave us for 12 months. A little over a month ago, one of the lines switched back to a Galaxy and her monthly data usage has dropped OVER HALF! I pulled up the data usage online for each number before and after getting the new iPhones. In the months AFTER, there's a total number of data entries billed for, but gets repeated, which explains our data usage supposedly doubling. I'll use my daughters as an example. There were 915 entries and she was billed over 10 gygs. The first 4 days of the billing cycle was her OLD phone, entries 1-9, 5/23-5/27. Entries 10-482 was her new phone, 5/28-6/22. But there are 915 entries. That's because they repeat EXACTLY. Entry 483 is exactly the same as entry 10.

484 is exactly the same as 11. So are 485 and 12, 486 and 13, 487 and 14... And so on, ending with entry 915 being exactly the same as entry 482. Verizon claims we were not doubled charged, but the total claimed as usage and the total billed for, are the exact same dates, times and usage amounts REPEATED! It's been a few weeks and we are still arguing with them and trying to get out of this stupid contract because somehow we have hit almost 13 gygs in 2 weeks. We have purposely been staying off our internet and yet it gets higher and higher and NOBODY will do anything about it!

Verizon_Support

Hi Planetkimi!

Let's take a closer look into this for you! I'd like to explain that the 4G iPhone devices are a little different, by design from the manufacturer. When using Wifi, if the device goes to standby mode (when the screen goes blank), cellular data is used by default. I would recommend turning off cellular data (settings/cellular data) when using Wifi. This allows you to keep better track of VZW network usage and Wifi usage. Please let us know how this works out for you.

Thanks!

ChristinaB_VZW

VZW Support

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RushFan2112

It's your iPhone talking to the mothership. I'm betting it's your iPhone backing up to the iCloud and the use of iMessage that has really upped your data usage. iMessaging uses your data plan. Whereas, SMS uses the text portion of your plan. Any time you use iMessage (even for what you thought was a simple text message) you use your data plan.

jschools8589

Is there anyway to change this so that I dont use iMessage and just send regular messages? What is the advantage of using iMessage? Majority of the people I send messages to do not have iPhones. As for the iCloud is this somthing you can turn off and back up when I am connected to Wifi?

Verizon_Support

Great questions, jschools8589! The Apple iMessage feature is one that allows text communication using Wi-Fi or your data plan, to any other iPhone user. You do have the option to disable the iMessage feature, here's how: http://vz.to/1fPXrvn. You can also set your iCloud backup options so that it only syncs when connected to Wifi. Settings>iCloud> Storage and Backup.

TanishaS1_VZW

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Planetkimi

Btw Verizon. We DO NOT have internet service and have not been using wifi AT ALL (except for hooking up our tablets a few weeks ago) for the last 2 years after we got smart phones. 6 phone lines ALWAYS using cellular data and NEVER wifi and NOT ONE time in 2 years did we go over 12 gygs a month, but the moment we got the iPhone 5c, our usage is 24 + a month!!!!!!! Hello? Reply with something useful plz

Chelley_s

This exact same thing is happening to us, since May 2014 and I have called and spent hours on the phone and no one can at Verizon has any answer for us. It is solely the iPhone 5. All they have been able to tell us is basically to quit using the phone as a smart phone. My son's used just under 6 gigs of data in 2 days already this month! Up until May we didn't even have 6 gigs, I have had to bump it up and up and up and I am really unhappy with the response from Verizon-they blame us the customer for a problem these phones that they have sold us are causing.

jvvaccaro

I feel your pain . . . mostly in my wallet. Verizon has not answered my concerns on these supposed overages or offered a refund on the overcharges. Makes me want to take my four phone lines and go . . . somewhere else.

Verizon_Support

jvvaccaro - Good morning, you are a valued customer and we don’t want you to even consider a move from our wireless family! Billing accuracy is paramount to us! Have reviewed this overage charges for you yet? If determined to be valid charges, we will not be able to make adjustments. The best way to avoid data overages is to ensure that you have the correct plan for your data needs. Let’s do a calling plan analysis to ensure that you have the best plan for your wireless needs and avoid overages going forward! Please login to this link http://www.vzw.com/accountanalysis for a review of your current plan and to get recommendations based on your current usage.

AntonioC_VZW Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VZWSupport

Planetkimi

We actually switched all 6 lines to sprint last week. 100$ mi thru 2014 then 100 plus 15 per phone and we got 20 gygs plus 2 free each 32 th e entire contract AND they pay the early termination fees . We couldn't deal with all the lies and 600$ monthly bikks. Good luck! - - Original Message

Schneckinb

I have the same problem as well. I'm burning thru my data at record speed. I thought it was me! I had to up my plan twice already! I hate this phone!!

baybran

I used my insurance to get a refurb iphone 5c. Did Not go from a 3g phone to a 4g phone. Not an upgrade. Nothing but switching from one iphone 5c to another iphone 5c and data went from .5 gigs in a month to 1.5 gigs in 1 week. WHY???? nothing is different except the phone. Turned off data an it still uses it. Please give me something to explain this. I think its a faulty phone.

Chelley_s

Yes, this is exactly what happened to us, we replaced a faulty new 5C with a refurbished model in May and have had data problems ever since. But do you think I can get anyone at Verizon to listen to me? Nope. Really sucks and I am leaving them as soon as I can-unfortunately I have 4 phones on a family plan which will take awhile to all end contracts on, but there seem to be lots of "buy out your contract" offers out there, so maybe it will be sooner than later.

Over a decade as a customer and we will leave over this total lack of respect that is occurring, this phone/company is stealing from us!

Verizon_Support

We are always here to listen Chelly_s . We would never ignore your issues and want to make sure all your issues are resolved so that you can stay with us. Have we processed an investigation for your data usage? Do you know which line is using the majority of data? We also have usage control features that can help you monitor and prevent overages. http://vz.to/1hCP6KW , http://vz.to/1ieRPeC . Keep us posted and let us know how we can help get this resolved.

KinquanaH_VZW

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Chelley_s

This is actually exactly what I am talking about, do you even read these threads? YES I have identified the phone using the data-it is the refurbished iPhone 5C that we were sent as a warranty replacement. I have spent hours on the phone with clueless reps just like you explaining and re-explaining and wow! amazing nothing changes. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THESE PHONES!!! Although I guess since all of us are increasing our data plans you are making more money so you don't think so.

Planetkimi

Just wanted to add to this... Does anyone notice the responses we are getting from these reps are, "we can run a data report, find out which phone it is", or "you can set data limits with usage controls, "We don't want to lose you as a customer" but nobody will acknowledge what we are saying. IT'S THE PHONE IT'S THE PHONE IT'S THE PHONE! WE HAVE NOT CHANGED OUR DATA HABITS! WE ARE NOT GOING ON MORE! BUT WE DID HAVE TO UP OUR DATA PLAN FROM 12 TO 20 AND WE STILL HAD 5 GYG IN OVERAGES! OUR BILL HAS JUMPED FROM 450 MO TO CLOSE TO 600 MO! THE ONLY THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS THAT WE GOT IPHONE 5C'S. (Ours were new but all 6 were given to our family FREE from a phone rep) FREE turned out to be EXPENSIVE! Why won't any of the reps address that? We are not crazy! Hey Verizon, why don't you answer the question. How come ALL of us are complaining about the SAME things and we all say it started when we got our new phones and they're all iPhone 5c's? Quit dancing around the question and open your eyes! FYI, go ahead and pull up my account Verizon. You'll find we switched to Sprint. 2 weeks going from the iPhone 5c to the Galaxy Note 3. None of us have hit ONE gyg yet. Hmmmmm upped when we got the phones and went back down when we got rid of them and got new phones. We need credits to our accounts!!!!!---- Original Message

baybran

Well it has been 2 days now since the update on the phone that stated it may fix the problem. Hopefully this solves the problem cause now as I check the usage 2-3 times a day (which is a pain) to make sure the are no overages. It is sad that the verizon customer service people do not know about this update.

Verizon_Support

baybran, we want to help you manage your data usage and avoid overage charges. Try turning off data for applications on your device in Settings>Celluar>scroll down to apps>disable data for apps on your phone. Those apps will then only access data when your device is connected to Wi-Fi. This will definitely help with minimizing your data usage.

LasinaH_VZW

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baybran

Yes that was the first thing I did when I got the notification of 75% data used. If you would check though the iphone 5c turns off wifi and uses data when it sleeps so this doesn't help when apps want to update in the middle of the night. The only way so far is to turn data off completely which is not the way a phone was intended to be used. Hopefully this update works.

nursebsn14

So I had the 4s until last October and upgraded to the 5c. Since then, I have watched my data usage skyrocket and I am now up to 15gb of data for my single line. I have called Verizon several times to question it, and they finally did an analysis on the line only to tell me some mystery thing is running six hours a day. I have wi-fi at home, school and work. I started turning off the cellular data when I was on wifi just to see what would happen and within five minutes of turning the cellular data back on, while still on wi-f the usage goes up. Now if Im on wi-fi my cellular data shouldn't be moving at all. Apple replaced the phone in the last 24 hours so this is a new phone, this is clearly an issue with Verizon's network, and this compay owes me a refund being it took them five months to even get someone on the phone to say exchange the phone because Verizon nor apple could explain where this excessive data usage was coming from. This is an issue that Verizon needs to deal with and I will be contacting them today, because they need to explain why their network is charging me for usage when connected to a wifi network. I have all but turned off every feature on the phone and the data usage continues to rise. Sprints service is nowhere near as good, but I will switch if it means saving 120+ a month in charges.

Verizon_Support

It's quite important to get to the bottom of this mystery nursebsn14, it's odd that you're still using more data than normal. Have you checked other 'connected' devices? Any cloud services used? Please send me a Direct Message to look into this.

AdaS_VZW

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nursebsn14

Im up to 15gb of data month. This is an issue seeing as when I had my 4s I barely it 2.5gb/month

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