IPhone 6 Excessive Data Issue

I received a message saying that I had used up all of the data in my plan, with a little less than two weeks to go. My plan is 15GB, and I mostly just surf the web on my phone, so I was a little surprised to say the least. I reset my statistics yesterday at 4:00pm. A little more than 24 hours later, it seems I've used 837MB of data. That's with me turning cellular data off from about 5:45pm last night to 9:00 am this morning. I didn't listen to any music, watch any videos, download anything, or update any apps. I was mostly on Safari, and I checked out Twitter and Instagram a couple of times. I'm not sure how it's possible to use almost 1GB of data in what amounts to about 10 hours. Has anyone else had this issue? If so, is there any way to fix it? I don't want to be afraid to use my phone at the risk of incurring a crazy bill. Thanks.

Accepted answers

Momma23dogs

amberlowe

test your phones to see if they are using wifi. Turn off cellular data and see if the phone still has useable internet connection. If it is poor, or not working, the phone is not using wifi.

1. Try forgetting and reconnecting to wifi.

**Note under cellular data, what apps are using data.

2. Open settings, cellular data and turn off apps that you don't want running on cellular.

3. email and social network apps must be restricted from within the app settings. Restrict video to wifi.

4. restrict itunes and App Store to wifi.

5. properly close applications by double clicking home button and swipe up to close apps.

6 Reset network settings. You will need to sign in to wifi again.

7. do a hard reboot. Hold power and home button till your phone cycles off, then on again, release when apple logo appears. Your data will not be effected.

8. Do a full backup. Reset your phone to factory. Restore.

9 If none of the previous remedies help, please make an appointment with apple repair.

All comments

Ann154

What is the phone saying for which applications are using all the data?

pherson

I'm a little confused. You said you turned cellular data off but you were using safari twitter and instagram? We're you on a wifi network or thinking you were on one?

lg611

I should have been clearer. While I had cellular data turned off, I was using my home wifi. The data usage started when I got to work and turned my cellular data back on.

unknown

your data usage in this case was over wifi. Check your cellular data use.

social networking apps chew data. There are settings within the apps to turn off automatic video.

the iphone 6 will use a lot of data.

you can change settings to limit applications to wifi only

lg611

It's saying that the most usage has been Safari (623MB).

rtiffin

You need to make sure that when you are DONE using your browser or any other app that your Browser is completely closed and no apps are running ..Social Networks..Twitter can and will run on going.. always double check,, and closed down your wifi if you are not using so that another doesn't connection against your wifi..

hope that helps

Ann154

Turning off the cellular data connection not wifi with help prevent accidental cellular data usage.

amberlowe

My husband is having the same issue with his iPhone 6 and me to a lesser extent. We are not using our phones any differently than we did with our iPhone 5's. My husband has used half his data limit in 8 days!! It's very unusual and frustrating that no one can find a solution. We shouldn't have to shut off all of this crap on our phones just to use them. Why is the iPhone 6 such a data hog??

Momma23dogs

amberlowe

test your phones to see if they are using wifi. Turn off cellular data and see if the phone still has useable internet connection. If it is poor, or not working, the phone is not using wifi.

1. Try forgetting and reconnecting to wifi.

**Note under cellular data, what apps are using data.

2. Open settings, cellular data and turn off apps that you don't want running on cellular.

3. email and social network apps must be restricted from within the app settings. Restrict video to wifi.

4. restrict itunes and App Store to wifi.

5. properly close applications by double clicking home button and swipe up to close apps.

6 Reset network settings. You will need to sign in to wifi again.

7. do a hard reboot. Hold power and home button till your phone cycles off, then on again, release when apple logo appears. Your data will not be effected.

8. Do a full backup. Reset your phone to factory. Restore.

9 If none of the previous remedies help, please make an appointment with apple repair.

amberlowe

Thank you for advice. We have done #1-5. Last night, while connected to wi-fi, I shut off cellular data on my husband's phone, checked Facebook, and it told me my cellular data wasn't turned on and therefore, I couldn't connect to Facebook!! We confirmed he was connected to our wi-fi. I had my phone and did the same thing (shutting off cellular data) and it worked just fine via my wi-fi connection!!

I'm sorry, but we should NOT have to turn all that crap off just to stay under our data limits. We had no problems like this with our 5's. I will try the rest of the suggestions, but I don't feel we should have to do a full restore. I appreciate the suggestions mama23dogs, but I'm beyond frustrated - this has been going on since September! We have gone to the Verizon store, did all the things suggested in #1-5. Another user on an Apple thread said it was his outlook email. We shut off automatic fetch for new emails, but my husband relies on that email account for the calendar sync feature. There is NO way we can eliminate that email application.

I will be contacting Apple support. Thanks again!!

Toyota4x4van

Verizon's data accounting is highly suspect, to say the least. Over the last year or two, our data usage has gone from less than 4GB (4 phones) to about 13GB, with no appreciable difference in how we use our phones. If I look at the detailed data use on Verizonwireless.com for my phone, I consistently see significant data use at around 6:15am nearly every weekday, even though I am driving to work with my phone in my pocket (not using any mapping or anything). Highly suspicious, especially when I do in fact use the phone prior to leaving the house (while on WiFi) to check traffic, weather, etc. It seems that all of my activity while on WiFi just before leaving home is not being recorded until 15-20 minutes later, when I am no longer on WiFi. Convenient for Verizon, isn't it? Yet there is no way for us to see exactly what that data use actually is (also convenient for Verizon, isn't it?).

With no way for the customer to verify what data is being used and when, it is ripe for abuse by Verizon, and countless others suspect the same thing; Verizon is artificially inflating data use because they can, and there is no way for us to prove it. Something has to change in the way wireless companies record and bill for data use.

Momma23dogs

Well that sure explains why your husbands phone is using a lot of data. It isn't connecting to your home wifi. The odd thing is, many of the iphones say "connected" to wifi, but are not using it, instead preferring cellular data connection.

it is unclear if the fault is in the wifi antenna on the phones or the software controling it.

Toyota4x4van

My daughter's iPhone 5s is going through data like crazy. The "Data Utilization" chart shows the vast majority of it is for videos, yet the only time she streams video is while at home on WiFi. Something is rotten is Denmark. Verizon is way overcharging data use, both on mine & my son's Android phones and on my wife and daughters' iphones. And untill they open their books to show us EXACTLY what data they are recording/billing us for, we will continue to be ripped off.

Momma23dogs

The iphone will allow apps to run in the background on cellular, unless restricted by turning off cellular to that application.

I would be happy to tell you how to restrict use of cellular data on the iPhone.

First, a test to see if the phone is really using wifi. If she turns off cellular data to the phone, does she still have usable internet connection? (Browse websites, load facebook, watch YouTube?). Let me know if this is a pass or fail.

1. Step one is to detach the phone from the child long enough to dig into the cause of problems....

2. Open settings, cellular data and scroll down to see which apps are using the most data. Apps are listed in decending order, so the biggest offender will be at the top of the list. ( you can adjust the time period in the chart at the top to get a picture of a full month of her use)

3. Now that you know the problem apps, you can turn the switch next to those apps, and any other non essential apps to the OFF position.

4. Social media apps and email have settings within the app itself to restrict video and other content to wifi only.

Kids don't know how to close apps, or don't bother. Teach her to double tap home button and swipe up to close apps. This will also make her phone run better. Open apps, running in the background are still using RAM. (And data)

Toyota4x4van

Thanks, mama. I'll look into this, as soon as I can accomplish your #1 (although at 20 yrs old she's no longer a child).

Momma23dogs

She is always YOUR child.

I Know how it is, my sons are 18 and 20.