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data usage

Can somebody explain to me how data usage works. My daughters phone shows no use while she is home, but constant data usage when she's away, every couple of minutes,fir a few hours then it stops, then another few hours, then it'll stop when she gets home. She denied using it for anything, but obviously she is.

Anybody?

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Tidbits

The data usage isn't reported real time. Generally in spurts. So what you see may be delay data used hours ago.

There are going to be some apps that will not show data usage. For example for as long as Android devices had a built in data usage section Facebook has never been on that list regardless if I use it or not. One some other random downloaded monitoring tools always shows Facebook at the top of my usage and often closer to carrier monitored usage compared to the built in one.

dilbertaz

At home she is most likely connected to wifi so there is no cellular data usage, when she leaves the house with no wi-fi available it uses cellular data. What type of phone does she have? (Android/iPhone) Either way there are ways to see and limit what apps are using the data.

Android you can go to Settings->Data Usage and see what apps are using data and also limit to wifi per app. Most apps will let you control wi-fi versus cell data as well.

How to control and limit cellular data use on your iPhone or iPad (iOS 8) - Apple Toolbox

GLNC

We don't have WiFi, she uses fb and all her usual apps at home, we have 4G only. I can track it every singe day, the moment she gets home it stops, the moment she leaves it starts, like she's messaging. But nothing shows in text messages, only in data usage. If she's in class itstops, she gets out it starts. Could it be an online messenger. Something I can't trace?

Tidbits

If she has an iPhone she is using iMessenger. That uses data and sending photos will send them at full resolution which can be upwards of 7MB in size.

Also at times Facebook doesn't register in data meters on devices for some reasons (think it's intentional by them)

GLNC

She has a note 4. She used fb all day at home. I dont understandv why it looks like a conversation, for instance, from 8 to 9 am, it'll be something like 8.01, 8.06, 8.10, 8.15, 8.17, 8.20, 8 .25, 8.27, 8.32, 8.34, 8.45 etc

Tidbits

Is she using messenger + or Hangouts?

GLNC

No, there are no contacts in either, I've checked on the sly. I'm completely at a loss

Tidbits

Here's an example. If she is using Facebook. Right now I use it and it doesn't register for me. Doing the Math in the past week Facebook should have used more than Google Play 2.24GB to be exact when adding all my usage to match what T-Mobile said I used. I know for a fact I used Facebook since I got our new Puppy and family wanted me to share the photos and videos. She is adorable and awesome! I would use my Verizon phone to show that one, but I don't use Facebook on that phone and it's also at work. Yes I use multiple carriers for service(mostly paid for by work. We have AT&T and Verizon. No Sprint or T-Mobile. T-Mobile is my personal line).

Tidbits

Insert shameless puppy photo because she's so cute!

GLNC

Right. ...I use fb All day long but the only data usage my phone registers is the auto updates one the early morning and one late afternoon. I use messenger, text, twitter, snapchat, instagram, and chrome, but none of that registers in my data usage.

dilbertaz

Your best bet is to take another look on the sly, check Settings->Data Usage you'll see exactly which app she is using. Very likely a social media app such as snapchat which purposely doesn't leave a trace, you can send/receive images and they disappear. You can slide the vertical bars on the usage graph to more limited times such as when she leaves to see what app(s) may be most active at those times. It could be any number of social media apps. The 8mb size could very likely correspond to sending/receiving 3-4 photos through something like snapchat.

GLNC

Thanks I'll give that a whirl

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