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iPhone 5s still using data when connected to wifi.

importer1980

My daughter's iPhone 5s uses small amounts of mobile data even while she is connected to a wifi source. The amounts are relatively small, but they add up quickly towards the end of the month and she is already almost over the limit. The data usage shows that some of these occurrences are happening at times when no one is using the phone, and I have seen the same exact times on multiple days leading me to believe that this is a setting issue, such as an automatic update or something of that nature. I have read that the only way to solve this problem is to go into settings and switch off cellular data, but that doesn't seem right to have to do this every time seeing as how the iPhone 5s can discern whether or not it is in a wifi area. Is there any way to fix this? The phone is brand new (1 week old), and I don't want to swap it out as if it were defective. To my knowledge, my wife and I do not have this problem on our Samsung S4s.

Imp

Comments

Verizon_Support

Hello importer1980, let's solve this mystery! What software version is the iPhone 5s currently running? Please make sure the device is up to date. Were there any changes to the wifi password recently & does wifi ever drop off periodically? Keep us posted!

WiltonA_VZW

VZW Support

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Hansen214

We keep jacking up our data plan and somehow we keep using more data every month. All of us have iPhones. 2 of the phones in our plans do use all data - no wifi. The other three phones are constantly connected to Wifi but somehow we are still using chunks of data and getting messages of using all of our data. I have checked the usage online and the other three of us are being charged data even when I know we are on wifi. We all have our phones up to date with software. I tried talking with someone Live Chat (all busy) and I tried to call the 800 number but for some reason the numbers were not being received on Verizon end of my choices to talk to someone and eventually I was hung up on instead of directed to an operator. Please advise, this is most frustrating.

Verizon_Support

Hansen214,

I totally understand your concern. Were you able to check the software version on the phone? One thing you can do to ensure data isn't used while connected to wifi is to disable cellular data when connecting to wifi http://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-85309/. Once you're off wifi you can go back and turn cellular data back on. Try this and keep us posted if you continue to see data usage while connected to wifi.

JohnB_VZW
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If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

Hansen214

Thank you for your response. We keep our phones up to date and are currently running iOS 8.3. I thought myself to turn off and on the cellular data when in wifi, but that is a bit inconvenient to keep doing.

RushFan2112

iPhones automatically turn off WiFi when asleep unless they are plugged in and in doing so, they use your data plan to stay "current."

WiFi gets turned off to save battery because WiFi drains the battery a lot faster than just the phone radio. If this wasn't done, so many people would complain about horrible battery life.

You do have several options, though. 1) Keep the phone plugged into the wall, 2) turn off cellular data (and you won't get anything data wise), or 3) go Android.

Deebo1911

John I've done some reading on this and I have a couple of questions: 1. Is this a LTE/ 4G issue 2. Is this a IPhone programming issue 3. Is this a Verizon programming issue? Prior to getting an I6 I have never had an issue with I4. I read somewhere that Verizon issued a patch sometime ago that allowed you to override cellular data with Wifi, is that true? If so does a person need to go into a store to have it done on phone obtained since 2012.

dataplanscam

I am also experiencing problems with Verizon and the iphone 5s. We have 3 phones-one android and 2 iphone 56(since Dec) and have never even used close to 1g a month. All of a sudden, with the iphone 5s, I am hitting almost 5 g in 2 weeks, despite having wifi on and only allowing calls and texting to be used specifically to see if data is being pulled. Since May 1, I went from 0, to 4.48 g. There is no way that the data is being used and I do not understand how it is possible that anything can be pulling this much. I personally have kept the phones at my side to make sure that I was not being fooled as a parent and sat with my teens during times when calls/texting were being made to see that no internet access was being used. I think that this is a scam on Verizon's part. I check the data usage reports and as others have mentioned, random data drains take place all the time. If Verizon was truly concerned and not interested in scamming, they would allow blocks to be put capping the data usage. In the past, the plan allowed for the data to simply slow down. I think it may be worth the termination fee to cut ties and go to TMobile. There seems to be way too many people experiencing this and Verizon appears to be doing nothing about it. Maybe we need to start a social media blitz to warn future customers to go elsewhere.

Verizon_Support

As a consumer myself, I completely understand where you're coming from dataplanscam.Keeping everything at an affordable cost is important these days, I know it's important to do everything we can to achieve this. As mentioned earlier in this thread, iPhones turn off wi-fi automatically when in "sleep" mode to save battery life. This means you may have "Wi-Fi" setting enabled, but if the phone is not in use, it will disconnect from the wifi network. This is designed by the manufacturer not us.

Also, there are definitely other ways the phones can use that much data. This can easily be due to background data. If any applications are set to "push" data, meaning they update
automatically, that can be the cause of this. Please go to Settings>Cellular>you can view which apps have used the most data, helping you identify the cause of usage spike. You can also disable data usage for that app in that setting.

AdaS_VZW
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If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

muvotx

I published this in Nov 2013, but almost all of it is still valid today on the latest iOS. Also take the time to read through the discussion comments... there are LOTS and LOTS of ways iPhones consume cellular data, if you don't throttle them back they will run rogue and drive up your data usage.

!!WARNING!! iPhone 5C Verizon... Monitor your data usage!!! - YouTube

Hope this helps!! good luck

Saul7782

This data is being used while the phone is in use and not "sleeping" and my phone is up to date!!! This is a scam and I need to take it to a higher level and perhaps even call my lawyer!!

Saul7782

And by the way yes I am connected to the wifi!!

Verizon_Support

Saul7782, we want to make sure that any unnecessary data usage comes to an end. When you are connected to WiFi, do you have mobile data fully disabled to ensure that the device is not switching to mobile data when WiFi cuts out?

HarleyE_VZW
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If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

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