THE DATA USAGE ISSUE WITH THE IPHONE 5c

[keltikrain76]

So, my son got his Christmas wish of the Iphone 5c.  He had the Iphone 4 for at least 2 years.  So, I started getting notifications that we are at 50% of our data limit, then 75% of our data limit...  We have been with Verizon for the past 10 years....we have NEVER experienced this kind of usage on our data.  We usually run at 1.5g...and I only have the 4g as a safeguard.  Now here we sit with our billing cycle still running and having no data left.  We are hardly ever off of our wifi.  This is ridiculous.  After reading the threads on the blogs....we need a fix and we need it now.  I will not be renewing my contract with Verizon if we can't get this rectified.  There is no reason for this kind of data usage...and especially while we are sleeping.  There was a huge hit this morning...while at our house...while we were sleeping...and we have wifi....My droid has used hardly any data...and yet his iphone has eaten up 3g....RIDICULOUS.

[tiredofoverages]

Those AT&T Share plans are looking more attractive all the time . . .

[Bill21784]

Joining the crowd on this one. My daughter upgraded from the iPhone 4 to 5 and now her data usage is sky HIGH.

She was using about 2 GB per month on her iPhone 4... 

Now with the iPhone 5s she has gone through 5.5 GB in just 2 weeks.

My wife and son still have iPhone 4's and they have only used 500 MB each in the same time frame with similar usage.

Just this morning at 5:45 AM the iPhone 5 used 500 MB.

I am glad that I have an Android phone...

I use it for NAV, weather, Facebook, and work email all day and I average 800 MB per month.

[Ledsteplin]

It always seems to be the young people. They like videos, streaming music, intense games and chat apps. Using those off wifi will use a lot of data. Don't blame the phone or Verizon.

[bravelad]

I'm soooo glad others are seeing the same thing.  I have been apoplectic over the last few months, having carefully tracked my usage when I was on Sprint and setting up my contract with what I felt like was a decent sized data plan.  However, my daughters iPhone 5 uses an amazing amount of data, and I've been going through the roof with my daughter.  Sometimes a week into the month getting usage warnings (I've set up all the warnings)!  I have gone from 2gig (we never collectively used over 2 gb a month on Sprint), to 4gb to a 6 to keep from going over.  Her iPhone kills my android in data usage. 

I finally had to tell her to turn off data while in the house (we always use wifi in our house or the houses of people who let us connect), or out on the road unless she really needs it, the amount of policing has been hilariously stupid.

Yes, I think she naturally uses more data than me, she is a teen, but I don't restrict my usage at all and I'm always way under her levels. 

Something... is... wrong with the iPhone or with how Verizon calculates data with iPhones.  I hope this issue gets huge momentum, and Verizon get to the bottom of it.  I would hate to see it become some sort of class action lawsuit (oh my gosh that was sooo MSNBC).

Please Verizon, figure this out.

[JRIII]

This is a duplicate post, but assuming it works it needs to be shared broadly. Verizon  isn't likely to try and fix it - they're raking it in - and Apple apparently set default to data for better user experience. For those of us who are satisfied the user experience of our smartphone on wifi:

190. Re: Why is my iPhone 5 Using So Much Data??

JRIII Oct 3, 2014 8:57 PM (in response to Michelle1982)

Found this workaround too, trying it now on son's phone. If it doesn't work will try AelizaH's strategy and turn off background app refresh. Still peeved it's necessary to have to go on this kind of mission.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4054072?start=0

iPhone doesn't pick up wifi automatically

in response to Foodage

I think I have found a solution:

1) go to Settings->General->Reset->"Reset Network Settings". This will force a reboot of the phone & erase all of the networks previously stored.

2) when the phone comes back on, go to Settings->Wi-Fi-> set "ask to join networks" to "on".

3) join the network, and input password.

4) after successfully connecting, leave the Wi-Fi network coverage area once, and come back into it. It should connect automatically again

5) go back into Settings->Wi-Fi-> set "ask to join networks" to "off"

[cfeld]

Having the same problem and Verizon Wireless will not fix this or even admit its a problem.  Even after many calls and reboots and basically turning off all the functions of my daughters phone.  Going back to Sprint this week for unlimited data.  There is no possible way my daughter uses 5x the data of anyone else in my family.  She is in school most of the day and plays a sport.  We have been nothing but disappointed since switching to Verizon Wireless from Sprint a few years ago.

[Bill21784]

I contacted Verizon Support today and they have a Software Update that is suppose to fix the issue of using Mobile Data instead of WiFi. They gave me additional data for this month to cover the extra usage by the iPhone.

[nursebsn14]

That's all they're going to do. They told me when I complained that I never went over my data. Well no I didn't because I kept increasing it so I didn't have to pay overages. I'm done with Verizon they're dead wrong and they need to address the issue directly.

[DanBTx]

Do elaborate.... Software as in OTA programming?

[nursebsn14]

I switched my service to sprint. Neither Apple or Verizon could identify why my phone was pulling so much data. Apple had the phone swapped and deemed t a hardware issue. I contacted Verizon and asked for an adjust for three months of service back to the data plan I had prior to all of this, which may have been an adjustment of about 50.00 for the past three months. The supervisor told me that wasn't Verizon's fault that the iPhone has data issues and he would not adjust anything. I contacted Apple and they offered no resolution either. I referenced these forums with other people having the same issue and the reps and managers all sounded oblivious to what the forums even were. At this point Ive ported my main line over from Verizon and my sisters phone is coming off of Verizon along with my daughters tablet. I will be contacting their executive Vice President and also the federal trade commission to report this issue. I see a class action lawsuit coming against Verizon and Apple don't with the issue and stop passing the buck.

Marchelle McCall

Sent From My iPhone

[Tidbits]

ALL iPhones randomly regardless of carrier have this issue.  Some don't stand out as much...

1.  they are not the largest carrier

2.  They have unlimited data on Sprint and T-Mobile so it often goes unnoticed. However those with limited data plans complain about their usage(They end up being throttled after a few days).  Sprint well in a lot of locations Sprint service is poor so things go unnoticed or even show a lot of usage.

Verizon and carriers will get a free pass if it's a coded bug.  Carriers don't touch code unlike popular belief.

[nursebsn14]

At this point I'd rather have my data go a little slower than have a 170.00 phone bill for one phone. And I'm not burning anything close to what I used with Verizon in the course of a week. I hope they resolve the issue but they won't even acknowledge it.

Marchelle McCall

Sent From My iPhone

[Tidbits]

I am merely pointing out who is really to blame nothing more.

Verizon can't do anything...  It's not their code, and they don't manufacturer the phone.  Apple boasts about that fact as well and the reason why there are no carrier preinstalled apps.

There's probably a patch fix from Apple which isn't going through ADC to quickly push out a potential fix.  It'll be pushed out when Apple feels comfortable.

[B33]

Like Android it's up to the Manufacture..

[#16]

There is no class actions allowed per decision of the US Supreme Court. So that kills that idea.

Apple admitted it is their issue and the fix is iOS 8.0.2 which you should have updated your iPhone to.

All iphones from iPhone 4s through the new iPhone 6&6+ can receive the update.

Good Luck

[lucilma]

I am having the same problem with data usage that have been increased  from 2gb to 20 gb in a year and verizon still telling me we are going over our  data usage  this month  again , the 21gb its not enough.

[vzw_customer_support]

lucilma,

We definitely don't want you to have that issue! Have we checked what apps are using the data? You can see that under settings>cellular and then scroll down to the app list. It will say how much data they have used under the name of the apps. If that hasn't been reset recently we can reset that at the bottom of the page to only see what is used going forward.

Is your software up to date? http://bit.ly/1xbS4Kf

AndrewT_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[Ledsteplin]

It does not show data usage amounts for each app in that list. It does show data usage in system services at the very bottom. But individual apps are not listed there. Regardless, the info in system services may be helpful. Most data usage issues go back to the user simply using too much off wifi. Videos, games, Facebook and etc. Even FaceTime and iMessage. FaceTime is a big hog.

[Whyisverizonscammingu]

Anyone who doesn't see this for the scam it is isn't paying attention. Verizon has known about this problem since at least 2012 as far as I can tell by what I've found in the Internet so far and here in 2015 it's still a problem. 3 years of overages charges on how many millions of iPhones connected to their service 12 months a year.....sounds like millions of dollars in scammed profits to me. And the only answer still being given is dumb down your smart phone or turn it into an iPod.

If this isn't a scam I don't know what you call it.

Another pissed off verizon sucker.

[Bill21784]

This is not a scam. It is the Apple IOS 7&8 operating system. This was created by the Chinese and over there they still charge per TXT message with unlimited data plans. A lot of the applications written for IOS are being written to favor DATA. One example is iMessage. This app sends ALL text messages to other iPhones using data and will only send SMS to Andriod Phones. Apps like iTunes and iCloud like to sync data at different times of the day and prefer Data vs WiFi. Where Google Play will only sync when connected to WiFi.

You don't have to DUMB your phone. Just turn OFF Cellular data for apps tha you don't use all the time and this will force them to sync only when connected to WiFi. You will want to leave it on for app like Maps and Pandora that you use while driving a car.

[Whyisverizonscammingu]

Keep telling yourself that Bill, whatever helps you sleep at night I guess.  But 5 years at AT&T with iPhones and not one problem with overages and family members at other carriers with iPhones and no problems with overages. Add that to the last couple years getting circled around with verizon wireless customer service forces me to disagree.

And I'm curious where you got your info on who writes apples operating systems and why they are set up how they are. Is that you telling people what you think is the cause, or can you actually send us to a source for that info? I'll go ahead and start my google quest but I'm going to go ahead and assume that a company as big as Apple, that has backed absolutely everything I've purchased from them for the last almost ten years in every way possible could actually manage to write a separate operating system for their Chinese and American, along with every other if need be, markets.