huge data usage
norsy55
Newbie

I have 3gb of data and very rarely go over 2 in a month until last month.  I used 2.88 (a lot for me).  Now I am 2 days into my new cycle and it says I have already used .77 What changed in the last 2 months and how is that much usage possible.

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Re: huge data usage
chris1060
Specialist - Level 1

Have you went into settings you see what is using the data? Settings > Data Usage. Scroll through the list and see what apps or services are using the most  data. It may be an app that refreshes frequently. If it is an app such as Facebook or a weather or other widget, set the update interval to a longer period. Some apps can have the Background Data disabled, but you need to be careful doing this, so as not to disable a system component that requires background data.

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Re: huge data usage
chris1060
Specialist - Level 1

Have you went into settings you see what is using the data? Settings > Data Usage. Scroll through the list and see what apps or services are using the most  data. It may be an app that refreshes frequently. If it is an app such as Facebook or a weather or other widget, set the update interval to a longer period. Some apps can have the Background Data disabled, but you need to be careful doing this, so as not to disable a system component that requires background data.

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Re: huge data usage
norsy55
Newbie

Thanks.  I looked where you said and it is google play store that is eating up the data but only on my tablet.  It is a slightly different version than on my phone 5.9.12 on the tablet and 5.7.10 on my phone.  All the other settings are the same.  The only difference I notice is on the tablet the background usage is .51 Should I restrict background data?  It cautions about apps that depend on bg data and says you can find more appropriate data usage controls in the settings available within the app but I don't know what they mean. Thanks for your help.

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Re: huge data usage
chris1060
Specialist - Level 1

You have to be careful restricting background completely, because system services require that BG data be on. Also apps like mail clients, Facebook, weather apps that update requires BG data to be on. Google Play Services requires it, or it will keep prompting you to enable it. You can restrict individual apps like Facebook and email, but you will have to manually refresh those appsapps. To disable BG data on apps, go back to Settings > Data Usage, scroll to the apps I'm the list, click the app. Look down towards the bottom there will be a prompt to Disable Background Data. Tick the box. It will ask if you are sure you want to do it, click yes. Should you encounter issuers, just reverse the procedure. The completely disable BG data, once you get to the screen where the usage summary is for the apps, at the very bottom on the right, there will be 3 horizontal lines, click that, the top option will be Restrict Background DataData. Click that, and choose OK. Again, of issues, just reverse the procedure.

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Re: huge data usage
chris1060
Specialist - Level 1

Edit. You may want to set the Play Store to not auto update apps, since it constantly polls your apps.

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Re: huge data usage
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

The Play Store should also be set to update on wifi only too.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: huge data usage
norsy55
Newbie

ok, so here's what I did.  Since Google play store was using the data I checked to restrict bg data and it has stopped racking up any more data usage.   Last week I went to the verizon store because a message kept popping up every few seconds about google play services has stopped working or various messages.  After 4 people trying to get it to stop they reset the tablet to the original settings.  That did correct the problem.  Now that I think about everything, the data usage increase and the pop ups started about the same time last month.   The other thing is I play solitaire on the tablet and every time you start a new game an ad opens up for some other game and I just x out of it.  About the time this all started when some ads came up and I Xed out instead of closing it would open the internet to their site.  I think in my haste to close these things maybe I unintentionally downloaded something.    For someone who is technologically challenged I should look more closely before clicking things. Thanks for your help.

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