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my phone is using a TON of data, and so i doubled my data. now it is using even MORE data. please help me!!

MFLETCH1992

I have a Nexus 6 and i know that i am not using 11GB of data every month. im just not on my phone off of wifi NEARLY that much. while im at work i can use my computer to do anything. and at home i have WiFi. i checked what is using the most data and it is Google Music, Facebook, Reddit, and snapchat.

but most of my music is downloaded to my phone, and i can use facebook/reddit on my work computer or wifi...

why is my phone progressively using more and more data each month?

Comments

Ann154

Provide a screenshot of your data usage from the phone for the current billing cycle and the previous billing cycle.

MFLETCH1992

here is from the last 4 billing cycles. you can see that it just keeps going up. every time i add data to my account, my phone is using so much more.

rcschnoor

Seems to me you should go into the settings for those apps to and see what you can do to limit how much data they use.

For Google Play Music, you should confirm that you are only playing downloaded music each time you want to listen to any. I know when I use Google Play Music, I can check the "downloaded music only" check box when I start playing and then the next time I open up the app it is no longer checked.

Make sure the settings in Facebook are such that videos don't automatically play. I am sure there are other settings on Facebook which would help with data usage.

I don't know much about reddit, but I am sure there are data friendly settings in that app, too.

your phone is using more data each month because the apps you have installed on your device have chosen to do so. Change the app settings whenever you see an app using more data. If you cannot find any settings to save on data, either delete the app or live with the additional data use.

MFLETCH1992

but why would it be using more? is there a memory leak? i understand the music one. and depending... i can live with the data. i dont think it should be that much because i listen to at least 90% music that i have downloaded. but still. its just frustrating that i keep upping my data, and then it gets used as soon as i do. it is doing it knowingly

rcschnoor

MFLETCH1992 wrote:
but why would it be using more?

Each time an app is updated, there is a possibility some settings may have changed or the app has changed the way it operates. I know that I have apps which are updated AT LEAST once a month and I am fairly certain that Facebook is one of those apps. That means at least 12 different times/year an app may start behaving differently.

MFLETCH1992 wrote:
i understand the music one. and depending... i can live with the data. i dont think it should be that much because i listen to at least 90% music that i have downloaded.

Do you check each time you start the app???? Did you read my reply that I have checked the "downloaded music only" and it is ALWAYS unchecked the next time I start the app. I ALWAYS check to make sure that setting is enabled before I start playing music with the Google Play app, even when the music I am playing has been downloaded to my device. Remember, that music is ALSO in the cloud and if that setting is not checked, you cannot guarantee the downloaded music will be chosen over the cloud music.

Verizon_Support

MFLETCH1992, I can understand you concern regarding your data usage. We will help you take a look at your usage. We do not currently have any known issues with data usage. We recommend running a test on your phone. Can you please turn off the data when not in use or when you are on Wi-Fi and see if your data continues to rise when not in use. Follow the link for instructions: http://vz.to/2bZF6yB

RalphT_VZW
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Verizon_Support

MFLETCH1992-

Having ample amounts of data is important but it's even more important to know where your data is being spent. Your screenshots are definitely helpful for capturing where your data is going. However, I want to dig a little bit deeper to ensure we are able to keep your data usage in check. Around the time that your data usage started to spike, did you make any changes to your device (new software update, apps, etc)? When you are connected to Wifi, do you manually turn off your cellular data to ensure your phone is only pulling from the Wifi?

AmberK_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!!

MFLETCH1992

I'm sure I updated some applications.. I do that every day when I connect to my phone charger(and am on wifi) no i don't manually turn off my mobile data when I'm on wifi, I shouldn't have to! I should be able to trust that my phone is working properly and not hemorrhaging data every month. Now I'm stuck paying $15 for my overage fee AGAIN this month after I added an extra 10gb to my plan. How is it possible for me to use THAT much extra after just barely going over in previous months? Now I KNOW I'm going to have to get a new phone and that frustrates me as well.

Weth

I don't see the mystery. Google play music is clearly downloading or streaming music you think is on the phone. Facebook and the Reddit app are prefetching loads of data, especially video in Facebook's case. there a probably setting to turn that off. it is not a Verizon problem or conspiracy, but an app and app setting issue.

veryfrustrated0118

Also, check your Google Play Music settings. You can change the quality to a lower quality. I suspect you may be on the highest streaming quality and that will use more data.

MFLETCH1992

Im not afraid of using data. i just dont understand how during one month ill use 3gb data, then the next i use 9gb, and then the next i use 12gb when my habits have not changed... why would there be that large of a jump?

MFLETCH1992

the problem isnt that im using data at all... its that there has been an enormous spike with no change in my habits. why is it using so much NOW, when it wasnt?

rcschnoor

MFLETCH1992 wrote:
Im not afraid of using data. i just dont understand how during one month ill use 3gb data, then the next i use 9gb, and then the next i use 12gb when my habits have not changed... why would there be that large of a jump?

If an app changes its settings when updated and you continue on with the same habits WITHOUT checking the settings in those apps, it is VERY possible to use more data without changing your habits. Furthermore, the phone would be working perfectly fine when doing so. If an app tells the phone to use cellular data and it does, it does not mean the phone isn't working properly. It means it IS working properly.

Weth

When I said there was no mystery, I meant there is no mystery which apps are using the data and what apps you need to look at the settings. As noted above, settings can change with updates.

TRAFEL35

I was just told last night by a Verizon representative that you have to manually go into your phone settings and disable the data when you are connected to wifi, and then manually go back in and turn it back on once you no longer have access to wifi. So, even if you are at home and your phone shows you are using wifi, it will actually be using your data. It will use whichever signal is stronger, is what they told me (and that your phone will always be the stronger one.) I asked which providers do not do this and they said it is common practice with all providers, and there is no way to set your phone to automatically switch once connected to wifi. On iphones, it is under the cellular settings and iOS 9 and up will have a wifi assist option, turn that off whenever you have wifi. This is happening with all phones though, not just iPhones.

rcschnoor

TRAFEL35 wrote:
I was just told last night by a Verizon representative that you have to manually go into your phone settings and disable the data when you are connected to wifi, and then manually go back in and turn it back on once you no longer have access to wifi. So, even if you are at home and your phone shows you are using wifi, it will actually be using your data. It will use whichever signal is stronger, is what they told me (and that your phone will always be the stronger one.) I asked which providers do not do this and they said it is common practice with all providers, and there is no way to set your phone to automatically switch once connected to wifi. On iphones, it is under the cellular settings and iOS 9 and up will have a wifi assist option, turn that off whenever you have wifi. This is happening with all phones though, not just iPhones.

The 4 phones(2 android, 2 iPhone) on my account have no problem using wifi when it is available and we do not EVER turn cellular data off on our phones. When moving from no wifi signal to a wifi signal, all 4 phones will automatically switch to the wifi signal in favor over the cellular signal.:smileyhappy:

Weth

What you were told is completely false. Frankly the rep you talked to had no idea how things work.

We have 4 iPhones, all different models. We never have to switch anything and we do not use data at home when on wifI. I understand the times of reported data online is not the actual time of use. When I monitor how much my ohine uses compared to what Verizon reports it is within a 100 MB each time.

Turning off wifi assist and keeping it off can save some ceelluk use at home but you can just keep it off.

Monitor or the data used by your phone with setting- cellular. Reset to counters whe your billing period changes. Understand the data online does not report the actual time of use, only when the tower reports back. It is often off by 6 hours, sometimes more.

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