Why all of a suddden data overage?
Dewartfam
Enthusiast - Level 1

of data overage, 15g plan for over a year and we rarely hit 13g until August we hit a whopping 21g no change in our habits. We have wifi in the office and at home, and now this month we are using 1g a day in overages. This is Weird that it is happening to a lot of customers. We have already checked our phones and even upgraded our home wifi so it is clearly a Verizon issue.

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Re: Data overage sudden
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

+1 to what rcschnoor​ said, and an additional comment.  Over the past few months (when this "data explosion" seems to have happened), several apps and programs have added video capability.  I have added Snapchat (at the encouragement of my twenty-something daughter) but don't use.  However, she does, extensively, and it is video, and uses data, primarily when \she is NOT at home on wifi.

Twitter now has video; Instagram lets you add video to a collage.  Newsfeeds, weather apps, Sports apps, all use an increasing amount of video in their posts.  So, unless  you DO change the way you use your phone, it WILL use more and more data.  It's not Verizon, it;s the app programmers and updates to their apps that are likely causing the bulk of your increased data use.

Example:  we share 4 GB data on the new Verizon plan.  In the first DAY of my new cycle, my phone used 1.27GB of data.  That's more than I typically  use in a month, and I watch my data!!  This seemingly appeared out of nowhere, as I had not changed my usage at all.  But Google photos had updated their app a few days prior, and reset  my setting to upload to my Google drive, at full resolution, over cellular data, both photos and videos.  I didn't check, just saw the update in my notifications.  So the day I took some photos and videos, and Google decided to sync everything, (including some older videos that had not been backed up to drive because I back those up manually and selectively).  Bam - over a gig used.  And it's on me - because I didn't recheck my app settings after the update.  Lesson learned.

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Re: Data overage sudden
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

Did you which applications are using the data at that time? Updates to the applications could have reset your normal settings allowing the applications to use cellular data when they used to use wifi?

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: Data overage sudden
tapchawes
Enthusiast - Level 1

It happened to us too, no change in habits, and we always use cellular data. Went through our 6 Gg with 1 week to go.

Re: Data overage sudden
rcschnoor
Legend

People post questions like this all the time. Each and every time the simple answer is to look at your phone and determine which apps are using the data. Go into the settings on those apps and change them to use LESS data. Each time an app updates is another time you data usage habits CAN change without ANY change in what you actually do. "YOUR HABITS" may not change, but the habits of the apps you use CAN change if the app provider changes the settings.

Just as an example, I NEVER use facebook. Recently I started receiving hundreds of Facebook notifications every day. THAT takes data to deliver those notifications. I went into FACEBOOK and the settings had been changed. I had notifications turned off and now they were ON. I had auto play turned off except when on wifi. It was now turned on for wifi and cellular data. MY habits had not changed, yet the habit of the app HAD CHANGED. Is this Verizon's fault???? NO!!!! This is MY fault for having the Facebook app on my device, logged in with my Facebook userid and not checking the settings on that app. I changed the settings and now everything is back to normal.

This is a simply example for ONE app. You may not have Facebook on your device or even use it or have logged in with your userid. The point is that this can happen with ANY app on your phone and I assume you have SOME apps on your phone. Whether or not you use Facebook, you need to check the settings of the apps you DO use and/or have on your phone, especially the apps which are using the most data.

You have to be proactive. You can't simply sit back and not manage your device.

Re: Data overage sudden
SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

+1 to what rcschnoor​ said, and an additional comment.  Over the past few months (when this "data explosion" seems to have happened), several apps and programs have added video capability.  I have added Snapchat (at the encouragement of my twenty-something daughter) but don't use.  However, she does, extensively, and it is video, and uses data, primarily when \she is NOT at home on wifi.

Twitter now has video; Instagram lets you add video to a collage.  Newsfeeds, weather apps, Sports apps, all use an increasing amount of video in their posts.  So, unless  you DO change the way you use your phone, it WILL use more and more data.  It's not Verizon, it;s the app programmers and updates to their apps that are likely causing the bulk of your increased data use.

Example:  we share 4 GB data on the new Verizon plan.  In the first DAY of my new cycle, my phone used 1.27GB of data.  That's more than I typically  use in a month, and I watch my data!!  This seemingly appeared out of nowhere, as I had not changed my usage at all.  But Google photos had updated their app a few days prior, and reset  my setting to upload to my Google drive, at full resolution, over cellular data, both photos and videos.  I didn't check, just saw the update in my notifications.  So the day I took some photos and videos, and Google decided to sync everything, (including some older videos that had not been backed up to drive because I back those up manually and selectively).  Bam - over a gig used.  And it's on me - because I didn't recheck my app settings after the update.  Lesson learned.

Re: Data overage sudden
LESMIL66
Enthusiast - Level 1

Except this is also happening with my Verizon internet service when I am on my computer and it has no apps.  So what's the story there?

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Re: Data overage sudden
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader

LESMIL66 wrote:

Except this is also happening with my Verizon internet service when I am on my computer and it has no apps. So what's the story there?

It would have been helpful if you had provided that information including which device you are using in your original post.

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: Data overage sudden
joey2007ua64
Contributor - Level 3

LESMIL66 wrote:

Except this is also happening with my Verizon internet service when I am on my computer and it has no apps. So what's the story there?

Computers just use a lot of data.  For example, I have a fiber internet connection at my home and each computer on my network uses at least 30GB a month just browsing the internet.  Most websites load content at different resolutions based on your bandwidth.  High speed XLTE = high resolution content = high data usage.  If you have Windows 8.x or 10 you can set your mobile hotspot WI-FI connection to a metered connection to help limit its use.

metered.png

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Re: Data overage sudden
rcschnoor
Legend

LESMIL66 wrote:

Except this is also happening with my Verizon internet service when I am on my computer and it has no apps. So what's the story there?

You have wifi at home and work? What Verizon "internet service" are you speaking of? Are you talking about a mobile hotspot separate from your phone? Is that what you are talking about supplying your wifi? Computers don't have apps? Last I looked, computers have apps which can use a LOT of data. Computers can also download OS updates which can use a LOT of data. That could possibly be the story there, however holding back information and only releasing it bit by bit makes a problem harder to diagnose.

Re: Why all of a suddden data overage?
MLGARG
Enthusiast - Level 1

Same issue here, we both work from home and use wifi. Sitting here at home and we just got hit with an overage charge. I smell something suspicious here with Verizon. We are think about switching to Xfinity. This is so ridiculous.