I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
TB0407
Enthusiast - Level 2

I just switched from Sprint to Verizon about a month ago & got the new iPhone5. I got a message Tuesday saying we used 75% of our data & now today we are over our data usage... So I looked to see all the different times we've been charged for using data & noticed that well over 60% of the time it was while we were connected to our WiFi account at home. Is anyone else having this issue? How can I make it stop? I think it's ridiculous that we can get charged for data when really you're using WiFi!!! Any insight that anyone can give would be great b/c when I called to ask the girl really didn't have many answers for me. She told me to call Verizon Fios & see if there is something wrong w/ my router & if that doesn't work go to a Verizon Wireless store & see what they say. This is total & complete crap if you ask me!

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader

Lots of threads about this on this forum ... have you done a search?  Have you downloaded/installed the carrier update?

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
TB0407
Enthusiast - Level 2

I'm really new at this. My old phone wasn't a smart phone by any means & I just signed up for this forum right before I posted so no I was kind of confused on what to search under b/c when I tried I didn't get many results. What's the carrier update?

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
tikibar1
Community Leader
Community Leader

there was an update pushed to the iPhone 5 to address the issue about being charged for data when connected to wifi; according to various posts on this forum, it worked for some folks, but not for others ... here's one of the threads:

https://community.verizonwireless.com/message/889128#889128

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
TB0407
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thank you I will try it!!!

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
TB0407
Enthusiast - Level 2

Mine is already on 13.1 & so that says to me that the fix did not work for me. This is really annoying!!!

Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
Not applicable

It has to do with the iPhone using data when going to sites that have IPv6. It can't for some reason go to IPv6 sites under wi-fi. If one can turn off IPv6 on the iphone I suggest doing that. I'm not sure that can be done since I don't own one( and never would own one anyways)

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
MaxxHD
Newbie

Glad I found this thread

I have received data alerts within a coule of weeks of changing my plan and upgrading devices.  With my prior unlimited data plan, the four (older) phones would use a total of 2.5 GB/month. Understand that's a given with BBerry and D2. Now I use the MaxxHD and multiple iPhone5 phones with a 6GB/month plan.

After monitoring the data usage and getting alerts, I contacted VZW to inquire what was going on...

When I signed up, I was told that when in proximity of an authorized wifi connection (like my fios) the phones would use that wifi connection to minimize data usage over cellular. 

I contacted technical support (spoke to Tess? - a "data specialist") to inquire the details of the data usage.  After reviewing and probing what to do to minimize data usage, she informed me that although the device indicates a wifi connection, all video, picture, and "a good number of streaming applications" always use the cellular network and do not go over wifi even though your device is connected to the wifi.

VZW please explain

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
homeistexas
Enthusiast - Level 3

I found if I went into settings and turned off cellular data when on wifi then it didn't use cellular data. Its a shame that is the only way to stop it from using cellular data, it should switch by itself.

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Re: I'm using WiFi but getting charged for data usage... why?!?!?
michelsen99
Contributor - Level 1

I have the iPhone 5 and I too have had this data issue. I've blown through 1.4gigs within 4 days! After talking to Verizon they confirmed the iPhone 5 periodically switches from Wifi to cellular even though it is connected to Wifi. Like other people have mentioned, Verizon did as well, when using wifi it is recommended that the cellular data is turned off. Very inconvenient and easy to forget about, but that's Apple for you. I never had this issue with my iPhone 4.

Settings/General/Cellular/Cellular Data - on/off

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