Unexplained data usage

[skwara]

My wife and I use our iphones for about the same tasks yet my data usage has skyrocketed to over 80% while hers is down at 28%.  As an experiment I had my phone on airplane mode all day and the usage still went up 3%. This has only started happening over the last couple of billing cycles.  Waited on hold with Verizon for 45 minutes, no one helped me.  The online chat says all agents are busy so I am trying this avenue. What is going on with your data usage tracking?

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello skwara! I'm confident that I would be as troubled as you are over the data usage. I'm eager to help you understand what's going on. I can see that you've been tracking the usage. What I'd like to know is what tool you've been using that provides you with these percentages. Are you using an app on your devices or going to My Verizon? Here's why I ask: My Verizon will not long give you percentage of usage, but also let you know the dates, times, and amounts of data being used. I recommend that tool, so that you can see when the 3% usage occured.


DionM_VZW
Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/vzwsupport

[skwara]

I am looking at the percentage on the app.  Again today the phone was in airplane mode all day and today the usage went up 5%.  How do I find out how this is happening and why it has suddenly started happening?

[vzw_customer_support]

Thanks again for reviewing the percentage, skwara. I recommend Using usage Details at My Verizon. If you haven't done so already, go to www.verizonwireless.com and register as Account Owner (if the account is in your name) or Account Manager (with Account Owner's approval) to see Usage Details. Then you can see when your device is connecting, and how much data is being used.

DionM_VZW
Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/vzwsupport

[tooterbean]

If you get an answer to this let me know sounds like multiple people are having the same issue our data has double in the past 2wks .  My contract is up next week and I will be moving.  Seems very fishy to have this many people all having the same drastic increase in data all around the same time. 

[skwara]

We didn't get any kind of help from Verizon.  Then I saw an article about the auto-play video feature in facebook and checked our settings.  The phone that hasn't been sucking data was set to only play video when connected to wi-fi.  The phone that has been sucking data was set to autoplay whenever.  Facebook was showing heavy cellular usage even though we use it about the same amount.  We switched them both to Off (Settings\Facebook\Settings\Auto-play).  It may have helped, they seem to be using about the same amount now but we're only a few days into our billing cycle, so we'll see.  Hope this helps!

[Ella3550]

I have two iphones on my account.  They both burn the data and we have turned off the Facebook autoplay feature.  If this keeps up I am going to have to switch phones.  Everyone I have spoken to with an iphone locally is having similar issues.  Anyone have any other ideas?

[vzw_customer_support]

Let's help keep data usage to a minimum, Ella3550!  As a fellow iPhone user, there are a few other services / features that you may want to look over to help minimize data usage. One of them being to turn off app updates over the cellular data network which may be done through Settings > App Store & iTunes > Use Cellular Data - off. One other being turning off background app refresh, Settings > General > Background App Refresh. This will not only help with data usage, it will also help battery life.

YosefT_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[LMurren]

Hi - I also have the same issues with data usage.  When I am home and on wireless I still get hit with data usage.  I have turned basically everything off on my phone - cellular is off - updating is off, but it doesn't work.  All I found with shutting off cellular is that I don't get text messages or voice mails which is annoying.  I found this out by needing to turn it on and in popped a voice mail that was a week old.  Ridiculous.  The only text or voice mail I get is from people in my family plan unless my cellular is on.  Even with everything off I still get hit with data usage.  Why am I paying for data that I'm not using.  Last month that unknown data usage was 1.59gb.  I just got these phone this summer so unfortunately I am still in the 2 year contract.  Verizon I have been a loyal customer for years, but am getting to my breaking point because nobody at Verizon can help except to say 'get more data'. 

[vzw_customer_support]

We need to get to the bottom of this, LMurren. I can understand using WiFi at home. It's a great way to add value to your data plan. Do you use data away from home? Is it possible that 1.59GB of usage came from usage away from home? Have you checked the details online to see the times and dates of these data sessions? 

ChaunceyM_VZW

Follow us on twitter @VZWSupport