# IPhone Data Usage Problems



## sags (May 15, 2010)

Apparently there are some software issues with Apple products regarding data usage. They have provided a fix for Verizon customers........but nobody else.

The Rogers community boards are starting to pile up with complaints about sudden data usage and big overages, and some news media have started reporting on it in the UK.

Our son went from an average of 1 Gig a month to 9 Gig last month.

Rogers says it's Apple's problem and Apple says talk to Rogers.

Anyone heard anything about this problem?

What do you have to do to use 9 Gig of data?

Thanks


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

Netflix can use a lot as well as other types of video streaming. Google maps can also use a lot but I'm pretty liberal with both of those and only came close to 1GB of data usage once.

I don't know of any sneaky data pigs such as apps or anything. I'm glad you brought this up though.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

From what I have read so far..........one of the problems is the IOS6 software in the devices are using cellular data when they are supposed to be wifi connected.

ITunes update, maps, and video streaming (such as Itunes updater) may also be causing the high data usage.

The smartphones are handy and cool..........but not much good if we can't afford the data in Canada.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

I'm not sure how it is even possible to use 9gig on an iphone. I never connect to wifi and rarely use more than 1gig, with video, email pics etc


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

I heard about that issue too. I can't imagine using 9 gig though! I would recommend manually turning off the data between uses. That way you ensure you only use data when you want to, until the issue gets resolved.


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## praire_guy (Sep 8, 2011)

I have never gone over 2 gig per month. I also tether to my ipad, and I use the ipad and iPhone a lot. 

I am on my devices more than a teen. So, I don't see how you can get 9 gig a month, unless you are watching YouTube videos, and Netflix 24/7.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Took the phone to the Rogers store today..........waste of time.

The CSR said he and his friends have no issues, but he did reinstall his software several times.

I asked him why he did that, if he had no problems.......and he mumbled something about the phone having "issues".

Then he said he hasn't had anyone else come in to complain. I said that maybe that is because the IPhone 5 (the main recipient of the IOS6 software) just got their phones and haven't got a bill yet. He said people would know because everyone checks their data use all the time.

I said I doubt that.

So...........anyone with an IPhone5 or an IPad with the new software............check your use.

You wouldn't want a $500 surprise.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

A data use estimate by Rogers............

https://www.orderrogers.ca/rocket/data-plans/usage


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## Lynne Patlach (Oct 28, 2012)

*I had a mystery $500+ data usage*

Funny you say that! We got a notice on Oct 8 or 9th from Koodo that our Iphone usage had just passed $500! This on a new Iphone that has used only 250-500 Mb per month of data on a flexible data plan since it was purchased in July. Over a twelve-hour period from 8 pm Friday Oct 5 until 8 am Sat Oct 6, Koodo tracking showed 26Gb of data usage, just under 1 Gb every 20 minutes or so!! They claim we must have somehow opened a Hotspot by mistake (which was accessed from outside our house all through night?!), or else someone was streaming/watching movies all night. They said normal policy is to split the costs 50-50 but would do us a favour and only make us pay 25% of the cost. In the end, I settled on paying the $30 cost of a 3Gb dataplan for that month but am not at all impressed that neither Koodo nor the Iphone allow us to cap data usage internally. The supervisor claimed he was doing me a big favour by giving us an option that no longer exists-to send an e-mail alert at 75 and 90% of our new 500 Mb dataplan! But still no way to just stop cell data usage after a certain point. Reading these posts, I will look around for other news...we downloaded a data usage app, and shut data and phone down now....



sags said:


> So...........anyone with an IPhone5 or an IPad with the new software............check your use.
> 
> You wouldn't want a $500 surprise.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

The CSR are usually clueless on these things. You'll probably hear of the solution first on the forums

I have iOS 6 and I haven't noticed this glitch even though I am hard limited to 2GB in a remote 3rd world country. Besides streaming 1080p HD Youtube videos etc, I can easily browse the internet as I normally would for a month on iPhone and MacBook without passing that 2GB limit. I wouldn't be charged extra even if I hit this limit I would just be throttled way back. These $500 overage charges for data are highway robbery, and for many reasons it can't even be measured acurately

By the way people in the States now have iPhone data plans now for $10 that easily last more than a month when you mostly use free wifi, and for heavy users they have unlimited iPhone data plans starting $19/month. I have yet to find a country with more ridiculous telecoms than Rogers/Bellus.


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Lynne Patlach said:


> Over a twelve-hour period from 8 pm Friday Oct 5 until 8 am Sat Oct 6, Koodo tracking showed 26Gb of data usage, just under 1 Gb every 20 minutes or so!! They claim we must have somehow opened a Hotspot by mistake (which was accessed from outside our house all through night?!), or else someone was streaming/watching movies all night.


Are you using wi-fi by any chance? I've heard of people stealing data bandwith from other people's wi-fi accounts, if they can find the wi-fi "hotspot", they will use it and run
on your bandwidth to run up your data usage. 

other people are complaining about phantom data use on their Iphones as well, Lynne. Read what other users say about them 
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/u.s.-iphone-users-reporting-phantom-data-usage/

You need to have a data usage app installed, so you can keep track on a hourly, weekly and monthly basis. 
Know how much data you use during the day and store it somewhere, that way if you are getting excessive data (and you or someone else is are not watching netflix movies
or youtube), then you can have at least an idea of what you are using. 

The ISP isn't going to be much help to you to troubleshoot your high usage data issue.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Way back in the day when I first got my iPhone I had this same problem. It was a Roger's accounting problem in fact.

To test I turned the phone OFF overnight and still was seeing 200mb an hour every hour like clockwork. Roger's didn't believe me, but I got ahold of someone eventually that was tracking the issue on HowardForums. It was affecting only a handful of people on the roger's network. Finally one day they admitted to the problem and fixed it.


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