iPhone data useage.

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Waterfront

46 posts

Geek

# 100664 16-Apr-2012 11:54

Hi all,
Does anyone know of a way to keep the "data usage" on, without incurring massive costs? I swear when i first got my phone a couple of years ago, I didn't get charged, then suddenly I started to get charged for it. I have had to turn it off. Anyone know of a way around this? And when did Vodafone start charging?

Note that when I was charged, I did not use the net, or e-mail, or anyhting else. my phone would just sit there, raking up the usage.

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# 609922 16-Apr-2012 11:58

It's a smart phone always online working as designed, If you don't want these charges turn of mobile data or purchase a Nokia 5110i

Waterfront

46 posts

Geek

# 609923 16-Apr-2012 11:59

Ok, it is "working as designed" to be online... but when my phone just sits there, with me not using it... Why is it costing me money for it not to be actually acessing anything? WHAT is it acessing?

xpd

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# 609924 16-Apr-2012 11:59

Waterfront: Hi all,

Note that when I was charged, I did not use the net, or e-mail, or anyhting else. my phone would just sit there, raking up the usage.

This indicates to me that you have an app running in the background thats continually connecting.....

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Waterfront

46 posts

Geek

# 609926 16-Apr-2012 12:01

xpd:
Waterfront: Hi all,

Note that when I was charged, I did not use the net, or e-mail, or anyhting else. my phone would just sit there, raking up the usage.

This indicates to me that you have an app running in the background thats continually connecting.....

This is what I thought as well, but even when I shut down the apps (by bringing them up in the bottom bar and closing them) it still did it.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

# 609961 16-Apr-2012 12:29

could be lots of things. syncing email for example.

Handsomedan

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# 610122 16-Apr-2012 17:11

Could also be set to sync to iCloud when charging.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.

trig42

Banana?
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# 610123 16-Apr-2012 17:19

iMessage will use data too. If your text message bubbles are blue, it has used data instead of your text allowance (only happens when you text other iDevices with iMessage).
However, it uses very little, and so long as you have a plan with a reasonable data inclusion you should not incur extra charges. I use my iPhone for work, and I hardly ever go over 300Mb/Month (uses WiFi at work/home)

Waterfront

46 posts

Geek

# 610124 16-Apr-2012 17:23

Ah ok. Thank you very much for the replies. Just a little frustrating that I never changed anything, then suddenly I was being charged for it. I guess Vodafone saw an opportunity to make a little extra cash.

trig42

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# 610126 16-Apr-2012 17:26

It could be iMessage if nothing 'changed'. When iOS was upgraded to 5, iMessage came along and if you text a lot of people with iPhones, your data usage will have increased.

Nothing to do with Vodafone. Apple released that update.

alasta

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# 610165 16-Apr-2012 18:31

Photostream also seems to have a nasty habit of sucking up exorbitant amounts of data.

RunningMan

5575 posts

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# 610184 16-Apr-2012 19:08

Waterfront: Ah ok. Thank you very much for the replies. Just a little frustrating that I never changed anything, then suddenly I was being charged for it. I guess Vodafone saw an opportunity to make a little extra cash.

I doubt that Vodafone were previously supplying you with free data that they suddenly decided to charge for. The more likely explanation is that something has changed on the phone, causing your data usage to increase.

A couple of possible causes have been highlighted for you to look at, but the fact that you mention turning data off on the phone stops you being charged suggests that there is definitely something on the phone using that data. Just a matter of isolating what it is.

da5id

552 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

# 610202 16-Apr-2012 19:58

My iPhone had been eating up my data of recent, and I checked usage on telecom and I could see it connecting every day and using 1KB - which means I was still being charged $1 for that day (on prepay).

Check your apps and try and turn off 'Location Services' (under settings) if you don't need them. I'm not sure if apps like Viber or WhatsAp use it. Or maybe you have a free app that is supported by ads, and it has to connect to get a new ad..

michaelmurfy

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# 610289 17-Apr-2012 00:05

Solution 1) Get a Data Plan - 100mb Min.
Solution 2) Turn off Data, Settings --> General --> Network --> Mobile Data (off) and keep it off.
Solution 3) Buy a Nokia 1110i

johnr

19282 posts

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# 610309 17-Apr-2012 06:50

da5id: My iPhone had been eating up my data of recent, and I checked usage on telecom and I could see it connecting every day and using 1KB - which means I was still being charged $1 for that day (on prepay).

You get charged $1 for using 1KB?

wlgspotter

197 posts

Master Geek

# 610313 17-Apr-2012 07:38

johnr:
da5id: My iPhone had been eating up my data of recent, and I checked usage on telecom and I could see it connecting every day and using 1KB - which means I was still being charged $1 for that day (on prepay).

You get charged $1 for using 1KB?

Could it be that da5id is on the prepay casual rate, i.e. you get charged $1 a day up to 10MB even though you may only be using 1KB?

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