excessive data iphone 5 - how to correct

[DBDyess]

I've had this problem since I got the phone in Feb 2014. Have tried the fixes and am still going over 15 GB per month - this is for ONE user and I never stream movies or do online gaming. This is CRAZY! I know whole families on AT&T - even with teenagers on social media constantly - who do not have near this amount of data usage every month.

[winterbaby18]

Are you using your iPhone only on cellular data or on wifi?  If your using wifi often is your signal strong enough?  I know if your signal isn't strong enough no matter what smartphone your using then it will automatically fall back to cellular data. What you can also do is go to Settings > Cellular and turn off all applications that you don't want to use any cellular data.  Under each app it shows how much data that app is using.

[vzw_customer_support]

I'd love to take a further look into this with you! May I ask if you have access to Wi-Fi? This can greatly help curve your usage. What types of services do you use? I would also suggest checking out our data calculator to get an idea of how much particular services use. verizonwireless.com/datacalculator

YosefT_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[mama23dogs]

TThis is a problem with the iPhone. It has happened with every generation.  I can't believe you lived with it for a year.

THe list of things blamed for the problem are many.

the fixes, nearly as many

A full restore to factory has been known to fix the problem

suspected problems:

email stuck in outbox

youtube playing in the background

social network videos

GPS and mapping running in the background.

Google can provide an even longer list....

Have you taken the phone to Apple for a fix?

[DBDyess]

Yes, we've spent a lot of time online looking at fixes and tried everything - making sure nothing runs in the background (signing off and closing out of apps), turning off the automatic videos in FB, making sure notifications are off, turning off the mifi/wifi when not in use, changing the email setting so it's not automatically feeding in, etc. We have a bundled account with the phone plus mifi, so when using the ipad or laptop at home, we use the mifi/wifi - both his phone and the wifi are using about the same. In less than 2 weeks we are already at 5.842!

[DBDyess]

Called Apple. They want to charge us to run through potential fixes. Which, I wouldn't mind paying if it would guaranty to fix the problem. But, I don't trust that it will since we've already gone through all of the standard "fixes" we've read about.

[mama23dogs]

DBDyess

"..... turning off the mifi/wifi when not in use, changing the email setting so it's not automatically feeding in, etc. We have a bundled account with the phone plus mifi, so when using the ipad or laptop at home, we use the mifi/wifi - both his phone and the wifi are using about the same. In less than 2 weeks we are already at 5.842! ...."

This part of your post has me wondering what you are using your mobile data for....

If you are using your cellular data plan to provide Internet connection for your computer at home, then I would expect your usage to be well over 100 GBS a month. 

Why are you turning OFF wifi?  This forces your phone to use cellular data?

15 GB use on your cell phone, if you don't have home wifi is NOT high.

Families that don't collectively go over 10 GBS a month, have an internet provider for their home with wifi and a large data cap. ( I have Cox cable and 300 GBS a month)

[Weth]

Fully agree with mama23dogs, if you are using hotspot this is not an excessive data use by an iPhone 5.   Laptops will use loads of data More than the iPhone.  Your expectations are not in line with how you are using the service. 

[DBDyess]

We have a shared data plan with Verizon that covers my husband's iphone and our mifi/wifi (he has a phone, ipad, and we share the laptop).  We turn the mifi/wifi device off when not in use (i.e. when we are asleep or not home). When using the ipad or the laptop at home, those connect through the mifi/wifi device.  As of today, since Feb 23rd, the phone has used 2.911 GB of data, and the mifi/wifi has used 2.931 GB for a total of 5.842 and we are not even halfway into the plan month. We are on a 15 GB plan now and are still going over that although we don't stream movies, TV or anything on either device. That seems awfully excessive. From what you are all saying, this is normal?  Our friends on ATT with more devices/people on their shared plans are not going through near this amount, but the downside for them is coverage isn't as good around here.

[mama23dogs]

No, it is not normal.

It is much LESS than normal...

You have no reason to complain about usage based on how and what you are using it for.

complaints about soaring data use are legitimate when a single, untethered phone, with the use of home wifi and cable internet (like mine) and still has far more excessive data use than can be accounted for.