Q: Unknown data usage early morning

I was checking useage in their app, *Data# but also tracking in the phones Settings by following the useage. Someone on this thread mentioned DataMan Pro, I picked that up and it's been awesome for helping narrow this down.

Since posting to this discussion, rather than turning off all the iCloud features, I ended up deleting the account. Also, comparing my wife's 4S with the data issue to my 4S that isn't having the issue, I noticed she is leaving bluetooth on all the time and her car auto connects to her phone every time we start it. Fearing that the connection to the car could somehow be left open (I'm sure unlikely) we started turning bluetooth on only when needed.

We also started using the DataMan pro app mentioned in this thread. So far we have not had any more run away data and we even stopped disabling cellular data in the night. DataMan, the phones data useage stats in the phone and the AT&T reporting have been matching.

I'm just going to keep watching and then if we are not having any more issues, maybe I'll start slowly enabling things again. It's great we are no longer killing data but it sure would be nice to use the features the phone is actually known for.

Also worth mentioning....iOS 5.1 beta 3 was released to iOS devlopers yesterday...maybe with any luck data useage will improve with 5.1, looks like it should be here soon.

Deleting my wife's iCloud setup solved the problem with late night data transfers. However my son's iPhone 3Gs continues to have 20-40 MB 3G data transfers showing up each morning around the time we leave the house when I take him school.

He did have iCloud and we deleted it from the phone.

At home the phone is connected to WIFI. I did a reinstall this weeked but the data transfer showed up again as happening yesterday morning when I checked on AT&T's website this morning.

Ideas?

I don't know if I turned off the iCloud settings. I may have just deleted it. Might that be it?

Same problem here, AT&T has been totally useless in providing an explanation of the late night data use charges. This is really FRAUD and we're all just bending over a little deeper. We are all being charged for delivering maintenance and record keeping data to AT&T, which we did not agree to - IN ANY DATA PLAN..   

Per Apple, iCloud will only synch when connected via wifi, not 3g. All those pics would be a 3G data nightmare! 

Guys, it's worth rereading Lawrence Finch's  post on the previous page. This may not be a usage issue at all - it looks like AT&T's data report is just reporting your usage for the day in one lump in the middle of the night.

-- -- -- -- --

Lawrence Finch wrote:

It's not just covered ground, it is covered, and covered, and covered, and covered, and covered...

a) WiFi is off whenever the screen is off to preserve battery. So it is not on WiFi when you think it is. Unless you leave it plugged in overnight; if it is plugged in WiFi remains on.

b) It isn't uploading stuff at night. The nightly numbers you see are a summary of data transfers during the previous 24 hours. Cell sites report summarized data to the billing system when you transfer to a new cell, but the last cell that you are in reports usage from that cell at a specified time. That is the number you see, the last connection being closed out.

c) It isn't all uploads; it is data transfers in both directions even though it is labeled as "sent".

You still may have an issue of where the data comes from. iOS 5 added several features that use data, so you should expect the usage to be greater with iOS 5 than it was with iOS 4 or earlier. You have already identified iCloud as a data user. There are also a number of new services and apps that use data supported by the phone. Go to Settings/Notifications to see all of them. ALSO go to Settings/Location Services, scroll to the bottom, and tap System Services. All of these use data. Some are innocuous, such as Compass Calibration and Cell Network Search, but Diagnostics and Usage sends data to Apple periodically, Location-based iAds does, Traffic can send a lot of data, and Setting Time Zone is unnnecessary if you have time sync set to Auto.

Sorry but data usage is NOT reported in 1-10 MB increments, which I have personally logged in these nightly transmissions. And again, iCloud functionality is only over WiFi, not 3G.

Does anyone know the outcome of the Class Action case referenced a few pages earlier? From 1.2011?  

Only some iCloud functionality is restricted to WiFi (such as iCloud backup and Photostream). Other iCloud services, such as Calendar, Reminders, etc. do indeed function over 3G. Those services can use a surprising amount of data depending on how much you've got on your calendar, for example. (See https://discussions.apple.com/message/16482144#16482144 and https://discussions.apple.com/message/16736327#16736327.)

MRYFLYGUY wrote:

 

Sorry but data usage is NOT reported in 1-10 MB increments, which I have personally logged in these nightly transmissions. And again, iCloud functionality is only over WiFi, not 3G.

That is not correct. iCloud BACKUP is only over WiFi, but iCloud email, contacts, calendar, Reminders and iWork sync are occur in real time over whatever connection is available, be it WiFi or 3G.

Yep same prob with Telecom. I logged the issue with them before Christmas but so far no solution. Very frustrating! Hopefully update to iOS will address issue.

I can see what you're saying about the data transfers being listed together and the Wi-Fi issue overnight. However, these don't answer my problems.  I have an iPhone 4S, and this is the first week I have seen large quantities of data transferring after I am asleep. 

1. I keep my iPhone plugged in all night (and it's still plugged in during the morning), so any activity should still be going through the Wi-Fi network.
2. I work in a job where we cannot have cell phones out during the day (so no heavy usage is occurring then).
3. My iPhone connects to my Wi-Fi (provided by AT&T, like my mobile phone service) as soon as I get home from work. 
4. I use Siri only occasionally, and I have only used navigation services of a maps app on a couple of weekend vacations. 
5. I have iCloud back up turned off, so nothing should be happening there either. 
6. My main usage is email, Facebook, and Words with Friends over a Wi-Fi network.  I don't look at attachments or pictures very often without Wi-Fi, and I don't use my phone to stream movies or music.
7. My provider itemizes data usage to the minute on my bill.  Looking back over the past couple of months' bills, I don't have 7-16MB data transfers at 10 or 11PM very often.  This week, it has happened on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday when I have already gone to sleep. 

If there has been any change to my usage this past week, it's been in using my phone's data plan less than usual.  Because of work being very busy this week, I have been using my phone basically in the evening at home where my wi-fi access is, and yet this week seems to be my highest usage week I've had on my plan so far.  What all this tells me is that something changed in the past week or so with my service--whether it is AT&T having glitchy Internet service at home or something else.

I have another data app other that Dataman, but it doesn't itemize individual data usage points.  I downloaded Dataman Pro this morning to see if I can target when this is happening.  However, I am pretty baffled by what has been happening with my phone this week.

If this is data usage that was not reported during the day or data that is being reported from other networks then why does the phone not show the usage. All of this talk about iOS versions, iCloud, and Apps just do not add up. The phones do not report the usage and the network is not physically capable of transferring this much data in one day or less in most cases. The other thing is why does this erroneous data just magically stop when it is reported to the carrier who is more than willing to credit the overage in my case.

Lets keep it simple... It is not carrier related, not iOS version related, and the apps are different on everyone's phone. The closest thing I have seen reported on here that could cause the issue is gmail with imap accounts.

'I keep my iPhone plugged in all night (and it's still plugged in during the morning), so any activity should still be going through the Wi-Fi network.'

How many times does this have to be said?  Wi-fi is switched off in standby to preserve battery.

WiFi is switched off when running on the battery, but it stays on if the phone is plugged in. I've done tests to confirm this using network monitoring software. The post you responded to said it was plugged in all night and during the morning. So WiFi should have been on.

"All of this talk about iOS versions, iCloud, and Apps just do not add up. "

You must understand that the issues represent a "MOVING TARGET."  Each iOS does matter as does the version of hardware because there have been CHANGES and issues weaving in and out of each cycle.

So the info is relevant.

You make assumptions that it's not carrier, iOS or app related and you are incorrect.

1. iOS related, yes.

2. Carrier related, yes.

3. App related, yes.

4. User related, yes.

I suggest you read the thread.