Q: Unknown data usage early morning

In the absence of other corroborating evidence concerning what packets were sent/received, the fact that you had a very large transfer that day does not mean that it didn't really happen.

All it would take to rack up that kind of usage is an app stuck running in the background chatting occasionally with some host out there on the net. Note that this could even be an uninstalled web app, or Safari handling a web page with an update timer. Without more detailed connection logging info from AT&T/Apple there is just no way to know what is real.

This is what we should be trying to get from AT&T/Apple -- so we can find out what is actually going on. We need transparency!

Spidey!!!

For the people who are worried about a few megabytes of data each night that seem oddly timed and might be a privacy issue ... sure, that might just be aggregation, statistics, whatever. But there's more to it than that.

Yet so many comments imply that's all there is to it, when clearly there is more. That's the uninformed part. Similarly there are some widely quoted sites on the web, including some of the biggest sites on the web, which essentially say ... it's just data aggregation, nothing to see here, move along people. And there are people here saying that, in the last few pages (so much for consensus) and suggesting that's all there is to it. That's uninformed. There's clearly something more going on.

BTW ilounge has a post by someone who claims an ATT supervisor acknowledged it as a known issue. Clearly that's not worth much to anyone, but FYI.

Meanwhile, people can speculate away about it being some web page or app updating that somehow generates that kind of usage .. .but that's all it is, just irrelevant hot air, that ignores key facts of the situation. Those comments always just assume there are apps on the phone at all, beyond what it came with. They assume that lots of people would have an app or web page that could generate that kind of usage without leaving a trace - not email, not text, that can be tracked. And ignore the big question - Does it matter when they should be designed not to do that.

Let's stay on the key issues, instead of these bizarre, purely speculative, shot-in-the-dark it-might-be-oh-I-don't-know-ummmmmmmm-.....-uhhhh-something comments that dismiss the possibility of a defect in the system, and ignore the clearly poor way this has been handled. Really, what's the point of making those comments, when that kind of thing shouldn't be happening, and when there seems to be more going on? None. This kind of thing just shouldn't be happening, and Apple and ATT should be tracking it down.

FWIW here's the iLounge post, post 33 here:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/u.s.-iphone-users-reporting-phant om-data-usage/P20/

+"(This is straight from a person who ATT tech support called and called himself a supervisor for Apple tech support)+

+Every iPhone 4 sends data to ATT every night at 2am. We are not supposed to be charged for this, but somehow that data bit is getting missed that flags this traffic as ATT initiated data.+

+The phone is using the 3G network by default because this is information going straight to ATT’s databank."+

It's not clear whether this is the small amounts of data people have referred to, or the large chunks of data. It wouldn't seem to explain the latter, unless the large chunks are a long-accumulated (weeks or month) transfer.

Wow. 52 pages so far. Just thought I'd add my 2 cents to this discussion since I haven't seen it mentioned yet in my cursory search through the thread.

This has been going on for a loooong time and doesn't only apply to the new phones.

I have and still use a 1st generation iPhone/Edge. I'm often at my desk working after midnight where I have a pair of unshielded PC speakers. The phone is usually on my desk or in my pocket in sleep mode.

As anyone who has a similar setup knows, when the phone is talking to the cellular tower, the speakers will put out an annoying series of sounds caused by the radio interference.

Since I've had the phone, I've noticed that nearly every night somewhere around midnight it starts doing long periods of cellular activity. Sometimes so much and for so long that I either have to turn off my speakers, shut the phone off or move it out of the room.

- It doesn't do this during the day
- The phone is not receiving any push notifications
- If I turn off the data connection but leave the cell connection active, or if I just use airplane mode it doesn't happen

I've often wondered about this and in the back of my mind suspected something "crappy" was going on, but have never looked into it until now (and stumbled on this thread) since i have the unlimited data plan still.

I've simply dealt with the problem by simply turning off the data connection each time I'm at my desk at night.

Would be curious if anyone has a definitive answer as to what is going on.

Message was edited by: John Dailey

B Shore wrote:Every iPhone 4 sends data to ATT every night at 2am. We are not supposed to be charged for this, but somehow that data bit is getting missed that flags this traffic as ATT initiated data.+

+The phone is using the 3G network by default because this is information going straight to ATT’s databank."

I, for one, would like to know EXACTLY what is being sent!

iPhone: Reconciling the Data Usage
http://www.nojitter.com/blog/227701032

The iPhone in the above article is a 2G model MA712LL

The 2G Network is not secure:
Hacker demos GSM call hijack, calls for 2G end
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2010/08/02/hacker-demos-gsm-call-hi jack-calls-for-2g-end-40089702/

I would like to hear from anyone still having these issues with reconciling their iPhone data usage with AT&T

Thank you-----

My situation hasn't changed, and is the same as several of the other people who have posted in this thread. I talked to AT&T customer service. The representative acknowledged that there is a problem, reported it up the chain, refunded my data overage fee, and put a watch on my account to remind her to do the same next month (assuming they haven't solved the problem).

For now, I guess I'm content that I'm not going to get billed for the erroneous data charges. But it would be nice to not have to talk to them every month to get the charge refunded from every bill.

For this current billing cycle, my phone is showing w/in .1 MB the same usage as my online acct is; however, I noticed there are 6 transfers of data on 10/1 - 1 early am, 2 after 6pm, 3 between 10 and 11:30 pm, which is not typical of the 1/day dump.

I'm considering getting the iPhone 4 for daughter w/the 2G plan. Since she won't have any history of usage, what are the chances I'll be able to call ATT and get a reduction in overage charges...assuming she would go over? Who's to say what the cause of the overage would be, her actual usage or this ATT craziness?

This is not the solution to the issues described within this thread--- this is an app to monitor your data usage for both cellular and WiFi

DataMan - Monitor & Geotag Your Data UsageBy XVision
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dataman-monitor-geotag-your/id393282873?mt=8

I have noticed that my iPhone 4 also sends large amounts of data (once 75 MB!) between 1 and 5 am when it is connected to my wireless network. I spoke to AT&T yesterday and they basically told me that I was lying and secretly using the phone. I also called Apple, got a supervisor who tried to help me. Right now I have the cellular data turned off, but that is obviously not a permanent solution. I have also checked my husband's data usage (he has a 3GS) and he also has data sent at this time, but more often in the 1-2 MB range. Does anyone have a solution that does not involve turning my cellular data off or powering my phone down at night (AT&T's "solution")?

Sending ATT here might help. They'd know you weren't lying.

Please!....you don't think ATT is all over these posts. Just the other day, someone said a post of an old article someone wrote had been removed, so you know Apple is very aware of what is going on, so I'm sure somewhere along the line, an ATT person has been on here.

So ATT's response was laughable and dangerous. They have given the reps some boilerplate about all the things it could be. Too bad none of them fit the facts - they might explain Received data, if you had those apps on the phone, but not huge chunks of Sent data with no Received data.

Then they said the way to fix the problem was to delete your iTunes account! That's just negligent. They are so clueless - what a huge timewaster, when there is a much simpler way to stop the phone from sending diagnostic data to Apple. (In Windows, when your iPhone is attached to the computer - right click on the phone in iTunes, choose Reset Warnings, say Disagree the next time you connect the phone.) Though I'm not sure there's a consensus on how much that helps, it may only be the small amounts of unexplained data being sent at night.

Though today's news brings some potential good news.

{quote:}The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it is conducting an industry-wide investigation into cell phone billing practices amid complaints by customers of Verizon Wireless and other carriers of unwanted data charges.

The agency’s 10-month-long investigation, which it previously said was focused on Verizon, could subject other carriers to penalties if the FCC finds those firms charged “mystery fees” that violate its “truth and billing” guidelines. The agency didn’t disclose the names of other carriers that are being probed. An AT&T spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail that the company is unaware of an investigation into its practices. A Sprint Nextel spokesman said the company doesn't generally comment on investigative matters at the FCC.

The investigation comes amid an effort by the FCC to step up its protection of consumers who are increasingly complaining of baffling charges on their cell phone and broadband Internet bills.{quote}

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/10/fccinvestigates_wirelessindu.html

I hope they include ATT and Apple in the investigation, and look into the issue of phantom data usage on the iPhone for the way they've ignored these issues and wasted users' time and money.

So be sure to file those FCC complaints:
http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

Also, one more thread on the topic at the ATT forums:
http://forums.wireless.att.com/t5/Apple/Phantom-Data-Usage-Riddle-me-this-AT-amp -T/td-p/1961618

Already did the complaint at the FCC, initial complaint and response:

[IMG]http://i55.tinypic.com/izaxkp.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i53.tinypic.com/2v30e10.jpg[/IMG]

Message was edited by: steam7