You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

podcasts using cellular data but on home wifi all the time

Hi.


just got our wireless bill and one phone used 18.1GB even though we’ve been stuck home for weeks and using Wi-Fi.


upon further checking only podcasts are using the cellular data. All other apps aren’t showing data usage for cellular.


why is this happening? We’ve not left the house for weeks.


suggestions? Answers? Thanks in advance.


Don

iPhone 11 Pro Max

Posted on Apr 17, 2020 2:34 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Apr 17, 2020 4:01 PM

Unless the phone is plugged in Wi-Fi is turned off to preserve the battery when the screen locks. If your podcast app is enabled to run in background it will use cellular data when downloading new podcasts. You can go to Settings/Cellular and turn off your Podcast app, leave the phone plugged in, or turn off background app update for it.

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 17, 2020 4:01 PM in response to arizonadonn

Unless the phone is plugged in Wi-Fi is turned off to preserve the battery when the screen locks. If your podcast app is enabled to run in background it will use cellular data when downloading new podcasts. You can go to Settings/Cellular and turn off your Podcast app, leave the phone plugged in, or turn off background app update for it.

Apr 17, 2020 3:03 PM in response to arizonadonn

arizonadonn wrote:

we checked the phone and Wi-Fi assist is grayed out.

That’s interesting.


I imagine it’s grayed out because your cellular carrier doesn’t allow you to change it. (The other possibility is the iPhone is restricted.) (Or perhaps you are roaming outside your cellular carrier’s home area.)


As you observe this grayed out row, is it grayed out in the “on” position?

podcasts using cellular data but on home wifi all the time

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.