spinning wheel icon next to wi-fi indicating network activity

The spinning icon means that some app is using data. You need to troubleshoot that. If you are using dictation everything you dictate is sent to Apple’s speech recognition server to perform speech to text, and the result is then sent back to your phone. This is the same server that Siri uses. So while you are dictating it will use data continuously, and for a while after you stop as it tries to refine the recognition.

But to troubleshoot go to Settings/Cellular and tap Reset Statistics, and turn off Wi-Fi, so all data goes over cellular. As you use the phone note when it is using data. After a few hours go to Settings/Cellular and the apps that have used data will be listed at the top of the page. You can see which ones used the most.

2010StreetGlide Said:

"Let’s face it Apple products are lacking in every way. I tried everything and they admit it’s a software problem but don’t do anything about it. I have a brand new IPhone Se 2020 for sale now. I never had an Android but I’m buying one now."

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Provide Apple with Feedback:

Do your Part: If something is not hurting your needs, in one manor or another, then provide Apple Feedback on it. Let them know what is going on, how you have troubleshot it thus far, and how you think things should be made/developed differently. Using another computer or portable device, provide Apple with feedback on this. Apple wont get back to you directly, but the more they hear of this, the more they will know what is going on, and what needs to be fixed.

To Provide Feedback:

1. Go Here: Feedback - iPhone - Apple
2. Select: "Bug Report" for the "Feedback Type"
3. Proceed form there as necessary

I have the same iPad Pro 12.9 iPadOS 14.1 and have seen the same perpetual spinning network activity since I started using the dictation. You can stop it with resetting the Network Settings or restarting the iPad but invariably (and it does not matter if it is using Safari, Chrome or Firefox....) it comes back. I even got it to trigger by doing voice dictation in Notes. If you do one quick dictation it does not trigger it all the time but repeated dictations with short pauses between “thoughts” does trigger it. I’ve been on the phone with Apple Support and they suggested I do a complete reset at this point :/

Thanks. I actually had an engineer call me on another matter but then I transitioned to this subject and although he was very very helpful and intelligent he basically told me not to worry about it.

I’m also sure everybody is aware of the Apple feedback page where you can submit a bug report if that’s what we want to call this.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

I saw previously that your issue was with the iPad, and I don’t mean to exclude your issue, it’s just that while searching online for people experiencing this problem, it overwhelmingly seems to be new SE phones. That’s leading me to believe that the more isolated cases of other iOS models which have the problem might actually be a separate issue for those owners (such as yourself). Perhaps not though.

Same exact issue for you?

• Persistent spinning network activity indicator under the following conditions
• Only when activating dictation through the Apple keyboard, regardless of the app the dictation is being used in
• Occurs on cellular or WiFi
• Does NOT occur if using third-party dictation, such as GBoard and Google dictation services
• A phone restart or network reset are the only ways to get the spinning indicator to go away

I’ve done the back up with reset and it still persist as soon as you use dictation on the keyboard. It doesn't matter if you’re in data or Wi-Fi it will still do this and you always have to restart the phone. By the way I Also have an SE 2020. I wonder if this is specifically to our phone

I can appreciate your feedback. But it triggers the spinning wheel in perpetuity. Not just for the remainder of the time I’m using voice to text. But for hours or days later until the phone is restarted.

That should not occur for so long.

Machine_Ruse:

Over six years ago, there was a question concerning the apparent heavy use of «DNS Services» on iPhones: What is DNS Services and why does it use … - Apple Community.

There was no actual resolution to that. It wasn’t even verified whether that was actually an Apple process, or something else.

2010StreetGlide Said:

"Also spoke to apple 5 times no one was able to fix the problem which included resetting my phone. Also it would l be much easier if the advisers understood and spoke English........ goodbye IPhone .... Hello Android !!!! No updates on Android devices as they get it right the first time."

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See if this helps:

To fix this, first backup* your iPhone and then restore** it from the backup. See where things go from there.

* Backing Up: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

** Restoring: Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Suopport

This is a bug. I have filed a case and uploaded a screen recording showing the bug. I also had my iPhone going through a proxy with wireshark and there was little-to-no activity, so Siri's dictation is doing something funky. Let's hope they fix it soon.

https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/9031473

Dr_Pain thanks for the 'hey siri' trick. its better than rebooting for sure. I filed an incident with this and included a screen recording that shows the issue pretty clearly. FYI

https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/9031473

dedfar wrote:

This is a bug. I have filed a case and uploaded a screen recording showing the bug. …

I’m glad you filed a bug report on this.

All people that are experiencing this—that want Apple to do something about it—should do similarly. (After all. Commenting here will not change Apple’s products.)

… I also had my iPhone going through a proxy with wireshark and there was little-to-no activity, so Siri's dictation is doing something funky. Let's hope they fix it soon. …

I’m very glad you performed this test.

This confirms what some of us have suspected: the «spinning wheel» is not indicating actual network activity, in this case!

(Likewise, it is unlikely that there is any significant computer resource use, either.)

… https://feedbackassistant.apple.com/feedback/9031473

That only lets you see your own Feedback. It doesn’t allow anyone else to even see it, let alone add any input.

Two possibilities:

1. Go to Settings/Screen Time and see if there are any restrictions about changing settings that would affect cellular data.
2. You have a work, organization or school email account, or your phone is under a Mobile Device Management plan and your administrator has disabled the ability to reset statistics.

You can still note (perhaps with screen shots) mobile data usage, and compare it with usage a day later.

Afterthought: If you do have MDM on your phone the spinning icon could be your phone communicating with the MDM management system.