spinning wheel icon next to wi-fi indicating network activity

I did initially consider that possibility Lawrence, but a little critical thinking is able to quickly dismiss it.

Try to remember these points:

• It only occurs when using Apple's dictation service, not when using some other app
• It doesn't occur when using a third-party dictation service, such as Google's service with the GBoard
• The issue persists even when Background App Refresh is disabled
• If it was, as you suggested, "a function of what apps [I] have installed on the phone that are designed to be in continuous communication with their servers", then a restart, network reset, and/or Siri activation wouldn't stop that communication.

Eventually, you'll admit it is a bug and stop gaslighting on Apple's behalf.

Halliday, you replied to stein2908 with, "I'm very glad that restoring your iPad to Factory conditions has helped you; at least, so far. This is the sort of test that needs to be performed on the iPhones—before restoring their settings and Apps!". I took that statement to mean you assumed stein2908 restored their device to factory conditions and tested things before restoring their settings and apps, but thanks for clarifying.

Your comments are helpful though in that they remind us there are actually three types of a reset/restore which could be done for testing, or hopefully resolving, problems:

1. A reset to factory conditions, where the device is left in that state, or as close as possible, for whatever testing we're going to do. For this particular problem of the perpetual network activity indicator, the device can't be completely "virgin" (as someone else put it), because we will need to enter network settings to connect to the internet. I am not sure what other settings we are forced to set up in order for the device to run. The fewer the better.
2. A reset with a restore from a backup, where the device is reset, but your apps and settings (mostly) are restored. This is what I tried a couple of weeks ago, and which did not work. I believe backups can be created in iCloud or iTunes, but I've only ever done the latter.
3. A reset to factory conditions, and then manually restoring whatever apps and settings you can.

Let me know if I'm missing other options here.

What I am asking of stein2908 is, which of those options did he/she do that has appeared to resolve the issue on their iPad?

Keymusic88 wrote:

IMHO that’s no reason to delete posts from people who are simply giving opinions.

Actually, there is a good reason.

From the Apple Support Communities Use Agreement:

«… do not post Submissions about non-technical topics, including:

1. Speculation or rumors about unannounced products.
2. Discussion of Apple policies or procedures or Apple’s moderation of the Site.»

I did look up my serial number. Mine was made at the same factory that was previously posted

• Factory: F18 - China, Zhengzhou - Foxconn

I wonder if we all have phones from that factory?

I wonder what factory, SE phones without the problem come from?>

anyone care to post where their problem phone comes from?

For anyone having the issue who wished to see where their phone or iPad was manufactured, you can use the site "sndeep.info". I tried posting the link, but the forum wouldn't allow it. You simply enter your serial number and it will decode some of the information. Here is a screenshot of what mine returned.

I hadn’t contacted Apple Support since doing the exchange through Costco, so I did that this morning to see what they had to say. The support person did acknowledge this time that this is a known issue that is being worked on, although his/her response was a canned answer. See screenshots.

(Edit: “those people” are the folks in this thread, as I sent Apple Support a link to the thread)

If you are seeing the spinning after you attempt to dictate for a message, then that sounds like a data issue. You need an internet data connection for Siri to work. Are you connected to wi-fi, or cellular data?

In the Get Info on Dictation (before activating it), it says that you are using Siri to perform the process, machinist_5.

Of course, that, by itself, doesn’t explain the issue.

I haven’t enabled Dictation on my machine. (The last time I used Safari, on an old machine, Safari did poorly at understanding me.)

Well, machinist_5, I just tested the Dictation, and I don’t get a perpetually spinning network activity indicator (next to my Wi-Fi indicator [I don’t have Cellular activated, at this time]).

iPad Pro 12.9” 2nd gen. IPadOS 14.1.

Dr_Pain wrote:

I even got it to trigger by doing voice dictation in Notes.

“even” isn’t a surprise. ALL dictation requires sending the spoken text to a speech to text server at Apple; no voice to text is actually done on the phone. So if it didn’t spin when you are dictating that would mean something was wrong.

Have you tried closing all taps in all of your browsers? A lot of websites update continuously or intermittently whether the browser is currently open or not.

And have you tried the troubleshooting step I posted earlier:

Turn Wi-Fi OFF. Go to Settings/Cellular and Reset Statistics. Use the phone for a while, then check which apps have used data.

Have you tried the diagnostic steps that Lawrence Finch has recommended, machinist_5?

What he is trying to help you find out is what Apps may be the “culprit” for the, apparently, endless use of your network.

All you know, right now, is that voice dictation (in almost any App?) triggers this unending use.

What you don’t know is whether there is something else going on “behind the scenes”.

My iPad is WiFi only. After resetting everything and closing everything (all tabs in all browsers), all apps etc... I can still get the spinning wheel by simply using the microphone (any browser, notes, gmail etc...)

I've combed through settings and turned off all app refresh, I don't allow geolocation etc.... I have a couple of apps that did not come direct from the original software but don't have widgets, no social medias and no notifications