Why is Software Updates on my iPhone using so much data?

This is happening on my son’s phone and every month is a battle with him with going over on data. So today I reset my cell usage stats, and in the 20 minutes I was out of the house and not on WI-FI, System Services / Software Update claims to have used 747 MB of cell data on my phone. We have since turned of all automatic updates on the phones, but everything I’ve read on here and macforums says that won’t work… we’re talking GBs of updates every month, per phone, at $12 per GB. I’ve been on iPhone since they first came out, but this is last straw territory and I’m a vindictive SOB with stuff like this. Meaning, it gets fixed or I never buy another Apple product ever again and thats just the first step. There is an action that multiple people who’ve all been wronged financially by the same entity can take.

Sadly this solution does not work. I have literally everything turned off. Including the cellular data in settings > app store. Ive even turned off App Downloads, App Updates, etc. Still uses up my cellular data to download. It's been an entire gig. Apple needs to fix this. Im losing money for no reason because of a bug.

I am from Canada travelling in the US and have the same problem. I am 1.3 GB in software updates with everything turned off. Spent over an hour on the phone with apple support. No help or explanation was provided. I just want apple to stop pushing updates to my phone over cell but can’t seem to do this.

Update: turned off “automatic updates” 3 days ago. System settings data usage nearly doubled since then, with another 400 mb for Software Updates. I will switch to “low data usage” now. Outrageous that setting changes do not reduce this activity.

I’m experiencing the same problem. It happened on iOS 17.2.1 with all automatic updates and app refreshes switched off, even low-data-mode and low power mode switched on. Consumer 8GB through System Services —> Software Updates within three weeks. Than updates to iOS 17.3 and for almost two weeks I thought it had been fixed. However, within two days another 2GB were eaten. This happens within minutes of not been connected to WiFi. It’s a serious iOS bug!!! (iPhone XS, no 5G)

I also have all cellular data turned off and have still used over 750 MB of cellular data for Software Updates in the first three weeks of September. I don't think that I had the problem before updating to 16.5.1. Now running 16.6.1 and am hesitant to update to iOS 17.

From the number of people on this page with the same problem, it seems Apple has a problem they are not addressing.

For what it’s worth I’ve had the most relief by selecting “low data mode” in Settings>Cellular>cellular data options>data mode.

good luck

Nope not carrier-dependent. Does require the latest iOS though.

Actually, I had this thought as well, turned Apple Maps off and was using Waze instead. Did not solve the problem! Just today, another 2.2GB in an instant. Always ‘Software Update’. All automatic updates and refreshes turned off. Low data and low power mode. A serious iOS bug!!

This alone was the cure for me. Select Low Data Mode In Cellular Data Options.

Thanks Samathustra. I also have my phone set to low data mode but clocked in at over 430 MB for software updates in October.

I agree. I also have everything turned off but this month I have used over 600 mb of data. It has been like this for several months.

FWIW I had the same issue pop up this month--341 mb "Software Updates" in cellular data usage, plus another 320 for other system services, which is a dramatic increase. But I was never asked to update/choose cellular or wifi. I have cellular data usage turned off for app store, have Data Mode as Standard and had Automatic Updates for iOS turned on. I've now switched the latter off. We'll see.