Why are push notifications eating up enormous amounts of cellular data?

There was a previous thread on this topic but it died out without resolution.


The problem:

If I leave cellular data on my iPhone SE on while at home with a continuous and solid connection to my home wifi network I regularly will suffer losses of hundreds of MBs of data to push notifications. Last night’s loss was over 600 MBs while the phone was not in use and would have been more if the battery hadn’t bottomed out. If I don’t turn off cellular data while at home push notifications can add up to more than 4 GBs per month. All push notifications except for the phone and text messages have been turned off and no notifications ever appear on my screen while these losses are occurring. Also wifi assist is turned off. When I am away from the house with cellular data on and no wifi connected (e.g. on my sailboat) these loss incidents never occur.


Updates for my iPhone SE are current (16.6.1) and calls to Apple help line have led to literally hours of discussion but no recommendation other than doing a complete reset of software and reloading of apps. I’ve done this with no change in the situation. I can probably control this problem by remembering to turn off cellular data every time I walk into the house but I shouldn’t have to do this. My wife on the same wifi network and the same cellular service provider has no problem.


Any thoughts on this greatly appreciated

iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Posted on Sep 15, 2023 6:30 PM

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Sep 16, 2023 3:01 AM in response to JWL73

Your provided information doesn't explicitly state how you know that the consumption of mobile data occurs only when connected to their home Wi-Fi network.

How do you know that your Home Wi-Fi Network is connected to the internet?



Your device is probably not connected to the internet even after getting connected to the Wi-Fi. There are a few steps you can take to verify the connectivity of your device.



Firstly, you can open a web browser on your device. When you open a web browser, the initial page that loads is typically based on your browsing history or cookies. To further confirm the connection, you can tap on any link on that website. If the link opens and displays the corresponding content, it confirms that your device is indeed connected to the internet.


Another method to check internet connectivity is by opening a specific application that requires an internet connection. WhatsApp is an example of such an application. When you launch WhatsApp, it immediately attempts to establish a connection with its servers to synchronize your chats and display any new messages. If you can see your chat conversations and receive real-time updates, it indicates that your device is connected to the internet.



Connecting to Wi-Fi is the initial step, followed by establishing an internet connection.


However, it's important to note that connecting to Wi-Fi does not automatically guarantee an internet connection. In the event that you are unable to connect to Wi-Fi, the issue may stem from settings on your iPhone or the router/modem.


On the other hand, if you are unable to establish an internet connection despite being connected to Wi-Fi, the problem is likely related to the settings on your router/modem. In such cases, it is advisable to promptly contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance.



Check your WiFi Router / Modem for --> Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points ...



For your Internet connection.

  • Over Cellular: contact your Carrier (Cellular Service Provider). The agency that issued the SIM to you
  • Over WiFI: Contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider), the agency that provided the Internet Service on your Modem/Router to you


However --> Connect iPhone to the Internet - Apple Support


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Why are push notifications eating up enormous amounts of cellular data?

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