Since updating to 17.1 my personal hotspot, ‘other devices’ has gone crazy using up data, even when the hotspot is switched off. I always reset the data on the 1st of each month and I’ve used 4.03gb in 3 days with the hotspot off. Password has been changed. Any idea what’s going on? Thanks
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Well, calling back to Tech Support turned out to be a complete waste of time; if the Network Reset didn’t work there is nothing else they can do for me. I wish the tech I spoke to yesterday had told me that!
I did get the following information though, which is very helpful:
The data usage of the hotspot is not recorded by the device and sent to the carrier, the amount is determined by the carrier and sent to the device.
This would seem to be why the hotspot is able to be used by the “other devices” even while turned off. Because the carrier is saying it’s active when it isn’t, and telling the device that the amount has been used.
I called my carrier and they repeatedly tried to get me to upgrade my plan. I made no progress until I said the following:
“I am poor. I cannot upgrade my plan. Even if I could, I wouldn’t. You don’t offer a 60GB a month plan, so all my data would be gone anyways. I have done everything except a factory reset on my device. The manufacturer is positive the issue is not with my device. I have no other devices. I have reset the password repeatedly. The data is being used while my hotspot is turned off. This is a physical impossibility.”
They agreed I was correct that this wasn’t possible. They said they saw no error on their end, but would reset the network connection to my device.
I was instructed to power off the device and remove the SIM card, then wait 15 minutes for them to troubleshoot and reset my connection.
It has been an hour and a half, and so far no “other devices” have started pulling data. If that changes, I’ll be back to post again. If there is nothing further, then it worked!
Here’s some relevant info, in case it’s useful:
Device: iPhone 12 mini
Network: Mint Mobile (recently purchased by T-Mobile)
Plan Level: Cheapest available (5GB per month)
TLDR: The carrier is telling the phone you're using hotspot (even while off). Call your carrier and make them reset your Network Connection from their end.
I think I find out what is using. Airdrop. I recently cleared the statistics. I have monitored the data regularly since then. And it appears again after i airdrop 10gb pictures to my friend.
I still have the same problem. Only solution I found was to switch off the data (only switch on when absolutely necessary) and rely on wifi. I believe somehow even with the iPhone hotspot off, each time I use my iPad the iPad secretly connects to my iPhone and sucks out the data even when it says it’s connected to my household wifi. It’s like a bug ….
I’m also seeing this while using an eSIM.
Current data usage (after a day in Indonesia) shows 2.28Gb of which 2.17 is down to personal hotspot usage. I contacted the sim provider and from their perspective I’ve only used 155mb.
So it definitely seems to be an iPhone bug.
Same issue here. Physical SIM card, no devices even near the iPhone 13. Saw the hotspot data usage, turned off Personal Hotspot, it continues to increase.
Oddly, I m not even seeing my phone’s data usage in my provider’s dashboard, even after refreshing the account data. So cannot confirm if this is just an iOS display big or not. But based on the replies here, i’m guessing it probably is just a display-related issue.
off to submit a big report to Apple.
Please update latest software to solve this issue
I got the same issue here…
iPhone 14 Pro with iOS 17.1.2
I am currently trveling in France and my SIM card just didn’t work over here so I bought a local SIM card with a cap of 50GB. Me and my friend are sharing the network and I’m sharing via hotspot.
I’ve noticed the problem early into our trip and they only have used 931MB. I have used about 1.9GB. and we are 5 days into our trip.
This morning, other device was using about 29GB. and since the last half hour, we have been sitting in the train. In that time. The Other devices has gone up to 38.4GB.
My hotspot is off, my wifi and bluetooth is off and I’ve shut down all of my personal devices.
I’ve read that someone called their network provider and they actually used up only 2GB or so and they had a visual bug. But someone else’s provider said that they actually used up the amount that was told in the phone. I’m quite scared since we are on a very tight budget and I don’t want to pay more for that.
If it’s an apple issue, I hope they fix it because I’ve been seeing more and more post about this but they haven’t said anything as usual…
Hello,
I think I found a solution. In your settings, go to personal hotspot and turn that off. Then The “other devices” stop with using all off your data. You can also change your password of your personal hotspot.
I have been using 2 different e-sims in 2 different countries and could not believe the data usage on the first one when it showed that I had exceeded my data limit. The provider app showed a much lower data consumption for this one. I am now sitting in Heathrow on a different e-sim since 3pm and it says I have used 3GB which is impossible as I have no other apps using the hotspot. It has to be a glitch with how e-sims are recording data via personal hotspot. Fingers crossed Apple addresses this in the not too distant future.
Noticed this issue since December 2023. Looks like a bug. Reset network stats. In 2 days the network provider’s app says usage is 450MB. But iPhone SE Settings - Mobile Service - Mobile data for SIM1 shows 2.6GB usage, with personal hotspot clocking 2.15GB. Noticed that if you deduct the personal hotspot from the total, then it kind of close to the network provider’s statistics.
But not sure where the other 2.15GB got accounted for as I disabled personal hotspot and changed password just before reset network statistics.
Hopefully this gets fixed else it causes unnecessary alarm and anxiety while I was travelling overseas with travel SIM card but not sharing with anyone else ie disabled personal hot spot.
Same problem: After updating my iphone 15 Pro to 17.1 my ‘other devices’’s personal hotspot has started using up data, even when the hotspot is switched off. Apple ID Services taking up too much data. Bluetooth switched off, wi-fi switched off on both iPhone and MacBook, password changed, Turned off mobile data usage for applications (background), Turned on Low Data Mode
I’am waiting for an explanation and support from Apple
Hey Guys,
I know what the “other devices” is. It’s actually the device you are using with the hotspot enabled.
When I turn off the WiFi and reset my statics for the cellular data. I made sure there are no hotspot devices showing.
When I turn on my WiFi and enable hotspot via the device I’m using , in my case it’s my iPhone, the “other devices” shows up in the cellular data section.
The usage only goes up for the “other devices “ when I’m using my iPhone browsing the web, if I don’t use the phone for browsing, the data usage doesn’t go up.
hope it makes sense.
I am having trouble with my hotspot since I updated my phone to IOS 17, my suggestion is to let the developers know what is happening with your device, give them feedback on everything so they can help with the issue and improve your device performance.
Same issue. I don’t normally look at cellular usage but I’m traveling internationally this week so I reset my data tracker when I arrived and noticed pretty massive usage of my hotspot despite it being turned off and checking my other devices plus my family’s devices to make sure they weren’t somehow locked onto it. I reset my hotspot PW to be safe and the issue has continued. I am on excellent WiFi at my hotel so I have barely been using cellular data. After 4 days my hotspot is showing 3.9gb of usage against total cellular usage of 4.4gb. So I’m assuming the 3.9gb hotspot usage is really whatever I’m consuming over WiFi and the 500mb delta is probably what I’m actually consuming in terms of cellular data which makes sense. Hopefully Verizon sees it that way. My plan allows for up to 10gb per month of intentional data roaming so it wouldn’t have throttled me yet. Frustrating bug.
kammika1234 wrote: "...Hoping for a reply from Apple."
kammika ~ This is not the place to hope for a reply from Apple; this is a user-to-user community. Use these links:
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'Other Devices' using data even when Personal Hotspot is switched off
