Why is Apple Maps consuming so much data on iPhone?

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Level 1

4 points

Why is Apple Maps consuming so much data on iPhone?

My wife was notified today by her mobile service that she’d reached her (10Gb) monthly data allowance which was surprising since she never usually uses more than a fraction.

The Customer Service rep confirmed that she’d used 9.8Gb TODAY. After further questioning, the mobile service provided the graph below. Although the graph covers the billing period (2 weeks) the consumption by Apple Maps (9.7Gb) is all today.

But my wife has never used Apple Maps and, in any case, that application doesn’t use data so fast. Somehow I don’t think Apple Maps is the true culprit.

Any ideas what’s going on?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone SE (2nd generation)

Posted on Dec 30, 2024 2:06 PM

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Answer 1

varjak paw

Level 10

182,662 points

Dec 30, 2024 2:30 PM in response to doric18

What does the cellular data information say in Settings -> Cellular on the iPhone itself?

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Answer 2

doric18 Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 31, 2024 2:13 AM in response to varjak paw

Hi @varjak. Yes, I checked this carefully. Three screenshots below. Unfortunately the ‘Current Period’ hadn’t been reset since 2019, so not helpful. These screenshots all refer to total data usage since then. But Apple Maps was not in the top 20 apps for data usage (since my wife hadn’t ever used it). When we look at how much space Maps is using, it’s nominal. Which leads me to think that the graph provided by the Mobile Service provider (showing Maps used 9.7Gb yesterday) is somehow incorrect.

Unless anyone can see the problem from these screenshots, I’m no clearer what the issue is.

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Answer 3

varjak paw

Level 10

182,662 points

Dec 31, 2024 7:06 AM in response to doric18

It would seem to me that her carrier's information is indeed incorrect, at least to the service/app they've assigned the data use to. Whether her iPhone actually used that much data and it's just being mis-labeled as to what it came from, as from the information you've provided would indicate to me to at least be one explanation, or whether their measurement about how much data was used that day is incorrect I can't tell. If it is wrong as to the amount of data actually used, convincing them of that is going to be extremely difficult. But you can try to discuss it with them and see where you get.

Perhaps someone else here will know of something I don't that can help you with this issue.

Regards.

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Why is Apple Maps consuming so much data on iPhone?

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