High Cellular Data Usage by "Software Update" on iPhone 8 Plus Despite Automatic Updates Being Disabled

If your mobile data usage statistics show “Software Update” under system services or app data usage, it typically refers to one or both of the following:

• iOS Updates: The iPhone may have downloaded an iOS or security update using mobile data.

• App Updates: Apps from the App Store may have updated in the background over cellular data.

To avoid excessive data usage, especially if you’re on a limited plan, ensure the following settings are configured to restrict these updates to Wi-Fi only:

Disable iOS Updates over Cellular:

• Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates

• Turn Off “Download iOS Updates” and “Install iOS Updates”

Disable App Updates over Cellular:

1. Go to Settings > App Store
2. Under “Cellular Data”, turn off:
3. App Downloads
4. Automatic Downloads (See the Pic below)
   1. 
5. Or toggle off “Use Cellular Data” entirely for the App Store (See the Pic below)
   1. 

Use Low Data Mode (in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options) to reduce background data use for all apps and system services when on cellular. See the Pic below

Mohammed_abdaltwab wrote:

My mobile carrier confirmed that this data usage originates from the iPhone itself, not from their network.

What I’ve tried so far:

Just to clarify, it's important to understand that a single SIM card can actually be used across multiple devices. This means that you can consume data from any device, including Android devices.

All the data consumption associated with that SIM card is consolidated in one central location: your trusted carrier. It's worth noting that your carrier will bill you based on this consolidated information. Therefore, if you need a comprehensive breakdown of your usage, I would recommend reaching out to your carrier and requesting a detailed itemized bill.

By doing so, you'll have a clear overview of your usage across all the devices you've used with that SIM card, ensuring transparency and accuracy in your billing.

If you're using an Exchange ActiveSync account, it may continue to use mobile data even if you've turned it off for Mail and Calendar. To see the mobile data usage of your Exchange ActiveSync account, go to Settings > Mobile Data > System Services.