Unexpected high data usage on the iPhone

i am now suspect after updating to os6 on iphone 4 that the increase of sent data from my phone resembles the amount of data used while streaming video maybe our cameras and mics are being turned on and all our lives data is being stored for some purpose imagine what information they would get from us even just after a few weeks of mass video and audio collection !!!

can we really put it past them to do this ??? in the name of money and trolling for new ideas to make $$$ these companies become desperate and will goto any lengths in my opinion......or its a disgruntled group of programmers having their fun !!!

This is now happening in the UK as well, started formme as soon as I upgraded to the iPhone 5. I'm with Orange/EE who say they're unaware of any such issue.

Same problem here. Since iOS 6 (on an iPhone 4s) my phone's outgoing data is 10 times higher then incoming. Before this was always the other way around. From time to time my phone also gets pretty hot (while locked). When I check my data I can see that it has been sending out a lot of data again. This never happened before. The phone sends out about 200MB on data per day. My telco (Netherlands) has slowed by dataspeed because I reached the limit of my dataplan (never happened before, not even close). I closed all apps, even deleted most of them. Checked all settings and even turned off iCloud. No help. So I just executed a full restore, hopefully that helps. I've had this problem for several weeks now. The excessive data usage also kills the battery. It won't last the day!

When will Apple come with a solution? Seems like a major bug of some process (backup) thats running on the background of the phone. Biggest problen is that it is also sending the data when on 3g...

I have an iPhone 4 with iOS6, and like many others I was surprized to find my phone eating up data usage. I have 300MB download cap, and I'm 55% into it on day 4 of the billing cycle!!

This didn't happend before I installed iOS6, though.

BTW, I live in Brazil, and my carrier is Claro.

I have DataMan, Onavo and DataWiz. Onavo tells me that the majority of traffic is around something it says "Video/Audio", but I don't stream video nor audio. I usually download podcasts on wifi before listening on the go.

Today, for instance, DataMan recorded a 44MB inbound transfer and a 265MB outbound transfer at 10AM. I was at a meeting then. A similar thing happend on the 18th, at 10AM, 100MB was downloaded, 60MB was sent. It's not every day, but these huge transfers are eating up my data plan.

I've been trying to identify the cuplrit, thinking it would be an app, but I've been unable to find out what it is.

I've disabled location services for the majority of apps, allowing only apple maps. I've never used pushed e-mail, as I prefer to check on my time. I've enabled the Limitations on Ad Tracking, so no more data than necessary was sent as I navigate and use my apps. iCloud back up is off, photo stream and stuff, as well as any iTunes match and the use of cellular data.

I've signed in to the Facebook integration, don't know if I should disable this...

This has been happening in Egypt too... I put in a complaint with Vodafone when I first clocked it, and they very kindly refunded a chunk of my credit. But recently I have been noticing it again.

I woke up the other day, turned my phone on only to be told that I had used 80% of my daily quota!!

Hmmmm... I love my iphone, but I don't want to be having to switch off the cellular data, and closing all the apps every time I go to bed. It kind of defeats the purpose of a smart phone, when you have to dumb it down all the time, to prevent sneaky background updates and downloads. I don't want to turn it off completely either.

Is there not an option that apple could install a "turn off background data activity" option? That would resolve pretty much everyone's issue in this thread.

IF you got problems of high data usage, chk out this discussion,

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4454838?answerId=20093894022#20093894022

Hi everyone, with a little research, some intuition and help through Apple support I think I've resolved the issue for me.

You can try these steps and hopefully this will help you too:

- back up the phone and restore it from iTunes (do not just erase all content on the phone then set up again), basically the aim is to re-install the software from iTunes

- reinstall all applications (i.e.: do not restore from a backup), making sure you do not turn on push notifications and location services for apps unless absolutely necessary (i.e.: there is no reason for your Dictionary app to be sending you push notifications or for it to know where you are)

- turn off Siri (you can switch it on whenever you need to use it, as and when)

- turn off podcasts syncing

- VERY IMPORTANT: turn off automatic uploads for iTunes & App Store (regardless of whether these are set up to use your mobile data or not, just turn them off!) (go to: settings, iTunes & App Stores, then turn off ALL options: iTunes Match, Music, Apps and Use Mobile Data)

- turn off passbook updates (go to: settings, general, mobile data)

NOTE: the first time you set up the phone after the restore, connect to wi-fi first when you're setting up the phone and go to your email accounts to trigger downloading all your emails in the different folders. Once you're confident this mass download has stopped then you can go in and test the usage of mobile data.

I hope this helps, good luck! 🙂

Honestly... If you have iCloud set up, and you go to "Usage" / "Cellular Data" ... you can click on it, see the numbers, go back to the previous screen, go back to cellular data, and see the numbers jump up right before your eyes. I literally deleted my icloud account from my phone fully.. kept my contacts on there when it asked if i wanted to delete them or keep on iphone.. i then manually set up my @me email account...and now when I go to the cellular usage... theres no data being sent receieved unless theres something that i'm doing to make that happen.... it literally stops the second iCloud account is fully deleted... Not just have every option turned to "off"

I have posted my solution in this thread:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3926819?answerId=20119859022#20119859022

Hi there

I have an iPhone 4S and since updating it to OS6 my data usage has gone through the roof! Initially I thought it might be some apps automatically downloading so I deleted the ones I wasn't using. It didn't make any difference. I'm not logged into iCloud, automatic downloads is always off, use mobile data setting is off, location services are selected and not all on. I even changed the settings on my Facebook so it didn't ping any notifications. I don't have any big downloads on my emails..mostly only emails without any attachments. I am with Orange and they recently changed to EE. I don't think this has anything to do with it. I believe there is a problem in the OS6 code or there is a virus in the system software. Why not? Seems like a logical thing for someone to do..create a virus that chews people's data plan!! Remember the base of the software is Linux and there are viruses written in Linux. Seems rational. I believe I've tried all the necessary steps to minimise any data downloads but it doesn't work. I have now switched off the 3G mobile data so I only use my iPhone with wifi. Yesterday I switched the 3G on for about 45 minutes in total..several times checked email and my Facebook and one web page, the bare minimum and I chewed up 45MB. That was it. How ridiculous is that. Since updating my iMessage is temperamental as well. Is there a way to revert backs to the previous OS5 at all?

I suspect we will hearing of a patch announcement soon to fix all this crap!

Take care

Sophia

ok problem is back for me again... the phone downloaded 28MB in two minutes today and I've now practically switched everything off.... the only other thing I could switch off would be the phone itself.

Orange say they haven't heard anything like this before. We just sit and wait I suppose.

I honestly believe this is a virus or badly written software...I am doing the same. Is this happening on different networks? I did suspect perhaps a glitch since the takeover of EE from Orange as its a 4G set up now but I can't see why or how. In the meantime my mobile data is turned off until this is sorted out. It does seem it could be a malicious bug but would be interested how many more users have been affected.

Sophia

I am with AT&T, before I did a restore on the phone I was having the same crazy data usage. Every time I turn on Celluar Data, without doing much I was incuring magabytes of data within minutes. But after restore and re-installed iOS6 the problem seemed to dissappear. I think there is a bug in the upgrade itself, according to Apple, a bad upgrade can mess up some apps so they don't know where to connect to, consequently the apps constantly trying to access cellular data. Well doesn't make too much scense but it's an analygy neverthless.

Ok so probably duff software!!

What's the best way to do this?

Back up my iPhone as it is through iTunes? Will it not transfer the duff OS 6 as well though?

From iTune, restore the phone to factory state, and update the phone to the latest iOS 6 also via iTunes.

Unfortunately Apple recommanded not to restore from a previous backup in case there were bad omens (in my words), so you will have to re-install the purchased apps, music, email configurations, re-arrange your app icons etc. Bassically treading it as a new iPhone.

I have all my contacts / notes / calender backedup in iCloud so I didn't have to re-import them. Good luck!