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Level 1

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AT@T data overage after IOS 6 update.

My iphone 4s is using data and no apps are running and I have all services shut down. I have AT&T. I called the and they offered no solution but did refund $55.00 of my bill. Is anyone else having this problem on AT&T? I saw that Verizon customers got hit with data overages and Apple wrote a quick software fix but nothing for AT&T.

I check my usage rate by downloading a data monitor and in 20 minutes of my phone doing nothing it had used 70 KB's of data. This is very dtarnge because after 2 years I have never exceeded my data limit.

iPhone 4S, iOS 6

Posted on Oct 1, 2012 3:12 PM

62 replies

Spearman1ca Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 5, 2012 11:56 AM in response to oli3

I just wish we could isolate the app that is the problem. I am not sure whose problem it is but one would think that both Apple and At&t might want to solve it.

At least I now know that it was not me and others are also having the same issue.

FastTJR

Level 1

5 points

Oct 5, 2012 1:56 PM in response to oli3

oli3

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but that is plain bizarre! If you have cellular data turned off, it shouldn't be logging any data should it?

FastTJR

Level 1

5 points

Oct 5, 2012 2:51 PM in response to Spearman1ca

Spearman1ca

I know for sure that my problem was caused by the official Ryder Cup app.

Since the Ryder Cup ended, my cellular data consumption has plummeted on my iPad, although I have continued to use a lot of data over my wi-fi network.

I have read elsewhere that one problem can be Apple's own Podcast app. If you start auto-downloading something with the app over wi-fi but then move to cellular (intentionally or unintentionally), the download will continue even if in settings you have auto download using cellular data turned off.

I suggest you review all the apps that you are using (I know that might be quite a task...) and see if they might be using a lot of data. Video streaming and audio streaming apps would be good candidates, as would anything using location services.

Spearman1ca Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 5, 2012 2:56 PM in response to FastTJR

I agree but there is a leakage that was not there before IOS 6. Right now I am up to 5.6 MB, which is nothing for 4 days, but why is it even at that number if I do nothing with the phone........

Now I will say that thigs have gotten better since I stopped virtually all the services. I just want to be able to go back to IOS 5. whatever but can't.

Spearman1ca Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 5, 2012 2:57 PM in response to FastTJR

I do no videos at all but appreciate your research as I think others may also.

Oct 6, 2012 6:43 AM in response to Spearman1ca

This has been occuring to me and my mom (iPhone 4 both) since June i'm on ios 6 she's on ios 5.1.1 AT&T refunded $145 dollars of overages since then, that was yesterday 10/05/2012 just recieved to texts and emails saying im over again.

***! Come on Apple or AT&T fix this now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oct 6, 2012 6:49 AM in response to Spearman1ca

its not an app its apples or atts problem

FastTJR

Level 1

5 points

Oct 6, 2012 7:27 AM in response to TNewstrom

TNewstrom

Interesting that you are having the problem with iOS 5.1.1...

With iOS6 the root cause of the problem definitely seems to lie with Apple, but there is reason to believe that some apps are not helping the situation.

In beta releases of iOS6, there was a function called 'Wi-FI plus Cellular'. You can read about it in this article from August (before iOS6 final release):

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/09/ios-6-beta-adds-wi-fi-plus-cellular-option-t o-increase-data-reliability/

There is a lot of speculation that when this was deleted from the final release, some apps that made use of the function didn't remove it from their code. It seems that these apps not only switch to cellular when they experience a glitch with wi-fi, however brief, but may fail to switch back when wi-fi is available again. It also seems to allow some apps to use cellular data even when Settings is set to do not use cellular data (e.g. the Podcast app issue I described above).

Bottom line -- Apple does need to fix this.

Paurian

Level 1

4 points

Oct 7, 2012 8:52 AM in response to Spearman1ca

Just called AT&T. They were very friendly and said that because they don't know how much more our account will go over by the end of the term, we should wait until the bill arrives and they'll wave the fees. FasTJR's post was very, very helpful. Some apps, such as the Red Cross apps, have a developer switch in the settings. Not sure if these will toggle on or off any use of the Wi-Fi + Cellular. I have "Use Cellular Data" turned off in the podcast app... Overnight it used over 200MB on Cellular anyway. Until we updated to iOs 6... as far back as I can remember, we have never gone over the data limit.

They also admitted that they know of the problem and that Apple sent them a notice! Yay. Apple is probably going to post a public notice soon... I'd keep an eye out on the rumor boards as well to see when this will get officially fixed.

alihay

Level 1

0 points

Oct 8, 2012 12:41 PM in response to Spearman1ca

I to am having issues and have called both Apple and ATT....I am frustrated, in 1.5 hours of being on WI-FI and having, no push notifications or apps running I still managed to use 114 mb!! I do not know what to do, I should not have to turn off my Cellular Data but unfortunatly I have. I did not have this issue until I updated to the iOS 6.

FastTJR

Level 1

5 points

Oct 8, 2012 1:39 PM in response to alihay

alihay

Yes, that is rather a lot of data consumption.

You may have apps running in the background that are consuming data.

I recommend that you:

Stop all apps by double clicking the home button then hitting the red '-' on all the apps at the bottom of the screen.
Do a hard reset -- press and hold the on/off and the home button at the same time until the phone turns off. Then leave it for 10-15 seconds and turn it back on.
Now check to see if you have any cellular data usage.
Assuming you don't you can then launch various apps and see what might be causing the problem. Of course, you may find after doing the above, the problem doesn't recur.

As stated before, there is definitely a problem that Apple needs to fix -- and I am sure they will -- but until then you may be able to mitigate the problem.

Spearman1ca Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 8, 2012 3:18 PM in response to FastTJR

I just got off the phone with At@t. We talked about the issue and as we have already figured out the tech suggested that I turn "cellular" data to "off".

The tech also recommended that I download the app that was talked about earlier "My Data Manager" which we all know is not available.

I at least let At@t know that during the weekend my phone used 20 MB of data while doing nothing at all.

I imagine I will be calling again at the end of my billing cycle to request a refund.

This all seems pretty lame when it comes to these two rather sophisticated organizations.

Spearman1ca Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 8, 2012 4:57 PM in response to Spearman1ca

Just an update:

I spoke with Apple. At first was a very friendly and understanding technician. After we talked and checked settings and asked questions about hard start and reset of phone etc. he understood that it was a possible problem that needed a supervisor.

Then spoke to a very helpful supervisor who looked up this thread and indicated that she will be forwarding our concerns to the engineers for their evaluation and review.

I would think that Apple and At@t should be getting phone calls about this but perhaps more people have unlimited data plan so others that are using incredible amounts of data do not even realize the problem nor would they care.

I would think that At@t would start to care when they see large amounts a data being consumed on their network that was not there until IOS 6 came out. But who knows?

Anyways keep that cellular position in the "off" and wish us all good luck.

Oct 9, 2012 8:10 PM in response to Spearman1ca

Anyone thinking to return the iPhone 5? I still have a few days left to do that. ATT credited $25 to my account just in case. Given the usage with the new billing cycle, it won't sustain.

Oct 9, 2012 9:09 PM in response to internova

It's not the iPhone 5, its iOS 6 that's doing it. It did it on my 4S before I got the 5. However, given the 5's LTE speed, it's possible it happens faster.

AT@T data overage after IOS 6 update.