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IOS 9 Cellular Data Usage Restrictions not working

Hello, I just updated several devices to IOS 9 and I noticed the Cellular Data Usage Restrictions are turned on. However, when I check the Cellular settings I am able to make changes under User Cellular Data for section. This is the same behavior with all upgraded devices I have. Is this a known issue?


Thanks for your help with cap data plan having this feature working is critical for my family plan and devices.

iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 9

Posted on Sep 16, 2015 6:03 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 17, 2015 8:24 AM

I am having this issue as well for enterprise. After updating a couple supervised devices to iOS 9 the cellular settings are supposed to be restricted from being changed but this it's only half true. In iOS 9.0.0, when you shut off the items that you do not want working over cellular data and changes are not allowed for cellular data, the items that were already shut off at the time the restriction was engaged will stay off, even though they toggle back to green.


For example, let's say you toggled Music to not work over cellular data, then apply the restriction for cellular data changes, you'll still be able to toggle Music back over to work on cellular data so it APPEARS that it is back on, but as soon as you move away from the Cellular menu and come back Music will show as shut off for cellular data.


While this is really great for things that you already have shut off and restricted it's a real problem for things you NEED to have working over cellular data. For example, let's say that the App Store is something that you want to work over cellular data. If it the App Store is shut off after the restriction is applied, it is going to stay off until it is turned back on by the user.


So basically, any apps that you shut off in Cellular Data at the time the restriction to not allow changes was applied will stay OFF, even though the user thinks they toggled it to ON. Any apps that you leave ON in Cellular Data can be turned OFF by the user or turned back ON.


This is a real problem if you need something to stay ON.

319 replies

Sep 25, 2015 12:14 PM in response to kikibear12

kikibear12 wrote:


This issue just started yesterday for me, I tried every tech hack I know to fix it, but it won't budge. iOS 9 bug for sure. Don't know how to restore phone to iOS 8 or whatever it was.

I doubt that is is an iOS 9 bug for sure. Because there were a lot of reports of it for iOS 8, which would make it an iOS 8 bug for sure. And I don't have it with any of my 3 devices on iOS 9.0.1. I suspect more likely its a problem transferring settings during an update. If I'm right the next update won't fix it either. Resetting the phone probably will.

Sep 25, 2015 1:59 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

The consensus from the thread, which holds true in my experience, is that this issue may be resolved by resetting the device, but reasserts after restore from the iTunes backup. A few who have fixed it seem to have done so by rolling back to 8.4.1 using an archived backup. I'm holding out hope I won't be forced to manually transfer contacts and settings to regain access to certain apps over cellular.


I do know that a similar issue cropped up for some users with iOS 7.

Sep 25, 2015 6:33 PM in response to Turko

too much time is being expended taking extraordinary steps to clear up this VERY SERIOUS ERROR.


If i wanted a bug infested malware RIDDLED rat trap I would have gotten an Android phone for $100. I suggest no extraordinary steps be taken trying to resolve this issue- downgrading to IOS 8 is probably the most defeatist solution and risks just messing up your phones.


Wiping your iPhone clean as has been suggested and restoring from an old back only to find the problem persists suggests one thing:


THIS IS APPLE'S PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE TO FIX IT. Unless you can write developer code, no one will find the solution sitting on hold with Apple support for 6 hours.

Sep 26, 2015 5:40 AM in response to Rizzlekas

I fixed the problem by restoring the phone but set it up as "New" phone (not restore from backup).


Previously, my son turned off cellular data for some apps while under iOS 9.0. The iOS 9.0.1 update seems to lock down those settings and does not allow it to be changed.


My son will need to reinstall all the apps he previously downloaded, but luckily not many of them. For other users, this may be a hassle, but seem to be the only way to resolve the cellular data off issue.


Good luck

Sep 26, 2015 6:37 AM in response to MacHappy

Rather than ranting to other users who can't do anything and don't care what phone you have or decide to buy, what good did your post do? What have you done to bring what you perceive as a problem to Apple's attention? Did you submit feedback? Did you report it through the chat service? Did you call Apple support? Those are the only way Apple knows of issues. This is a user to user forum. Apple does not read it.


You should certainly go and buy an Android phone. I'm sure that none of them have any bugs or any problems, and are completely secure. And you won't have any problem with updates, because on most of them the operating system can't be updated.

Sep 26, 2015 7:04 AM in response to MacHappy

I'm glad you contacted Apple; they do track issues that people report through feedback, developer and beta tester bug reports, chats, telephone support and genius bar visits, and use the number of reports on an issue to determine its severity and get diagnostic information. Such as why is it happening to only a small number of iOS devices? What is different about the setup or settings on devices with the problem (none of my 3 cellular iOS devices exhibit this problem)?

Sep 26, 2015 7:46 AM in response to Turko

Hello


I have been having this problem since the upgrade to IOS 9. I waited for 9.0.1 to fix this problem but no luck.


When I tried to erase my settings, it asked for my restrictions passcode that I did not remember setting in the first place. However, I was able to fix this problem.


I backed up all my data on iCloud. I then restored my Iphone through Itunes. Once it is restored, you must make sure that you should choose the option of 'Setting up Iphone as a new device'. This means that you'll have new passcodes, and basically a new device with new settings. At this point, you cellular data issue must be fixed as it did for me. After all of this is done, sign in your Apple ID and restore your data


It must be noted that you should set the device as a new device and not restore your backup from before.


Hope it helps!


Iphone 6 User

Sep 26, 2015 7:57 AM in response to Mohammad Zain asad

Thanks for that useful information. It would be helpful if others in this thread that have this problem try your approach, and report if it works. If it does it can be posted as a user tip. To summarize what you did:

  • Back up to iCloud.
  • Restore the phone through iTunes and set it up as NEW, don't set up from a backup
  • Verify that the problem is resolved
  • Restore your iCloud backup
  • Verify that it is still resolved.


Did I get this right?

IOS 9 Cellular Data Usage Restrictions not working

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