Q: Why both WiFi assist and cellular data
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Feb 22, 2016 4:23 PMby Lawrence Finch,WiFi is disabled when the phone goes to sleep to preserve battery (unless the phone is connected to power), so any background apps will use cellular data even if you are in range of a WiFi network.
It's also important to know where you are tracking this data usage. If it's on Verizon's website the data usage reported is delayed for up to 3 hours, because Verizon's billing system collects cumulative data reports from the cellular switches every 3 hours. If you are tracking it on the phone that's real time.
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Feb 22, 2016 4:28 PMby Drew Reece,superknox wrote:
I noticed that although I'm at home and connected to WiFi, WiFi assist is disabled, I still have huge amounts of data usage on my phone. I called Verizon support today, and they told me that I also needed to disable Cellular Data while at home and connected to WiFi. She explained that the cell signal might be better than the WiFi service, and thus, it will use the cell data. I'm left to think, 1. Does she know what she is talking about? I had understood that WiFi assist was the function where the cellular data would be used if the WiFi was poor... are there really 2 places that the iOS provides similar functionality? 2. If she is correct, why the heck would there be 2 places to disable the same functionality?!
If I disable the cellular data option, and I leave my home... I need to either connect to another WiFi network or go back and enable the cellular data option. How annoying that I have to turn in on/off every time I leave or come home?
The support agent is right. If you have patchy wifi the cellular data will be used instead. Take a look at cloud check…
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cloudcheck/id722428563?mt=8
It will tell you the speed your wifi is operating at - see if you have slow areas, that can cause iOS to use cellular data instead when wifi assist enabled.
Yes the option to disable cellular data in settings is a pain - that is how Apple designed it. They could add it as an option for the notification centre toggles but they don't.
Post it as feedback if you want them to improve it. Apple designers seem to live in a world where data is free & enabled constantly.
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Feb 22, 2016 4:33 PMby Lawrence Finch,Drew Reece wrote:
Yes the option to disable cellular data in settings is a pain - that is how Apple designed it. They could add it as an option for the notification centre toggles but they don't.
Open the control center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, turn on Airplane Mode, then turn on WiFi (and Bluetooth, if needed). To go back to cellular data just swipe up again and turn off Airplane Mode.
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Feb 22, 2016 4:54 PMby Drew Reece,Lawrence Finch wrote:
Drew Reece wrote:
Yes the option to disable cellular data in settings is a pain - that is how Apple designed it. They could add it as an option for the notification centre toggles but they don't.
Open the control center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, turn on Airplane Mode, then turn on WiFi (and Bluetooth, if needed). To go back to cellular data just swipe up again and turn off Airplane Mode.
Airplane mode also disables calls & SMS, this defeats the entire 'phone' part of an iPhone.
It could be simpler to add a button or make 'toggles' user editable.
