Level 1

31 points

iPhone X Excessive Data Usage

I got the iPhone X exactly a week ago. Ever since, I have completely regretted it. All-in-all, the phone is amazing, and I love it... but I have never run into to many issues as I have in the past week with this phone, than I have over the past 5 years that I have owned iPhones.

The phone I had before the X was the 7... I use data once and awhile, but I never go over my data plan which is 4GB per month. The morning after I get the iPhone X, I curiously check my data usage through my cell provider, and I had used almost 1GB. Rogers had stated that I had used almost 1GB of data at 10:34am last Friday (I didn't even have my phone on me as I was in a meeting, and it was connected to WIFI). Ever since, the data usage has been insane on this phone, to the point where I have contacted Apple and they have told me to turn my data usage off so I do not go over my usage. Almost all of my apps have their data usage turned off, I have always had WIFI assist and iCloud drive turned off, as well as background app refresh. It doesn't seem to matter if I am connected to WIFI, the phone seems to still love to eat up the data. Apple has given me no answers, other than the fact that the iPhone X has enhancements that might use cellular data regardless of a wifi connection. But for these enhancements to use so much that I have to actually turn off my data is ridiculous... They haven't been able to give me a more reasonable answer. This phone has become virtually useless to me, the second I turn my cellular back on the feast of data begins. Has anyone else experienced this issue or have any answers? It's sad that this is what it's come to... Apple can't even give me an answer to an issue with their product.

iPhone X, iOS 11.2.1

Posted on Dec 15, 2017 7:43 PM

Top-ranking reply

JRoy1981

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Feb 9, 2018 9:10 AM

My cellular data usage has dropped significantly by disabling iCloud drive and the Photo Library from uploading via cellular data. Now they only upload when connected to WiFi. Problem was I recorded some videos while I was away from a WiFi and it uploaded the videos to the Photo Library over the cellular connection. I checked my data usage after I got an alert from VZ stating I had reached 90% and I saw huge data usage the same times I was recording videos.

There may be some other oddities like Safari using 50MB to do a search, but I haven't noticed that yet. For the first time since getting the iPhone X, I now have extra data to rollover into next month's usage.

View in context

87 replies

Feb 9, 2018 9:06 AM in response to Dennispetrone

Mine was eating up cellular while I was home in WiFi. Turning off these switches did the trick for me. My hog was Youtube. Seems videos on the X are heavy users. Some say due to the new screen resolution. Others say that’s bull.

Mar 12, 2018 10:01 AM in response to AlejandroTurrco

The precise fact is that when you switch from WIFI to CELLULAR, the PHOTOS app SOMETIMES does not PAUSE photos uploading, as it should, and continues the process using data.

BORg529

Level 4

3,070 points

Jul 7, 2018 10:19 AM in response to lynette113

In Settings > Cellular > WiFi Assist > Off?

madra31

Level 6

9,946 points

Dec 16, 2017 3:06 AM in response to sammergee

Your concern is understandable but there are ways to manage data usage to avoid surprises of an unpleasant nature.

If all your settings are similar to what you had before and your active use of data has not changed much, the fact you have the iPhone X and iOS 11.2.1 would not explain dramatic changes in data usage as recorded by your carrier.

Clearly, something different is happening and you can identify and control it by monitoring what is using your data.

Check the cellular data usage on your iPhone and iPad - Apple Support

There are many useful apps available to monitor data usage and provide timely alerts. By way of caution, however, no app is completely accurate in terms of data usage as measured by the carrier which is the only thing that matters when it comes to billing.

sammergee Author

Level 1

31 points

Dec 21, 2017 12:11 PM in response to brendbast

I still have apple investigating the issue. They have taken logs of my data usage that I uploaded to them through their site that their engineers are looking in to. There is definitely something going on and apple has admitted to that, since my system services has been eating a lot more data than it should. However, the amount of data my phone burns seems to be on and off now... the past couple days have been fine, but then all of a sudden something in system services will eat up 500MB (usually itunes media services) which apple has also admitted doesn't make sense as I have almost every app turned off in my settings, including anything that would even be related to itunes, such as my music app.

Once they have finished their investigation and get back to me with the cause, I will let you know... hopefully they can get to the bottom of the issue.

MJJDLIDD

Level 1

8 points

Jul 17, 2018 4:11 PM in response to sammergee

I am having the same problem and not getting any answer from apple. I have finally shut off data to all apps and services and turning them on 1 by 1 to see which is the parasite. My I Phone 8 plus will use .01 megs every night while on Wi-Fi and not using the phone. This is going to take awhile...you would think apple would be looking into this. My wife's IPhone 6 plus has all her data turned on and it uses none. I put all my settings just like hers all the same apps and services but mine uses data and hers does not. Apple needs to address this.

Bjbeejay

Level 1

4 points

Jan 8, 2018 5:08 PM in response to JRoy1981

Also under settings >> mobile >> scroll to the bottom and deselect ‘wifi assist’..

This will prevent chewing up and using cellular data in cases if low wifi signal

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,851 points

Jan 17, 2018 12:17 PM in response to JRoy1981

Photos are saved locally unless you've enabled iCloud Photo Library.

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,851 points

May 24, 2018 8:09 AM in response to byronpp

We're just users here; feel free to leave comments for Apple here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

madra31

Level 6

9,946 points

Dec 16, 2017 5:00 AM in response to sammergee

Apple is correct is saying that the phone should not use data while cellular is turned off.

Unfortunately, that does not necessarily mean the carrier would show no data being used during that period.

There is a rather big challenge for a user who is trying to match cellular data usage on the phone with carrier records. The user in looking at the carrier record sees data usage typically as it is invoiced rather than necesarily at the time it was actually used.

The problem relates to two separate issues: first, data usage recorded by the carrier is normally higher than what is recorded on the device and second, there can be major differences in timing as the phone records data as used while on the account data usage the carrier shows it when invoiced. For some carriers, especially, MVNOs, this makes reconciliation impossible.

So if your carrier is showing data usage while you actually have the phone turned off, it does not necessarily mean anything nefarious is happening.

However, if you are using a major carrier the lags between invoicing and use should not be large unless data roaming is involved.

Let's hope the matter gets resolved during your appointment.

Dec 16, 2017 5:30 AM in response to sammergee

Go to settings down to each app turn mobile data off on each one you only need to work with your wifi not mobile data.

Go to i books download ios 11 user guide &iPhone X guide both are free.

Cheers

Brian 🇬-1F1E7;

sammergee Author

Level 1

31 points

Jan 5, 2018 6:14 AM in response to avrilmv

They have not gotten back to me since before the holidays... I just sent them another request. Did you just get the iPhone X? I found most of my issues were within the few weeks of having the phone... ever since, I haven't had as many issues, however there is still a considerable amount of data being used on the phone that is not being accounted for in my apps or system services, so I am unsure of where it is getting used. I think the main issue was iCloud and iTunes doing background updates onto the new phone or something, even though I have everything turned off in my settings. I have noticed that instagram eats up the most data out of everything... 10 seconds on instagram will use about 20MB of data on my phone which seems excessive (even with "use less data" turned on)... I will let you know once apple gets back to me, if they ever do.

sammergee Author

Level 1

31 points

Jan 8, 2018 3:48 PM in response to JRoy1981

If it is still burning through data excessively I would contact Apple if I were you. Mine was burning through a ton of data the first few weeks with the phone but has since gone down quite a bit... It is no longer causing me to go over my data plan (4GB) so I don't really care anymore. I had spent at least 5 hours on the phone with Apple while they try to figure out what's wrong... We must have called back and forth 10 times while i sent them screenshots of my settings and such- it got to the point where it was so annoying and not worth my time. I know there is something still chewing up data in the background but it isn't worth the hassle for me anymore; since you have a smaller data plan though I would definitely suggest having it looked at.. You might be better off making an appointment with them and bringing the phone directly into the store because dealing with them on the phone is a nightmare.

avrilmv

Level 1

4 points

Jan 11, 2018 11:22 PM in response to sammergee

I bought it about a month ago.

Same as you I have turned off everything I know. Everything using wifi and mobile data on the background, iCloud and iTunes, apps, even the one in Privacy>Analytics>Share iPhone Analytics. I only downloaded Facebook and WeChat into my iPX. I have no problem with my iP4 before. Now, a 1GB of data lasts for only 3hrs. 😕😢

Jan 16, 2018 7:26 PM in response to supergirl83

First visit had me reset the phone using iTunes so that a brand new software can be installed. Then I was told to go home and observe. Hoping that the second visit won't be an utter waste of time, I had a new genius try to disable wifi assist, background app refresh, location services, iphone analytics, and icloud - only to find that they had been already disabled by me. Their next suggestion was to send my phone in for an inspection but I was also told that option rarely results in a concrete solution. Eventually, I got a new phone as the last resort. Unfortunately, that did nothing. My last attempt to fix this was to factory reset again and use a completely different apple ID. That also did not work. I am so vexed at the fact that I have to manually toggle cellular data that I switched my plan to unlimited even though there is no need. Someone cry with me.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

iPhone X Excessive Data Usage