iPhone data download using HOTSPOT

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Level 2

229 points

iPhone data download using HOTSPOT

Gosh, this is confusing. I recently traded in my older iPhone 6s and bought a new iPhone XS. I choose to use a wired connection to iTunes (from the iPhone to the computer running iTunes) to do backups and perform updates. I have a perfectly good and available WiFi home network that I always check to ensure that it's working OK before attempting to download any iPhone updates.

I've done TWO updates since buying this new phone. The first time I noticed, sort of after the fact, that the clock in the upper left of my new iPhone was lit with a blue border around it which I've since looked up and that appears to mean

"Your iPhone is either providing a Personal Hotspot or an app is actively using your location".

And whoa, I shortly after came to see that my phone sure enough had decided sort of on its own to connect to my computer as a personal HOTSPOT even though the computer didn't seem to think so???? There went about 3 GB's of cellular data down the toilet???

And then it gets worse. So today was the 2nd update. Before I did the update, I not only checked to make sure my WiFi network was working OK but I also went in and double checked on the iPhone to see that the Personal Hotspot button was set to OFF. Now I've seen this button before turn itself ON under circumstances I don't understand but it didn't do that today. I looked at it multiple times and it was OFF. And my computer showed that my network connection was via my home WiFi network. And I had a cable connection between my phone and the computer, which is needed (I think) for iTunes to see the phone so I can do a backup and the update.

Anyway, while the process went on, I noticed that, oh my, the blue was again surrounding the clock on my iPhone XS and when I would close the cover and reopen, it would open to show the HOTSPOT icon in the upper left corner where that clock would normally sit if I went ahead and logged in to the phone???? What??? While this was happening I went into the settings and noted that the Personal Hotspot STILL SHOWED AS BEING OFF...!!!! But it wasn't until I took even another step of TURNING OFF the CELLULAR connection that that hotspot messaging finally went away. But I fear it was again too late and that yet again I inadvertently used my cellular plan to download this multi GB update.

So what am I doing wrong??? Do I have to turn off BOTH the PERSONAL HOTSPOT and the CELLUAR DATA before I do these updates??? I'm certainly tired of wasting cellular data over something I thought I understood but clearly don't. Do I need to change some setting to force the use of my WiFi network to download update data??? Again, what am I doing wrong??? Any help would be much appreciated... thanks...

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.4), late 2016 model with Touch Bar

Posted on Nov 14, 2018 5:52 PM

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Answer 1

Robert Paris Author

Level 2

229 points

Nov 14, 2018 6:42 PM in response to Robert Paris

got it... figured that had to be something cumulative. thanks... Regarding the iPhone XS Hotspot icon see a jpg I just went out and grabbed from the apple site. It's different on the iPhone 10 from what it's been in the past. The time shows in the upper left of the iPhone screen once enable entry into the phone with your passcode or FaceID. What I saw earlier is the clock surrounded by the blue as shown in the picture. And before getting beyond what I guess is the home screen (screen before entering passcode or FaceID???) when it is in this Hotspot mode I literally see what you see down in the lower right of the attached picture, the classic two connected rings "hotspot icon".

Thoughts??? See jpg

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Answer 2

Nov 14, 2018 5:58 PM in response to Robert Paris

Any device that shares an Apple ID with your iPhone can use personal hotspot. However, it will never use it unless you specifically choose it from the Wi-Fi menu on the device.

What you should check is in Settings/Cellular. Scroll to the bottom and turn off Wi-Fi assist. This "feature" will use cellular data instead of Wi-Fi if the cellular signal is stronger or faster than the Wi-Fi network.

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Answer 3

Robert Paris Author

Level 2

229 points

Nov 14, 2018 6:22 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Hi Lawrence, thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping you had nailed it but I went to Settings/Cellular, down to near the bottom and there I see "WiFi Assist" but it is OFF and I didn't touch it. Right beneath the word "WiFi Assist" is 724 kB, whatever that might mean??? Just for completeness, the next button down is "iCloud Drive" which is also OFF.

But answer this. If I scroll up a long ways in that same Cellular listing, I get up to a heading that says "Cellular Data" and right under that I see

"Current Period 55.8 GB"

WHOA!!!

Under that is

"System Services 45.2 GB"

And then there are tons of apps with on/off buttons next to them, most of them ON. For example

"Safari 3.8 GB" and its button is ON.

Many buttons below that with typically hundreds of MB's to multiple GB's next to them.

What does all that mean???

My cellular plan is 8 GB per month and only because I've had these two problems this past month have I used close to 6 GB's. I like the 8 because it gives me options but we usually only use 1 or maybe 2 per month. The rest of it carries over but only for the next month. If you don't use that excess, it goes away but each month you have a fresh 8.

I just checked a bit ago to confirm that yes, I've used about 6 GB's this month. So what is all these huge numbers I mention above???

So like I said, I checked as this download was occurring on my MacBook Pro. I was clearly connected to my home WiFi network. "WiFi Assist" is OFF. The "Personal Hotspot" was set to OFF. But the blue Personal Hotspot icon was clearly lit on my phone. It went off ONLY when I next took the step of ALSO turning off the "Cellular" button.

But what about having a cable connected between my phone and my MacBook Pro. Could that possibly be something in rule that says "if you're connected via a cable we are going to assume you are also allowing us to connect the phone to the computer via cellular"??? I know that might sound like a SWAG but what else can it be???

I've heard of WiFi Assist before but admittedly had forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Thanks for that... Any other guesses as to what I'm doing wrong??? thanks...

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Answer 4

Nov 14, 2018 6:27 PM in response to Robert Paris

The counts don't reset unless you manually reset them, so all of those values are cumulative since you last reset statistics (also near the bottom). If you never reset statistics those are cumulative since you got the phone.

What does the personal hotspot icon look like on your phone? If it's the arrow with a blue outline that is the location services icon, not the hotspot icon.

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Answer 5

Robert Paris Author

Level 2

229 points

Nov 14, 2018 6:30 PM in response to Robert Paris

One other point. Under "Apple ID, iCloud, iTunes and App Store", when I click on that and go into those Settings, and then within that to click on "iTunes and App Store" (recall that I'm using iTunes for updates and backups), the "Use Cellular Data" button is OFF. For Automatic Downloads, Music is set to ON as is Apps and Books (all ON) but "Updates" under Automatic Downloads is set to OFF. So Music ON, Apps ON, Books ON and Updates OFF. Whatever that might mean... Just searching for what might be going on.

Thoughts??? thanks...

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iPhone data download using HOTSPOT

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