IPhone Data Usage issue yesterday

[jay1313g]

CALLING ALL CELL PHONE FREAKS! People much smarter than me.

I have an IPhone 4s and normally use 30-50mb of data per month. (I have a 200mb plan.) Obviously, I don't steam videos, use Pandora, or etc.

Yesterday, I took my 9 yr old hunting and was surprised to get a text from AT&T when I got back to the house saying I had used over 65% of my data plan. When I checked it, I was at 150mb!!! There was an entry at 8:08 a.m. for 44mb and another at 10:34 for approximately 70mb!!! I called AT&T and the lady agreed this was highly unusual for me and promised to have someone call me after the end of my billing cycle to straighten things out if I do go over.

The only thing I can think of is that I did use an app called Tree Stand finder to GPS locate and mark where we put the blind. We didn't get to the woods until around 8 a.m. and I don't think I even used the app that early.

I know this probably belongs on a phone forum somewhere but, I trust all of you much more.

Any ideas of what may have happened?

I just had another thought..... Where I parked the truck, there is little/no service. The phone will bounce back and forth between "Searching" and "No Service". The hill we were hunting on actually gets fairly good reception. Around the 8:08 a.m. time, we were just getting our coveralls on at the truck and at 10:34 a.m., we had gone back to the truck to get the 9 yr old a snack. This MUST have something to do with it.

[jdi731]

Only thing I can think of is maybe an app update/download but it doesn't sound like you did that and you would know if you did it.

I'm not really sure how al this iCloud stuff works so maybe it could have something to do with that?if you have an account and your phone is set to sync it will download stuff automatically I think. If you have an account does someone else have access to it via computer or other iDevice?

That's the only things I can guess that happened. Maybe someone else will have a better idea!

[Guest bkelm18]

Sounds like an app left running and something updated. Not sure. I manually close most apps when I'm done using them.

[jay1313g]

ICloud was turned off as well as automatic updates. 44mb and 70mb is a LOT of data even for these!

[Lumber_Jack]

Did you close out the "tree stand finder" from the bottom window. If not it could have been running while out on the woods. Usually will have an arrow shape near battery indicator if something is running that used satellite locators.

Did you see a purple arrow like this next to 58%?

Edited January 1, 2012 by Lumber_Jack

[hornett22]

I wouldn't have a smart phone without an unlimited data plan. I tether a lot though. Tethering right now actually.

I suggest rooting or jail breaking as well.

[jay1313g]

Tree Stand Finder may have been running at 10:34 but, was definitely not running at 8:08. I've hunted down there several times this year and this never happened before. Hmmmmmm

Unfortunately, AT&T doesn't offer an unlimited plan. I'm normally using only 30-50mb per month though and don't have a need to tether.

[Murgatroy]

I am on unlimited, I doubt I could be on anything else.

[whiskey]

I an on an unlimited plan, but I make a habit of closing programs that I am not using by double clicking the home button to bring up the apps active in the background.

I haven't used tree stand finder, but I do use MotionX GPS in the woods. I like it cause I can download the map at home and then I don't need service to use the app. If you had the GPS app running somehow in the background, then it may have been pulling new maps as you walked/drove around.

[jdi731]

If it wasn't iCloud or an app update then I don't have a clue what it could have been. Make sure that you talk to them and get it straightened out so it doesn't happen again.

For those people who are saying he should get an unlimited data plan, only Sprint is offering an unlimited data plan now. C Spire is trying to but I think it's charging like $70/month. He couldn't get an unlimited data plan with ATT unless he was already on an unlimited plan which he's already stated he isn't. Verizon doesn't offer an unlimited plan...

And it's not possible to jailbreak an A5 device, iPad 2 or iPhone 4s, yet...

[KahrMan]

If I am not mistaken, over the air updates only work for updates under 20mbs or 25mbs. If over that amount it says to do it over wifi.

[Lumber_Jack]

If I am not mistaken, over the air updates only work for updates under 20mbs or 25mbs. If over that amount it says to do it over wifi.

This is true, and my phone doesn't update with you manually doing it. This is truly puzzling how so much data was used in such a short period of time.

Luckily I was grandfathered into an unlimited plan with Verizon. since 11/24 I have used 1 gig. Thank god I have unlimited

Sent from my Mom's basement

[hornett22]

If it wasn't iCloud or an app update then I don't have a clue what it could have been. Make sure that you talk to them and get it straightened out so it doesn't happen again.

For those people who are saying he should get an unlimited data plan, only Sprint is offering an unlimited data plan now. C Spire is trying to but I think it's charging like $70/month. He couldn't get an unlimited data plan with ATT unless he was already on an unlimited plan which he's already stated he isn't. Verizon doesn't offer an unlimited plan...

And it's not possible to jailbreak an A5 device, iPad 2 or iPhone 4s, yet...

youre right about the unlimited plan. I'm on Verizon but I have had the unlimited from before they stopped it. I'm grandfathered .

[Guest WyattEarp]

CALLING ALL CELL PHONE FREAKS! People much smarter than me.

I have an IPhone 4s and normally use 30-50mb of data per month. (I have a 200mb plan.) Obviously, I don't steam videos, use Pandora, or etc.

Yesterday, I took my 9 yr old hunting and was surprised to get a text from AT&T when I got back to the house saying I had used over 65% of my data plan. When I checked it, I was at 150mb!!! There was an entry at 8:08 a.m. for 44mb and another at 10:34 for approximately 70mb!!! I called AT&T and the lady agreed this was highly unusual for me and promised to have someone call me after the end of my billing cycle to straighten things out if I do go over.

The only thing I can think of is that I did use an app called Tree Stand finder to GPS locate and mark where we put the blind. We didn't get to the woods until around 8 a.m. and I don't think I even used the app that early.

I know this probably belongs on a phone forum somewhere but, I trust all of you much more.

Any ideas of what may have happened?

I just had another thought..... Where I parked the truck, there is little/no service. The phone will bounce back and forth between "Searching" and "No Service". The hill we were hunting on actually gets fairly good reception. Around the 8:08 a.m. time, we were just getting our coveralls on at the truck and at 10:34 a.m., we had gone back to the truck to get the 9 yr old a snack. This MUST have something to do with it.

You can have no cell coverage for phone calls, but you can still get data, happened to me quite a bit when I was with sprint. Its a different signal on a different frequency

[Guest nicemac]

That GPS app had to be the culprit. Pulling down maps eats a lot of data. If you plan to use a GPS app, download your maps before you leave Wi-Fi range.

The average iPhone user only uses 165MB per month. Unlimited plans are just about gone (and for MOST users unnecessary…) Verizon offers a 300MB plan for $20 per month in stores (only) most every month. It is a good deal for most users. Kids (and those that act like kids) who use You Tube over 3G can't live on this type of plan, but most others can.

[Guest WyattEarp]

That GPS app had to be the culprit. Pulling down maps eats a lot of data. If you plan to use a GPS app, download your maps before you leave Wi-Fi range.

The average iPhone user only uses 165MB per month. Unlimited plans are just about gone (and for MOST users unnecessary…) Verizon offers a 300MB plan for $20 per month in stores (only) most every month. It is a good deal for most users. Kids (and those that act like kids) who use You Tube over 3G can't live on this type of plan, but most others can.

Im fortunate, i got my droid incredible last year in january, and i got the unlimited data, phone and text. As long as i dont change my plan, i can keep it. If i buy my own phone i can keep my plan, but if i upgrade i lose my plan or if i change my.phone number i think i lose my plan. So im keeping this plan as long as i can.

[jtmaze]

Tree Stand Finder may have been running at 10:34 but, was definitely not running at 8:08. I've hunted down there several times this year and this never happened before. Hmmmmmm

Unfortunately, AT&T doesn't offer an unlimited plan. I'm normally using only 30-50mb per month though and don't have a need to tether.

The only reason I got my iPhone thur AT&T was I could grandfather in my unlimited data plan from my blackberry. It kinda stinks that AT&T doesn't offer an unlimited plan anymore. I ran a gps on my trip toMI this month I will check my usage tomorrow and get back to you.

JTM🔫

Sent from my iPhone

[Guest lostpass]

If you took a bunch of pics I'd think Photostream. But since iCloud was off...

I'd wager that it isn't the maps thing, because you didn't use it when it was charged and because maps don't use that much data. I would also bet that since AT&T was willing to talk to you about it, you probably didn't use that data. Here's an oldish rundown of data usage by service.