Do these count as data usage?

[loridk1]

Facebook

Weather

Maps

iheartradio

Games (the apps are already downloaded to my phone-am I charged data usage to play them?)

My questions arise because I did the data usage calculator and overestimated my usage and still came in completely below the 200 plan, but received a text that I am nearing my usage and risk overage, but there are still 7 days left in the billing cycle! 

Help will be appreciated!

[Virtual · Accepted solution]

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loridk1 wrote:

Facebook YES

Weather YES

Maps Not if you have pre-installed maps and it doesn't require internet connection

iheartradio YES

Games (the apps are already downloaded to my phone-am I charged data usage to play them?) No unless the games you want to play require internet connection

My questions arise because I did the data usage calculator and overestimated my usage and still came in completely below the 200 plan, but received a text that I am nearing my usage and risk overage, but there are still 7 days left in the billing cycle! 

Help will be appreciated!

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[UNSC_REACH]

Yup, all correct. I like to think of it this way: anything thats not on your phone, is data. If your getting search results, weather results, websites (like facebook, even if its an app). All these things use internet (data) usage.

[Natep73]

then why does it say everywhere that Wi-Fi usage doesn't count as data???

[ghostryder ACE - Wizard]

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Natep73 wrote:

then why does it say everywhere that Wi-Fi usage doesn't count as data???

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Because it doesn't count. However, I have heard that some phones will show you WiFi service and then drop back to data usage while you are thinking you're on WiFi.

Edited to replace "iPhones" with "some phones"

[Natep73]

so can you set up a phone to accept wifi but not other online data

[ghostryder ACE - Wizard]

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Natep73 wrote:

so can you set up a phone to accept wifi but not other online data

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You should be able to with all smartphones that are WiFi capable. I use a Blackberry Torch that I have setup it up to recognize my home WiFi. Blackberrys are designed to have both data and WiFi running at the same time and will automatically try to run thru WiFi BEFORE switching to data if possible, as most of its apps are designed to run off WiFi.

[21stNow]

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Virtual wrote:

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loridk1 wrote:

Games (the apps are already downloaded to my phone-am I charged data usage to play them?) No unless the games you want to play require internet connection

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To expand on this further, even if actual gameplay does not require data, but the app runs ads while you are using it, the app uses data.

[21stNow]

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Natep73 wrote:

so can you set up a phone to accept wifi but not other online data

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It will depend on the phone, but you can change the settings of a phone to not access cellular data, but to access Wi-fi signals only.  You can also have the phone access no data at all in Airplane Mode.