Tutor
•
2 Messages
Limiting Data Usage
I have 4 phones in my plan. Two have unlimited data plans and I am not willing to give those two up. One of my kids uses data wisely, and is always within his plan. The other son uses data like crazy. I installed the "Smart Limits" product and that let me cut off his data when he used his plan. A few weeks ago AT&T took away this part of the "Smart Limits" product. This month my son is on his fourth additional GB, at $10 each.
Today I went to the AT&T store. The person at the store told me that I should give up both unlimited data packages and get a family plan with 10 GB shared. Meanwhile my one son has already used over 6GB with a lot of time left this month! When I said I was not willing to give up the unlimited data plans, he told me that I needed to download the myAT&T app, and then I could go in there and easily turn off his data usage when my son apporached his limit. I didn't like relying on a manual process, but told him I'd download and set this up when I got home.
Later I downloaded the app. There is no way to turn off my son's data usage. So I called AT&T customer service. The person I spoke to said that I couldn't do it in the app, only in the full website. I went into the website, and at just as I was asking him how to actually turn off my son's data usage either the call dropped or he hung up.
I used the live chat online at that point. The person there told me that there is no way to limit my son's data usage, and suggested that I just be extra vigilant about how he uses data.
I cann't believe that AT&T does not have a way for a parent to limit his child's data usage. They had one, but turned it off a few weeks ago - were too many parents limiting iverage charges? What should a parent do, other than to switch to another carrier? Doe anyone have any real suggestions?
darktowermage
Tutor
•
2 Messages
7 years ago
The point of the thread is that there used to be a feature to set a data cap for individual phone lines. When the phone went over the cap, the data would be turned off for the phone. Once the billing cycle started again, the data would be available. This functionality allowed account owners to set caps and not have to worry about monitoring and turning on and off data. It also could not be bypassed by changing settings on the phone.
The OP was fully aware they could go in and monitor and disable data on phone lines manually, but this is not the point of the thread. Those individuals who keep pointing out the manual method and deriding the OP because they don't want to have to monitor data usage or because they don't know how to deal with their kids, don't get it. AT&T used to offer this feature. They removed it because they could make more money by removing it. There's no other reason why they would remove this convenience feature. Verizon has this feature and it works.
So to sum up, we don't want to have to monitor data usage or set alerts and go in and change settings. We don't want to have to use the Android/IPhone software to set caps, which can be easily bypassed. We don't want someone to chastize us about our poor parenting skills.
We want to be able to set a monthly data cap by phone line. It's that simple.
(And if any AT&T reps are listening, I'm seriously considering moving back to Verizon. I was with them for 15 years and switched last year because AT&T data plans appeared to save me some money - but only at the expense of features.)
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.2K Messages
7 years ago
@darktowermage
@tranau151
It appears Stream saver feature has been added to postpaid accounts. It is turned on by default. You might want to see if it is active for your devices
For some reason it is not on my Mobile Share Value plan.
0
0
MrCherry2000
Contributor
•
1 Message
7 years ago
Telecoms are unlikely to want to provide any kind of automated customer manageable quota system because they want your money. They don't care how hard you worked for it! They are most likely to ensure that it will automatically go over, and cost you more unless you intentionally manually go in and manage it manually yourself. They don't even have to do anything but program the system to let you set up the automation, that just isn't in their interest. Same problem existed back when I had a family plan on minutes about a decade ago, there was no way to set an automatic quota on the child’s phone. So, it just racked up minutes for 6 hours a day, for a whole month, and then cost me $2000+ that I totally didn't have. No warnings, no control system, nothing. They simply don't give a crap about customer’s needs. They care that they need your money and that's it.
Stream Saver has nothing to do with saving you data, also apparently doesn’t work in iPhones. It is about picking winners and losers on the internet, and prioritizing content they make money on. We can look forward to more of this over the next few years. Their response to such things is revisionist Orwellian gaslighting, to try and convince the oblivious that it isn't what it is.
I doubt one could use Automator on a Mac maybe, to automate checking the usage, and automate turning it off. But I suppose that would reach limits if the site format changes, or if bot limiting features get in the way. A shame there isn't some sort of API that developers could utilise to provide more advanced account features.
0
0
Gary L
ACE - Expert
•
16.5K Messages
7 years ago
Nice conspiracy thought, BUT the plans they introduced last August don't have overages any more. So that's not the plan. Plus, the cost of data went down on their plans on the web site.
On a side note, I wouldn't give my kid a smartphone until they are smart enough to check the data daily and see where they are in the plan. It's probably second grade math to compare if today's data amount is smaller or greater than the data use should be on the 27th of the month (I'd give them a chart with where they should be each day of the data cycle). Make them record the data use on a chart on the fridge or something.
If they can figure out all the stuff they do with games, codes, and everything else, then they have the abilty to master this skill.
0
darktowermage
Tutor
•
2 Messages
7 years ago
But that's not really the point. We seem to be getting off topic. It's clear that AT&T doesn't provide a way to set data caps by phone line.
Regardless, I'll just limit the data on the phone using the Android software and explain that if my daughter is in there tampering with the settings, then she loses the phone for that month.
It would still be a really nice feature that I would pay to have, if anyone from ATT is out there listening in. 😀
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.2K Messages
7 years ago
@MrCherry2000
Well, the currently offered plans kind of fly in the face of that don't they? Both Verizon and ATT now offer plans which automatically throttle and do not charge for overage.
Could the carrier set up something? Probably. Smart limits used to do this 3 some years ago. Why they took it away, I don't know.
There are notifications available so that customers can track and control the data use. The idea you have no warning or control is defeatist and untrue.
Its right up there with our ancestors not knowing what cause illness and death, so they blame it on evil spirits and bad blood.
as for going over on calls, that was always me anyway. Lol. I just increased my call plan and took advantage of the night and weekend thing.
As for controlling data...
I am old school. My sons were taught how to check their data use, and what their cap was. If they went over, I turned them off. They each went over once that I recall. Now they pay for their own service so they can use what they want.
Stream saver targets some data hogging apps and will indeed save on data. It's a restriction on the line at the account level, it has nothing to do with the phone.
It will work on all phones, on eligible plans. It's being rolled out. I don't have it usable on my Mobile Share Value plan yet . It will reduces the streaming rate from full HD to 480 for apps like YouTube and other video that the average underage user is fond of. That would mean using about half the data.
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.2K Messages
7 years ago
One parent to another, this is what I did. It teaches cause and effect, budgeting and responsibility. It is a valuable lesson, and it puts some of the stress where it belongs, on your little data hoglet.
Kudoes to you!
0
0
pyoung14
Tutor
•
5 Messages
7 years ago
....
0
0
pyoung14
Tutor
•
5 Messages
7 years ago
We know it's possible for ATT to make a feature that limits data usage but let's be honest. They won't make it while they're making so much money off our data overages. So they make us micromanage all the devices on our plans or risk going over and being charged. For about $20 more than I'm paying now I can move all 10 of my lines to T-mobile and have unlimited data or pay almost $200 more to get unlimited with att.
Ill have all all my phones paid off by September. If att doesn't find a solution that doesn't revolve around me manually turning on and off data for 10 lines then I'll be switching to another company. I love att, they've always been awesome but I done worrying about data.
0
0
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
•
117.2K Messages
7 years ago
@pyoung14
Don't know what math your using but $200 more? Not even close.
10 lines on t-mobile unlimited is $400
10 lines on ATT unlimited is approximately $470 with $5 tax per line included. That doesn't include the cost of required TV service, but who isn't paying for that anyway?
Unless you live in an urban area well covered by T-mobile, you won't be able to use that unlimited data anyway. I have 2 options, Verizon or ATT. And I don't live in the boondocks.
Both carriers require you buy phones separately.
0
0