Teacher
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14 Messages
Excessive data usage since getting new phone
Since getting my new phone (8pIus) I am blowing through my data like crazy!! Every month it gets worse. This month, I actually went over when I usually go into the next month with rollover easy, for years. I went from an iPhone 6 to an 8 plus in December, so forget the “3G to LTE” so ludicrously provides as a solution that I read in another forum - really?. I am currently having loyalty monitor my usage. They agreed to credit me if I went over, which I did. But I am sure this is a one time courtesy. The strange part about all of it is that NOTHNG has changed except getting a newer phone - nothing has changed in my phone behavior. I don’t stream movies, videos or use my phone for excessive surfing (I do, like many others in the 21st century have a laptop that we choose to use for that). I had a cohort tell me she is having the exact same issue! Only she has NOT upgraded her phone. She still has the iPhone 6! Ok, so now comes the conspiracy theory. Ready? Here goes... I believe it is att’s way of getting those of us who have these 20G and below plans with unlimited Hot Spot tethering, off of these plans that they now want customers to pay extra for. Makes sense, right? That should be an illegal business practice! Signed, AngryDisappoinedATTLoyalSince2000WhenYouWereBellSouthCustomer! 😞
[Legal discussions are not permitted per the Guidelines]
MicCheck
ACE - Expert
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14.2K Messages
6 years ago
Your phone is an independent data meter. You can go to Settings --> Cellular and see exactly how you're using data. Iphones don't reset each billing cycle, so you'll have to do that manually, but since the phone is relatively new, you should be able to see what's causing the overages.
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Tkins019
Teacher
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14 Messages
6 years ago
@MicCheck
Thank you kindly for your professional and courteous reply! Not many in the community know how to behave professionally in a virtual environment. You did well! I just got my phone - upgraded from a 6 to an 8 plus. ATT has been trouble shooting my phone. I have turned off WiFi assist and still using data like crazy!! They even suggest an issue with the equipment. Not sure. I have looked at the data usage meter and the usage report makes no sense. I haven’t done anything different from what I did with my 6.
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MicCheck
ACE - Expert
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14.2K Messages
6 years ago
What doesn't make sense? Here's a screen shot of mine, but I've never reset it, so I can see I've used about 21 GB on Facebook since I got my phone, etc.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.1K Messages
6 years ago
I’m amused, 3 fellow customers are telling you your phone is an independant meter of your usage. I posted links. @MicCheck Posted a photo. You are sure ATT is pulling something. Yet you think loyalty is going to “monitor” your data for you this week and fix this. I for one CANNOT wait to see what loyalty has to say about it.
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Catapone
Contributor
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1 Message
6 years ago
There are far far too many people having the same issues for it to not be an issue with the phone or the service provider playing games. I could see if the versions were slightly different but the exact same scenario over and over again leads me to believe I am not the issue. I have changed my internet habits 0%. So why last December when I switched to 8plus did my usage nearly double. I literally have this phone on lockdown and am still flying through Data. I have all apps turned off in Cellular unless I need to use them which makes it extremely annoying and not user friendly that I have to go in and turn apps on every time I need to use one. I have no WiFi assist on and I connect to WiFi any time an open network is available and always in my house. I also highly suspect ATT of playing games in order to mess with grandfathered plans forcing us to give up our plan to accommodate the ever increasing data usage thats not being used by me yet it says it is. So either there is a software issue within the phone or ATT is playing games.
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MicCheck
ACE - Expert
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14.2K Messages
6 years ago
Switching to a new phone can easily change data usage, even with the same habits.
However, as noted above, you have the ability to see if AT&T's "playing games." At the beginning of the next billing cycle, reset your data tracker (see screen shot I posted above). Take note of the usage it has recorded at the end of that billing cycle. Compare that to the data usage that AT&T reports on your bill. If there is a major difference, then AT&T is screwing up. I've never heard of anyone going through those steps and actually finding something screwy on AT&T's end.
Now, if you think it's your phone's software, then take that up with Apple.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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117.1K Messages
6 years ago
@Catapone
Yet no no one ever thinks the bank must be pulling something when they are overdrawn. 🤨.
No one comes to the forum saying,”my phone data meter says I used X amount of data, but ATT says I used Y more”. In fact not one person has any idea how to locate or read their data meter. You can keep a check register and read your gas gauge...so learn this too.
No carrier controls your phone, you do.
This is dated, but still valid. https://forums.att.com/t5/Community-Blog/Data-Management-Cause-for-gray-hair-hair-pulling-and-stress/ba-p/4323575
Once explained how to monitor and compare data between phone and carrier, every single person goes away and doesn’t complain again. Once in a while someone returns, saying it makes sense, or admits, “oops, YouTube was running in the background”. Or “I forgot I let my kid watch Netflix in the car” or “phone was faulty and not connecting to any Wifi”.
So far, not one person has provided any evidence that any carrier has messed with their data reporting. Im still waiting. Show me the data!
I was as ignorant as anyone else 6 years ago when we kept going over our Verizon limit. I don’t like not understanding things, so I learned stuff.
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