120X more data usage? WHAT?? Any ideas?

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

Spent 2-1/2 hours on the phone w/ various ATT reps today and got absolutely nowhere. I"ll try to provide as much info as possible so maybe someone else can help or has some ideas.

I got my phone and plan and it started on February 28th.

My billing period is from the 7th to the 6th. (I had it changed from the 1st so I could change when the bill was due)

I have the 3gb data plan w/ unlimited text/pic messaging, unlimited M2M, free N/W, 450min w/ Rollover

My data usage for the first months are as follows:

2-28 to 3-27:258 mb
3-28 to 5-06:219 mb
5-07 to 6-06:473 mb (I kept data on most of the month to see how much I actually use)

6-07 to 6-07:602 mb (yes, you read that right-- from 12:00 to 11:00 am -- 11 hours- 600mb of data!)

My new month started last night at Midnight. I am vigilant in checking my data/minutes/usage. I forgot to check last night before bed, so checked this morning at 10:55 am I checked my usage. I about fell over on the floor when it said 600mb of data used in 11 hours. I used ONLY 950mb from 2-28 to 6-06, (exactly 100 days), yet in 11 hours I used 3/4 of that? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

I have full wifi at home, and at work. As you can see by my usage, I average about 300mb for A MONTH. (10mb/day). According to the 602mb for 11 hours, I'm averaging 120 TIMES THAT AMOUNT.

I was given a few explanations:

Somehow, someway someone used my phone (I am a single parent and was sleeping at 11pm with the phone next to my pillow, where it has been every night since February 28th--picture Ralphie and his Red Rider BB Gun from A Christmas Story)
There is a 7-day lag time for data, it will drop off my bill
Someone watched a movie (um no-- I watched NOTHING as I was sleeping)
Someone was streaming music or tv (umm, no, I was sleeping)
There are apps running in the background (nothing that hasn't been running occassionally/on and off in the background for the last three months: Facebook, Safari, ATT app, Notes, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, Settings, Phone, Messages)

Here is some other information:

I have full wifi at home, at work and most other places I go.
I watched two 3 minute videos from Facebook and BOTH were watched on Wifi
I only was on 3G for about 5 minutes while on the bus and it was for about 4 minutes
I havfe watched 3-4 Youtube videos in the past on 4G and as you can see by my usage, obviously doesn't use 600mb of data
I use Friend Finder, FollowMee and Family Tracker but they are NOT in the task bar and I have been using them for MONTHS and no excessive data usage occured (as evidenced by my 3 months of data above)
I DID realize this morning I had Data Roaming on with Cellular, but I have plenty of ATT Signal everywhere I am and I haven't been more than 7 miles from my home in the last month. I live in the middle of Long Island on the North Shore.
All the above stuff I did was either the day before or w/in the month.

NONE of this makes sense. The ONLY PLAUSIBLE explanation is that the data I used yesterday and/or days previous somehow got it's way onto this months bill but 1- that NEVER happened before and 2-when I was w/o a wifi signal for about an hour on Wednesday, I was only using Facebook, then switched on Wifi when I got to my sister's house.

So, really, it doesn't make sense at all.

OH and the real kicker?? The data usage for the month KEEPS ALTERNATING from 602mb to 1602mb ! EXPLAIN THAT!

This is thru the ATT App. NOTE: Next Bill Cycle is consistent w/ 7/7/12

11:50 AM:---------------602.61
12:23 PM:---------------602.61
12:42 PM:---------------602.61
13:29 PM:--------------1604.07
14:15 PM:--------------1604.07
16:41 PM:--------------1604.11
18:15 PM:----------------602.61
19:20 PM:---------------1604.11

This is thru the text messaging (Settings, Phone, ATT Services, Data/Messages)

NOTE: Next Bill Cycle alternates between 6/7/12 and 7/7/12.

12:34PM: ------------602.6------------6/7/12
13:38PM: ------------602.6------------6/7/12
14:36PM:-------------1604.1 -----------7/7/12
14:??PM: ------------602.6 -----------6/7/12
15:02PM: ------------602.6 -----------6/7/12
16:41PM:-------------1604.1 -----------7/7/12
19:19PM:-------------1604.1 -----------7/7/12

ANY ideas? I'll update when I have more info

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

So NOBODY who reads this forum ever had this happen? I find that hard to believe :-/

It's now consistently reading 1600mb used (1605 since I"ve used a whole whopping 4mb in the last FOUR DAYS. It hasn't "dropped off" my phone yet, and I've left 3G on, and I even watched a youtube video today on 3G. I also ahve like 10 icons open AND used Find Friends today and I've only used 4mb of data!

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO disputing this usage it isn't funny. I will update this thread as I go along. I'm not letting this go away quietly.

JFizDaWiz · ‎10-27-2010

Smartphone a are connected to the internet every second of every day. If an app wants to use data it will

Turn data off and problem solved. This is how smart phones work

“I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.”

drclaude50 · ‎06-12-2012

I have the same problem excess data use off network while I am sleeping. I was to that my iPhone doesn't connect to WiFi when the screen is locked and was sending data to Apple while I was sleeping, every night night at the same time. It wasn't doing it before but suddenly started after 3 years of having the phone. I was staying in an area for work that didn't have AT&T service but had WiFi at work and at home. They are restricting my data usage to only AT&T service areas but couldn't give me a good reason as to why my phone was using so much data on its own.

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

I totally agree with you. Absolutely 100%. All apps use data at some point or another.

But explain to me how, for all of March, April, May and 6 days in June, I had an average of 300mb of data using all the same apps, using 3G on and off, leaving my phone on 24/7, and having no less than 10 apps in the task bar yet in 12 HOURS I USED 1600 MB OF DATA? Hourly, that is 300 times more data usage. 300 TIMES!?!?!?

Something is wrong somewhere and I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT be the only one who had this happen. ATT is just lucky that I didn't go over my data.

There is NOTHING on my phone that would EVER use THAT much data in regards to how I use the phone. Because if that were true it would have happened already. Again, I will say I did NOTHING DIFFERENT at any time in the last ?? days/weeks/months to have 1.6GB of data used in 12 hours (I know data can be delayed but even if it were, that'd mean I used 2.2gb the month before. IMPOSSIBLE

Again, I have wifi at home (60/8 wired w/ a speed test of 38/12 on the phone) and at work as well as around town and I am not connected to 3G long enough to make a dent in that kind of data usage.

Oh and for what it's worth: I've only used 8.5mb of data in the last 4-1/2 days and I have 31 apps open in the task bar and have downloaded about 150 emails and written at least 10. Multiply that by 30 days and you get 255mb of data --- a little below my AVERAGE.

So, you're still going to tell me the 1.6GB is correct?

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

Oh yeah! I forgot they told me that too! I about fell over and died laughing when they told me that.

That's a lie, because not only can I still see the wifi antenna icon when I click the phone ON to the lockscreen, when I'm using Pandora or any other streaming music over wifi it would stop working every time the screen shut off. But I know, they'll tell us "it wont' shut off when something is using Wifi", yeah, ok and I have some land in Florida I want to sell you too.....

Wifi takes anywhere from 2-10 seconds to connect depending on how strong the signal is. It takes about 1/2 a second to turn the phone on. It's impossible for wifi to connect that fast. If wifi is not connected, there is no wifi icon.

Wifi doesn't shut off when the phone goes into lock mode. If wifi disconnected when in Lockscreen mode you would NOT see the wifi icon when on the lockscreen as indicated below.

Here are three videos, (on my YT) one of me turning the phone on and you'll notice the wifi indicator is connected already-- it does NOT connect when we turn the phone on, or take it out of screenlock

Turning phone on to lockscreen

Here is a video of me showing how long it takes wifi to actually turn on, and I have a strong signal, so it connects fast. If I were connecting to public wifi it would take up to 10 seconds

Wifi Turning On

So if wifi is off in lockscreen mode, how on earth do I get FB notifications? I have 3G turned off and the phone is locked, but whatdyaknow! A FB notification!

FB Notification

I also texted myself from my son's phone -- who has NO service, it's strictly wifi. So any text messages are sent via iMessage--- OVER WIFI. If wifi is turned off, HOW did I get the messages? Is AT&T going to say it goes over 2G? (which is impossible because iMessage only works with Wifi [until iOS6]) Well then if all that data got sent over 2G, I'd STILL have exhorbitant data usage every month because I NEVER turn my phone off! EVER!

I WILL figure this out, and if it really was accumulated data over the period of the 4 months then so be it, if I cannot find any plausible explanation, I will dispute it.

JFizDaWiz · ‎10-27-2010

Nothing to dispute, your phone is using data. Plain and simple. Disable data and problem gone

“I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.”

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

JFizDaWiz wrote:
Nothing to dispute, your phone is using data. Plain and simple. Disable data and problem gone

I am totally not denying that phones use data. That's why I pay for 3gb's because I didn't want to go over the 300mb.

If I HAD been paying for 300mb then I would have gotten charged and extra $10 for something I didn't use

JFizDaWiz wrote:
Nothing to dispute, your phone is using data. Plain and simple. Disable data and problem gone

I am totally not denying that phones use data. That's why I pay for 3gb's because I didn't want to go over the 300mb.

What I"m saying is, what I've said like 100 times already--- I have used my phone the SAME EXACT WAY for the last 3 months. I have done NOTHING different. I'm a predictably boring person.

So WHY does my bill say "I" used 1.3gb of data when for the 3 months prior I averaged 300mb? Something is not Kosher in the land of Denmark.

JFizDaWiz · ‎10-27-2010

Your phone is doing it and we can't see how. We will never be able to tell you how its being used.

Get My Data Manage (iPhone or android) and it'll break it down per app

“I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.”

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

JFizDaWiz wrote:
Your phone is doing it and we can't see how. We will never be able to tell you how its being used.

Get My Data Manage (iPhone or android) and it'll break it down per app

JFizDaWiz, I have ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM if the data usage came from an app on my phone that was legitimately being used. NONE. One thing I am not, is a dishonest person. IBut even YOU have to admit that with my data usage and the way I use the phone, it makes no plausible sense why there would be a 1.6 gb of data sent, going against my data usage.

This is like driving a car the exact same route for 3 months and using 5 gallons of gas per month, then on the first day of the 4th month your car uses 20 gallons of gas. Surely you'd suspect something is wrong, correct? So you take it to the mechanic and they say, "Well, cars use gas. So just don't press the gas pedal and you won't use so much" And you're going to accept that? I didn't think so.

I understand ATT cant' tell me how it's being used. (yet they can tell me how much battery I have left?!?!?!?!) SHOULD I expect ATT to not believe anything I say? That's what's happening, I feel I'm being treated like a liar. I would be willing to let ATT act like Big Brother and actually monitor my phone/app/data usage to SEE that the 1.6gb data was way over the top.

That app is really awesome, I didn't know such an app existed, yet I'm always the one saying, "There's an app for that!" LOL That'll learn me. I will DEFINITELY keep this thread updated. I WILL get to the bottom of this. (Consider me "Mrs. Dr Gregory House" haha) ........................................................................

Oh sorry, I was daydreaming

Thanks for listening to all my ranting.

jice · ‎11-05-2003

I too noticed an unusually large amount of data usage at the beginning of this month. I posted a question under billing.

The usage is not something that I can explain. While it's possible that it's due to an app behaving weirdly, it's also possible that AT&T has a bug in their software that monitors or reports usage.

The oddest part of the usage is that the dates listed are outside of the current billing cycle (yet are reported as in the current cycle).

jice · ‎11-05-2003

Good tip on the My Data Usage app. Looks promising.

GaryStebbins · ‎08-05-2003

Thank you! My Data Manager is exactly what I've been looking for to figure out what apps are using data. My battery life has suddenly dropped to about 8 hours, and I'm almost certain it's some app "phoning home" regularly, but I don't know which one. Now I'll find out!

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

I am officially disputing that so called 1600mb of data usage ATT says I used. There is NO WAY IN THIS UNIVERSE I used that Data. Thanks to another poster that recommended My Data Manager, I have used 7 GB's of Wifi (only because I uploaded all my pics to Dropbox) and only 160 MB of 3G in 10 days. That's about 13 MB / day. I even watched a few You Tube videos on 3G and I used "Map My Walk" on 3G for 90 minutes on Saturday evening. (but I learned on Sunday you can use Map My Walk w/ data turned off!) If I were to actually use 13mb/day I'd still only use 390mb for the month but for two days now I've used no data because I was at work and at home and didn't use my phone other than there.

There ARE 12 days left in my month, so I suppose I have to wait until the 8th to dispute it. I obviously didn't go over my data, and I won't regardless, but I just want it noted that I AM disputing that 1600mb of data usage.

I'll update when the time comes to let you know what they say.

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

It's been a while, but I"ve had my phone 14 months now and thought I'd update my data usage. I don't care what anyone says I did not "use" 1800mb of data in 30 days back in June. So here is my data usage for 14 months.

02-28 to 03-27: 258 mb
03-28 to 05-06: 219 mb
05-07 to 06-06: 473 mb
06-07 to 07-06: 1802 mb
07-07 to 08-06: 291 mb
08-07 to 09-06: 155 mb
09-07 to 10-06: 109 mb
10-07 to 11-06: 405 mb
11-07 to 12-06: 002 mb
12-07 to 01-06: 116 mb
01-07 to 02-06: 157 mb
02-07 to 03-06: 006 mb
03-07 to 04-06: 006 mb
04-07 to 05-06: 211 mb

The low data usage in Feb and March was because I forgot the passcode on the phone and it was disabled for two months. After trying every program and hack that I could find I finally missed the phone enough to restore it, lol. I have no idea why it says only 2mb for November , I don't think I could have used THAT LITTLE but who knows. Either way, I still think AT&T is full of it w/ that whole 1800mb of data.

I will keep this thread updated until my 2 yr contract is up (March of 2014)

harryspar · ‎11-06-2011

Everyone with an iPhone (except one person) seems to have this problem, as a quick glance through past posts on the forum will show. ATT and Apple are stonewalling.

[Per Guidelines: Keep it Relevant and Appropriate].

harryspar · ‎11-06-2011

Thanks FallenAnjel for keeping the thread updated!

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

harryspar wrote:

Everyone with an iPhone (except one person) seems to have this problem, as a quick glance through past posts on the forum will show. ATT and Apple are stonewalling.

[Per Guidelines: Keep it Relevant and Appropriate].

you have pooled all 250 million plus Iphone owners?

suspect there are a tad more then 1 that have ot expierenced the issue. The majority of cell phone users rarely go to a forum to not report anything whne thye are not expierencing problems

FallenAnjel · ‎03-05-2012

Most people don't even pay attention to their phones data usage. I'm a details freak and I keep track of stuff like this. I even figure out how much each Kb cost me. ;-). But I do it mostly to see where exactly my money is going.

There are a few people who have posted on these forums about this issue. How many of those people who keep track remains to be known however.

I also wonder if AT&T tried to pull this crap and I called them on it so they don't anymore. I'd love to see my "file". (I feel like Elaine on Seinfeld. The doctors wouldn't let her see her own chart lol).

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

FallenAnjel wrote:
Most people don't even pay attention to their phones data usage. I'm a details freak and I keep track of stuff like this. I even figure out how much each Kb cost me. ;-). But I do it mostly to see where exactly my money is going.

There are a few people who have posted on these forums about this issue. How many of those people who keep track remains to be known however.

I also wonder if AT&T tried to pull this crap and I called them on it so they don't anymore. I'd love to see my "file". (I feel like Elaine on Seinfeld. The doctors wouldn't let her see her own chart lol).

don;t care abut data usage, I pay attention to the bill, anything over a 3 percent varience then I look closer.