Cellular Usage Excessive

[Danbo99]

Last two months I've noticed a lot of data being used. I see that System Services - time and location used almost 800mb each month. Any idea what could be causing that? Also Mapping Services used 125mb. That may not be a large number, but I usually only use the maps a couple times a month and only for short trips of about 30 minutes.

Usually I barely use one gig of data monthly but lately there has been a big spike, and I haven't changed how I use my iPhone.

I guess what I'm wondering too, should settings like routing & traffic, improve maps, location ads and alerts or frequent locations use a lot of data?

 

[Rene Ritchie]

Are you on a beta or on the release firmware?

 

[Danbo99]

I never saw this reply. I'm not on any beta. I'm on 10.2.1

 

[Ledsteplin]

I never saw this reply. I'm not on any beta. I'm on 10.2.1

Most of that in system services isn't anything that directly affects your device. This is how I keep mine. For example, Call Network Search is info sent to your carrier about tower usage.

 

[Danbo99]

Thanks ledsteplin I'll try your settings. I just don't understand why for years I've had them set the same way and all of a sudden they have jumped up to using over 800mb a month. In the past I would use slightly more than 1 gb of cell data per month. Now that's doubled and it's all in system services.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Thanks ledsteplin I'll try your settings. I just don't understand why for years I've had them set the same way and all of a sudden they have jumped up to using over 800mb a month. In the past I would use slightly more than 1 gb of cell data per month. Now that's doubled and it's all in system services.

You must be looking at system services under Cellular. That has nothing to do with what I've shown. In what you're looking at, Exchange accounts and push notifications use the most data. Where,exactly, do you see 800 mb? Do you use wifi any?

 

[Danbo99]

Yes that is in system services in cellular, that is what I originally was asking about.

In system services most of the 800mb is in Time and Location, and mapping services. This is what led me to look in privacy settings to see if there was anything in there that I didn't need on.

I don't have exchange accounts, and push notifications is only around 15mb. The bigger problem seems to be Time and Location and mapping services. I rarely use maps. And I haven't really started using any new apps, which is why I can't figure out the sudden jump to almost a gig a month just for that.

I use wifi all the time at home, and I can't use my phone at work much. This is another reason I don't think this is normal, and it definitely isn't normal for me. I know its hard to diagnose something like this, but I just find it odd that I haven't added any new apps, or changed the way I use my phone. Since it was such a sudden jump I was just curious if Rene or anyone had encountered anything like this recently.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Yes that is in system services in cellular, that is what I originally was asking about.

In system services most of the 800mb is in Time and Location, and mapping services. This is what led me to look in privacy settings to see if there was anything in there that I didn't need on.

I don't have exchange accounts, and push notifications is only around 15mb. The bigger problem seems to be Time and Location and mapping services. I rarely use maps. And I haven't really started using any new apps, which is why I can't figure out the sudden jump to almost a gig a month just for that.

I use wifi all the time at home, and I can't use my phone at work much. This is another reason I don't think this is normal, and it definitely isn't normal for me. I know its hard to diagnose something like this, but I just find it odd that I haven't added any new apps, or changed the way I use my phone. Since it was such a sudden jump I was just curious if Rene or anyone had encountered anything like this recently.

My "time and location" is only 2.3 kb. So, yeah, that doesn't sound right. Do you have anything GPS related in multitasking? Something that could be running wild in the background? Check location services and turn off everything except weather. See what happens. Then turn apps back on one at a time til you eventually find the culprit. Set your system services in location services as I showed above.

 

[Danbo99]

I have been doing that...I never leave apps with GPS open in the background. I wish it was broken down better and would show which app it was that was doing this. I have been trying as you suggested but so far I haven't figured it out yet.

 

[Ledsteplin]

I have been doing that...I never leave apps with GPS open in the background. I wish it was broken down better and would show which app it was that was doing this. I have been trying as you suggested but so far I haven't figured it out yet.

Apps that have recently used data should show how much in the App list in settlngs >cellular.

 

[Danbo99]

Thanks. I know that. But no app's cellular data lines up with my 800mb being used in system services. I'm guessing once it's in system services apple doesn't break it down by app. I'm guessing that location data used isn't also shown under the app as data used.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Thanks. I know that. But no app's cellular data lines up with my 800mb being used in system services. I'm guessing once it's in system services apple doesn't break it down by app. I'm guessing that location data used isn't also shown under the app as data used.

If it continues to do that, you might contact Apple Support. I call them at least once a week.

 

[Jeroen7]

I have the XS Max and noticed at the end of last month when I got it that I suddenly ran out of my data allowance. I knew I didn’t have much left and with a new phone I didn’t really bother with it.
But yesterday, a new month started and when I finished charging it during the day (full charge) it used up almost 800mb and it kept going up. So I checked the mobile data and saw that system was using most of it. Going in the it was the ITunes-media...something (i don’t have English as my language) that was at almost 800mb and kept going up.

No idea what it was, I turned off mobile data for all apps and that didn’t work, then disables background refresh and that seemed to help. So when it finally stopped going up I was almost through 1GB of data in total. I turned on mobile data for the apps and check each time if it would start to use data again and it didn’t.
Then enabled background app refresh again, and the data still didn’t increase.

I’ve searched for this and somewhere was mentioned that it could be the podcast sync. Or iCloud. But since it’s under a general iTunes-media, it’s hard to tell what it is.
I don’t have Apple Music or any music on my device atm.

It would be good if apple by default turned a lot of mobile data users off and asked the user if he wants to enable it when it needs to so you have more control on what happens. Sadly I’m already through half my data on the first day of the month.