iPhone 6S super data drain on Verizon

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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I upgraded to an iPhone 6S in November, great phone, but I can't use it unless I'm on WIFI because it's a data hog. I have really cut down on Facebook usage, and turned off data and alerts for everything except phone calls, text messages and weather/emergency alerts. I'm on a family plan, and looking to get on my own plan, however, I'll be back in the same boat. Verizon's 18GB plan looks to be enough, but that's ridiculous that I'm going to be paying for 18GB I can't use all the time, I'll still have to use WIFI. It looks like current unlimited plans were grandfathered in, hopefully Verizon will bring them back. Going to the local Verizon store after work, their online support rep said to go in and they would set me up.

Any ideas? I live in a rural area, the WIFI is intermittent, although the LTE signal is great (the optional 3G signal cannot get anything on this phone). I have a couple groups on Facebook, FB seems to be the biggest data hog, and they said this would be an issue for Verizon customers. I've turned off notifications, and cellular data for most of my apps etc. Only have text messages/contacts/weather alerts on cellular data.

I have upgraded Facebook app since I've had it per the App Store, supposedly that would cut down on the drain. I don't notice any difference. I go on for a couple minutes every couple of hours. Maybe two hours per day. If I could get an unlimited plan, and just have to deal with them knocking me down to 3G if I'm on longer than an hour at a time, okay.

This is ridiculous.
 
Common complaint. As that article stated, turn off WiFi Assist and put up with your slower WiFi until the carriers offer better data plans again.
 
18G should be well more than enough for an average user, something is not quite right there. They will most likely stay away from unlimited plans.

Something is messed up, LTE shouldn't be using more data to do the same thing as 3G, it just does it faster.
 
My LTE usage is knocked down to 3G, I thought it was the location I was in, but I was told it's because I was on the phone over an hour. Also, I've been getting the message "All circuits busy" about once every couple weeks when I am on a call.
 
I've seen a lot of complaints about the Facebook app hogging data (and battery, too). I think if you uninstall that app and use your browser to check Facebook whenever you want your troubles will be over.
 
16VGTIDave said:
Common complaint. As that article stated, turn off WiFi Assist and put up with your slower WiFi until the carriers offer better data plans again.
Click to expand...

This could very well be the culprit. In fact, there's a couple class-action suits going on right now about this. Wifi assist is ON BY DEFAULT with recent updates to iOS. They give you no warning (apparently), and the fact that it's enabled automatically, requiring you to disable it, is the reason for the lawsuit. Basically, having it enabled means that while you're connected to wifi, your speeds will be boosted by combining cellular data and wifi. But if wifi is weak or unavailable, it'll continue using cellular data, draining your subscribed allotment without your actual consent or knowledge, having been enabled by default without you making that choice for yourself.

Verizon is the Devil, but in this case, the fault is completely (unless there's some conspiracy) with Apple.
 
I get great coverage everywhere I go! Pretty much every state east of the Mississippi! And their speeds are beating most carriers these days! But go ahead and spend more for less!
 
Thats the problem, you guys get stuffed with "effective" monopolies. Of course in Australia my cell is half what it was it Canada, (WOOT) But I can only get bad ADSL for twice the price. Boo.

Win some, loose some.
 
hatchettjack said:
I get great coverage everywhere I go! Pretty much every state east of the Mississippi! And their speeds are beating most carriers these days! But go ahead and spend more for less!
Click to expand...

I'm glad you get good service with Sprint, but out here it's the worst. Verizon obviously has the best coverage, along with the worst plans. AT&T's second for coverage, has horrible plans, but at least you can use any unlocked GSM phone and aren't limited to their own selection. T-Mobile is fantastic, as long as you live in a populated urban area. Switching from Verizon to T-Mobile was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. But I don't travel - if I did I'd probably have a secondary pre-paid AT&T plan so I could use the same phones and just swap SIM cards. The only positive thing I've heard anyone in Tucson say about Sprint (and Boost/Virgin/Freedom POP) is that it's cheap. And often even cheaper because they have a lot of corporate partnerships.
 
hatchettjack said:
Get a sprint unlimited plan! Problem solved!
Click to expand...

Not if you live in a rural Midwest area like rural Kansas. If you don't live in an urban populated area or within a couple miles of a major interstate, there is no Sprint coverage. You either get no coverage or switch to roaming on... Verizon, which is everywhere around here. If you are in a rural area, Verizon is the way to go.
 
We live in a small city of 60,000, 9th largest in IA :) and Sprint began changing some things with their towers and I dealt with it for a year and a half and then went to Verizon. My cell is my everything phone including for my business communications. I get much better coverage with Verizon.

OP I've dealt with the data drain from the wifi assist with several people I know. That's likely the culprit. Once we turned it off and changed what was backed up to the cloud they were good again. That or you're streaming a lot of youtube or data sourced music :)
 
Yep, turn off cellular data, use 3G instead of LTE all the time, and stay off of Facebook and Youtube. 15GB overage last month. It's gotten ridiculous.
 
Wow, that is horrible. I use my phone on LTE a LOT (YouTube, Facebook, forums etc) and have never used over 7 gb in a month.


silenthunterstudios said:
Yep, turn off cellular data, use 3G instead of LTE all the time, and stay off of Facebook and Youtube. 15GB overage last month. It's gotten ridiculous.
Click to expand...
 
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