How to stop Android OS from turning on/using data?

[AC Question]

I bought a new phone 3 days ago. I have WiFi at home and at work so I have a very small data plan (basically just enough to allow me to send and receive some MMS messages). When I bought the phone the first thing I did was go in and restrict background data for all the apps that would normally use it.

Earlier today I was showing my friend how to restrict background data and set a data limit on her phone. When I opened data in settings I was surprised to see that according to the tracker I had used 6 MB of data, despite the fact that I had not once turned on data or sent/received an MMS since I bought the phone. When I got home later I looked again to try and figure out what was going on and it was up to 8 MB. Below the graph it says that Android OS has used all 8 MB of the data, there are no other apps listed.

Is there any way I can stop 'Android OS' from turning on my data? (which is what I assume it is doing since I have not once turned the data on myself nor have I sent or received an MMS with my phone). This is a very annoying problem as I only have a small data plan for the odd MMS, and somehow Android OS is turning on and using data all by itself. Just while I was typing this out it used another MB without me turning on my data. I need to stop this somehow or it is going to end up costing me money when I go over. Even if it only uses 3 MB a day (which seems like a small amount) this will put me at around 90 MB a month, which is more than my data plan is. I never noticed or cared about this before because my phone was provided/paid for by my work but now I have a new job and it's my own money. Please help. Thank-you in advance.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone do you have? Do you actually have your mobile data turned off completely, or are you only restricting the background data? They're two different things. With the very limited amount of data you have on your plan, you should be turning off the data completely. There are various ways of doing this, and it depends in part on which phone you have. Swipe down with two fingers to get to the Quick Settings toggles, and look for a Mobile Data toggle there. If there isn't, then go to Settings>Data Usage, and see if you can turn off Cellular Data or Mobile Data there. It might also be in ​Settings>Wireless & Networks>More>Mobile Networks.

 

[Mbeem]

Hi B. Diddy. Thank you for the reply.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5. There is no data toggle. When I go into Settings and click on Data both the box is unchecked and the background data is restricted. I have never once turned data on, or sent or received an MMS, or checked the box to turn data on. I also checked under More Networks and Data is turned off there as well.

 

[B. Diddy]

Hmm. Mobile data is usually turned on by default when you first start using the phone. Try going to Settings>Networks>More Networks>Mobile Networks, and see if Mobile Data is checked on or off there. See this support page: How to turn data roaming and data services on/off on my Samsung Galaxy S5

The really confusing thing about this is that different versions of the same phone can have different menus, depending on the Android version as well as the carrier.

 

[Mbeem]

Hi B. Diddy.

As mentioned above I did check there to see if data was turned on there and it wasn't. The very first thing I did when I got my phone was turn off the data. The sales associate in the store showed me how to uncheck the box under Settings - Data, as well as under More Networks. When I left the store the data was at zero, as it was several hours later when I had the phone at home.


I have now downloaded an app called AFWall. This app allows me to choose which apps use data and which don't. I have kept the restriction on background data on, and now I have only allowed my messaging app to use data through AFWall. This should allow me to send and receive MMS messages but stop all the other apps and systems from using data. I really hope this works, because while I really love my android phone I will have to trade it in for something else if this keeps up, as I will go over my data and end up paying extra money on my bill, which I cannot afford to do. Do you think this will solve my problem? Will Android OS be stopped from accessing my data?

Thank-you again for your replies. They are appreciated

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, was just checking to make sure you had accessed the correct menu.

If mobile data is turned off, it really shouldn't access anything at all. Not really sure why it's doing that. Is your data plan only 50 MB/month?

 

[Rukbat]

If the associate at the store turned your mobile data off, and you keep it off, and get a bill showing mobile data use (keep it off for a whole billing period), call billing and tell them to consider the call a formal complaint, and that you want a mailing address to which to send a follow-up complaint in writing.

However ...

The phone's "data usage" and the amount of data actually being used may not coincide. Some of what AndroidOS is using via Wifi may be showing in mobile data. (The first programmer to write perfect code doesn't have living great-grandparents yet - and I say this after 40 years of "writing bugs and getting paid to fix them", which is how I describe a career in programming. More than 1 small line of code and there's a possibility of a bug - and Android is huge, and written by a team, so to expect zero bugs is to expect Santa to come down your chimney.)

 

[xceeder]

Hi B. Diddy.

As mentioned above I did check there to see if data was turned on there and it wasn't. The very first thing I did when I got my phone was turn off the data. The sales associate in the store showed me how to uncheck the box under Settings - Data, as well as under More Networks. When I left the store the data was at zero, as it was several hours later when I had the phone at home.


I have now downloaded an app called AFWall. This app allows me to choose which apps use data and which don't. I have kept the restriction on background data on, and now I have only allowed my messaging app to use data through AFWall. This should allow me to send and receive MMS messages but stop all the other apps and systems from using data. I really hope this works, because while I really love my android phone I will have to trade it in for something else if this keeps up, as I will go over my data and end up paying extra money on my bill, which I cannot afford to do. Do you think this will solve my problem? Will Android OS be stopped from accessing my data?

Thank-you again for your replies. They are appreciated

The data that is being used might be down to the OS checking for updates so go into settings / about phone and uncheck the setting for check for updates automatically and see if that stops it.....

Sent from my Nexus 7