Background data restricted? And phone idle

**Loki0402** · 07-02-2012, 01:14 PM

Hi, after the update i keep getting a notification that says background data restricted. What is this? Also, yesterday I charged my phone and woke up around 5 am unplugged it. Went back to sleep, when I woke up I noticed my battery went down quite a bit for not even using it! (20%). Looked at battery usage and this is what I got:

Does anyone know what the heck "phone idle" is and why it is using so much battery? Thanks

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

**twostepj75** · 07-09-2012, 05:51 PM

I have the Droid Razr... The first edition. After the update, it seems that I cannot KEEP my battery charged. Almost every time I unplug my phone, a half hour later, it is down 15-20%. I hardly EVER use the damn thing. I have no idea what the message, "Background data restricted" means either. Have you gotten any answers to you inquiry?

**Loki0402** · 07-09-2012, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by twostepj75

I have the Droid Razr... The first edition. After the update, it seems that I cannot KEEP my battery charged. Almost every time I unplug my phone, a half hour later, it is down 15-20%. I hardly EVER use the damn thing. I have no idea what the message, "Background data restricted" means either. Have you gotten any answers to you inquiry?

No. All these views and nobody helped... thanks a lot AC! Anyway, I ended up just having to do a FDR and it seems fine now.

**twostepj75** · 07-09-2012, 07:25 PM

FDR?

**apquijano** · 07-09-2012, 11:55 PM

FDR = Factory Data Reset

If you go into Data Usage and press the menu button, you might have been able to check to see if the Restrict Background Data option was checked. That option is there to help keep your data usage under your control. The option is only available after setting your Mobile Data Limit.

As for the phone idle issue, I'm not too knowledgeable on the subject, but someone has mentioned that in the recently leaked update, it was not as severe of a battery drain. I've never had the phone idle issue so I'm not too sure how reliable that info is.

Don't blame all of AC, maybe some people had the same problem and/or didn't have an answer.

**Sandman333** · 07-10-2012, 12:31 AM

Settings/Data Usage then hit the Menu key. Uncheck Restrict Background.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

**karent1223** · 07-10-2012, 09:51 AM

I too am getting the "background data restricted" message since I got the Ice Cream Sandwich update. However, when I go to menu, data usage, and menu, my Restrict background data is not checked. Is there something else I can do besides FDR? I've done that before and find it inconvenient to lose my calendar events, etc.

**baddog543** · 07-10-2012, 10:29 AM

When the Smart Actions app turns on I get the Data Restriction too, but that is what it is supposed to do.

**tonybony1** · 07-11-2012, 10:03 AM

Worth a try:

Barry59 said:

If you have smart actions/battery extender enabled, go to that and enable "background data sync" this got rid of the notification for me. Don't forget to power your phone off and then back on after making this setting change.

**vvan** · 07-13-2012, 05:20 PM

Thank you Barry!!!!!!!

**Simply_lisa_lisa** · 08-03-2012, 03:48 AM

Originally Posted by apquijano

FDR = Factory Data Reset

If you go into Data Usage and press the menu button, you might have been able to check to see if the Restrict Background Data option was checked. That option is there to help keep your data usage under your control. The option is only available after setting your Mobile Data Limit.

Good try... under Data Usage I do not have a limit in place and Background restriction is not checked and I still get the notification. It must have something to do with the Smart Action. Still working on it... will report any discoveries.

**Super Turtleman** · 08-04-2012, 04:45 AM

My wife had this problem on her Razr (not Maxx). I found the solution under the Battery Extender Smart Action (as someone else stated). Look in there...personally, I just deleted it off hers.

**DasHoof** · 09-13-2012, 12:50 PM

You do not have to remove the smart actions app to fix the background data restricted issue. Go into your smart actions and if you have battery extender enabled, as most do, change the setting for Background Sync to enable. This will fix the issue.

As for the phone idle, that is something everyone has. It is just a mesurement of how much battery is used staying connected to the network and maintianing background data when not in use, there is nothing you can do about it. If you unplug your phone and it drops 20% you may have a battery issue.

**bradenfontaine** · 09-13-2012, 01:09 PM

bad signal will cause this...

**kt081801** · 09-13-2012, 05:53 PM

Thanks for all your insightful help guys!!! I was getting really annoyed w/the background data restricted notification until i saw the many suggestions on here, you all ROCK!! Now, no more background data restricted notification, yay!!! Happy camper....

**Sue217** · 09-22-2012, 03:50 PM

Thanks. I still see the icon for background data restricted but now it disappears on its own YAY!

**Jim Thomson** · 03-22-2013, 11:57 AM

The same for me. I was mad at everyone, Motorola, Verizon, Pandora Jango & Slacker. When it started to restrict my music after each song I wondered what was up. Apparently the battery extender was the issue. I reset it and all is fixed now. Thanks everyone.

**Warhammer486** · 03-30-2013, 03:36 PM

Since the update, I have the "Background Data Restricted" warning come up when I check my phone on occasion. I do not have any battery saver smart actions on. I also do not have the restrict background data checked off under the data usage setting section. My phone is in a WiFi environment 95% of the time between my home and my office. I am not sure if this is actually restricting data as I do get e-mail notifications and text messages. Maybe it is just a glitch.