Moto X 2014 Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

[jay_cee#IM]

I just recently started paying more attention to my data usage and I have discovered that "OS Services" is using a non-negligable amount of data. It seems to be happening in a trickle and varies from a few hundred kB to a few MB per hour. On average it is turning out to be 15-20 MB per day, which is 600 MB per month! I am trying not to use wifi at work because I have a very weak signal in my office, so it is taking a bite out of my 3 GB monthly plan.

I am on Lollipop now (pure 2014 X) and I don't remember seeing this on KitKat, but I could be mistaken...

Is this normal? If not, how can I go about debugging it?

 

[Green_Laser]

See if you're on the latest Play Services version.
Go to play store, then settings, click on version

I read that lollipop behaves better when this is the right version.

 

[jay_cee#IM]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

I am on 5.0.38

 

[shamelin73]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

I am on 5.0.38

That's the play store version.

Do a search for google play services.

Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk

 

[jay_cee#IM]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

Sorry - what am supposed to search in? If I search for "google play services" in the play store, it can't find anything (well, it finds lots of apps, but none of them are google play services).

Thanks!

 

[Green_Laser]

Read this on xda, May help to search google, check out my screenshot.. It does pull up this way cuz I don't think it would work searching for it in play store..

Hopefully you get an "update" button instead of "open" like I do... (I didn't update to lolli yet)....

 

[jay_cee#IM]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

Ok - I read on xda: If I click on com.google.android.gms in chrome, it prompts me to open the link in the play store. If I do that, it opens to google play services. It looks like I am up to date on version 6.5.87, but I was just updated yesterday. So I will give this a couple of days to see what is happening with my data usage.

At first glance it looks like OS services is still using about 1 MB per hour, but we will see....

 

[cindave]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

Google play services

 

[jay_cee#IM]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

Ok - so my data drain is continuing at the same pace. Can someone else please comment on what "normal" usage is for "OS Services"?

Thanks!

 

[dwhitman]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

I can't comment on what normal usage would be, but be aware that "Google Play Services" is becoming a huge, multifaceted part of Android. It's part of google's strategy to keep most of what's on your phone up to date without needing a formal system update cleared through your carrier. All kinds of stuff are bundled in there so that Google can update them more easily. So I think you can expect it to use a fair percent of battery/cpu/network, without anything being wrong, per se.

On my phone Play Services has used 0.03 GB since 11/20. To put that on scale, Chrome used 0.03, maps used 0.04, Google Search 0.02. And Ingress 0.75, but we won't talk about my Ingress addiction. :-[

 

[Robisan]

Re: Lollipop - Android OS Excessive Data Usage

Just in case you haven't done so -- have you checked the google sync options in Settings > Accounts? I assume after the Lollipop install it reverted to having all google services enabled for syncing. Disabling services you don't use could help.

 

[fmulyanto]

I didn't notice it until now. Last month it consumed 400mb of data.
Even after the OS5.1 upgrade, it's not disappearing.
Anyone know how to set google sync only on wifi? Could this be the culprit?

 

[Photo_Drew]

Not sure just taking a quick look at it. Noticed mine used 140mb on cell and 2 gig on WiFi. You can set it so it will restrict background data on cell. But not knowing exactly what all play services does you might find some sync issues especially if you use Google now.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Evening Newbs]

Disabling "Google Settings > Security > Improve harmful app detection" fixed the problem for me.

 

[Marc Spezialy]

Thanks for posting. I am on S6 and having the same problem. Very few people are posting about this for how much data is being stolen by " Android OS". Checking others phones ( friends and family) I see that Android OS is using on average about 20-30MBS a day and every couple days spikes to 150 MB. This is a problem for me since I dont have wifi at work. Overall I have been getting about 1 GB of my 3GB data plan a month going to " android OS" since upgrading to 5.1.1. This appears to be normal usage if you have stock configuration.