background data....seriously not happy

[handyman79]

i have done what i was told to do by verizon, and by what i read on this site, but im still getting background data use on my phone. with this update it seems like verizon is forcing on its customers to blindly have to figure out how to turn off the background data, when it was as simple as a yes or no on the GB...i for one have emailed verizon over this and will most likely be jumping ship and probably getting a non android phone if this is the same case with other providers with the ICS update. it has been very frustrating when i never went over .5 and since the update ive used 1.3gb and not even before the new billing month. I know im not the only one with this complaint and feel as if Verizon has pulled one over on its customers with ICS rolling out the same time their new plan has rolled out as well.

 

[B. Diddy]

Here are some ways to minimize background data usage:

1. Keep your Google account on manual sync, not autosync. Under My Accounts, select your Google account and toggle the switch at the top of the screen to off. There's a toggle widget on the stock Power Control bar, as well as other 3rd party toggle widgets, to turn sync on and off from your homescreen.

2. Check every app you have that might have a refresh setting, and make it manual, never, or the longest interval they have. As an example, go to Facebook and check your refresh settings there.

3. If you don't need mobile data on all the time, then turn it off. Background data won't work if you don't have a data connection. I don't have a burning need to be notified every time I get an email or a Facebook post, so I only turn on mobile data when I really need it. Again, you can find 3rd party toggle widgets for this, my favorite being Power Controls (by Painless Death), not to be confused with the stock Power Control bar.

 

[handyman79]

thats the thing, i dont my phone on auto sync, i have everything off...any bloated programs the phone came with ive disabled. i have back ground data selected, i have the dont keep activities checked, even where my phone can't update unless its on a wifi connection...so unless im missing something, i think im doing it all how its suppose to be done

 

[B. Diddy]

That's odd. You shouldn't be using 1.3 GB with that kind of activity. Do you use Backup Assistant? I believe that uses data to sync to the cloud. Also, have you looked at your Data Manager? That should tell you what's been using data on your phone.

 

[durango992007]

My ics automatically turns off data connectivity when the phone is sleeping. I'm not sure how, but as soon as it was downloaded it started doing it. If i, or someone else, figures out how to we will let you know

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

 

[anon(19981)]

Have you went into settings and opened data usage? It should show you what apps are using what data and you do have the ability to restrict data on each app.

 

[handyman79]

ya i have it shows the android OS has used like 3x as much as all the rest of what ive used...like anyone facebook is mostly the second one and im barely on that one, and only on it on my wifi, as with everything else i do on my wifi, other then when im at work

 

[B. Diddy]

How much exactly has the OS used? My OS uses pretty minimal data (1.79 MB over 12 days), so something's screwy.

 

[handyman79]

not sure, i looked on a verizon website community and did a few things that this guy had done some i already had already disabled:

Amazon Kindle
Facebook
Google Play Books
Google Play Movies
Google Play Music
Google +
MOG Music
My Verizon Mobile (the largest consumer of Bloatware Data)
Netflix
NFL Mobile
Slacker
Slingbox
V Cast Tones
Verizon SSO Engine
Verizon Video
VZ Navigator

 

[handyman79]

i already did a factory reset, cause after updating it, my phone would shut off automatically from time to time, and when was working it would get really hot even when i wasn't on my phone

 

[handyman79]

Here are some ways to minimize background data usage:

1. Keep your Google account on manual sync, not autosync. Under My Accounts, select your Google account and toggle the switch at the top of the screen to off. There's a toggle widget on the stock Power Control bar, as well as other 3rd party toggle widgets, to turn sync on and off from your homescreen.

2. Check every app you have that might have a refresh setting, and make it manual, never, or the longest interval they have. As an example, go to Facebook and check your refresh settings there.

3. If you don't need mobile data on all the time, then turn it off. Background data won't work if you don't have a data connection. I don't have a burning need to be notified every time I get an email or a Facebook post, so I only turn on mobile data when I really need it. Again, you can find 3rd party toggle widgets for this, my favorite being Power Controls (by Painless Death), not to be confused with the stock Power Control bar.

i went a head and downloaded the power control thing, gonna give that a try as well and track after today my data usage and see if that works...i do appreciate the help!

 

[B. Diddy]

Power Controls can be a little confusing to set up at first. Let me know if you have questions.

I still think it's strange that your OS is using so much data. I would have suggested a factory reset, but you already beat me to it.

 

[rbess1965]

I'm not sure how much good it does but I have smart actions set up to turn off back ground data when the display is out. See the picture. Seems to help some. I also have it shut off cell data and GPS. what sucks is that I didn't have to jump through these hoops on GB.

Message brought to you by the amazing Droid Razr Maxx

 

[TauntingBull]

Hate backup assistant

 

[p08757]

I'm not sure how much good it does but I have smart actions set up to turn off back ground data when the display is out. See the picture. Seems to help some. I also have it shut off cell data and GPS. what sucks is that I didn't have to jump through these hoops on GB.

Message brought to you by the amazing Droid Razr Maxx

Thanks! I'm not going to use this to stop background data usage totally, but rather set up a simiar rule to turn my data off during work hours and there is no movement detected. I have horable reception in my office due to its location and my phone burns through battery hunting for a data connection.

I think this will do the trick!

 

[LegalAmerican]

Hate backup assistant

Do we even need backup assistant if we save all our contacts to Google? Does it do anything extra?

 

[RHChan84]

Backup assistant is useless. Waste of space since everything is synced to Google.

 

[LegalAmerican]

Thanks! I am disabling that shiz.

 

[B. Diddy]

I really wish we could disable Backup Assistant. It's one of the few bloatware apps that can't be disabled. Anyone who uses it should seriously consider migrating their data to Google services like Gmail/Contacts, Google Music and Picasa. It's just makes it so easy.

 

[Venez68]

Thanks! I am disabling that shiz.

Can that be disabled?