[Problem Identified] LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS, how can I stop it?

[allanolsendk]

[Problem Identified] LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Problem identified. See post #34.

Hi,

I need your help. My recent upgrade from LG G2 to LG G4 has not turned out the way I hoped. During the past week my phone has burned up 5 GB + 2 GB carrier mobile data. And this data is reported used by the process "Android OS". The phone is eating my data package and I am not able to find out why/how, since "Android OS" gives no further details in the mobile data overview in Android settings.

LG asked me to reset the phone and contact my carrier to know the type of data I am consuming. I did a factory reset and manually installed my apps afterwards. I also checked the settings section of each app looking especially at sync + mobile data options. Then I called my carrier, who said that they only track monthly totals = no help.

Unfortunately the problem did not go away. Since my yesterday evening wipe my phone has burned another 2 GB data even though I have been on wifi most of the time and mobile data has been disabled from the "roll down curtain" during the night.

Update - My phone also used 60 GB of Wifi in 25 hours


I have seen reports in Google about Youtube and Google+ burning up data via Android OS, but these threads have not helped me (I don't even use Google+ and have not used youtube since the wipe).

LG could not help me. My carrier could not help me. Hence, now I am trying you, the experts of Android Central.

How do I find the one setting or app, which can help me regain control of my mobile data consumption? Any ideas, thoughts would be highly apppreciated

/ Allan

PS: I do notice that the phone is sometimes sluggish and warm. I also saw the battery drain reports in the forum. I wonder whether the guys with battery drains have unlimited data plans and hence maybe does not notice that their phone is burning mobile data via Android OS? I only noticed it because my 5 GB data plan was used up and the carrier tried to sell me new data.

 

[belodion]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Welcome to AC and the G4 forum.

There are several useful links in sswitzer's masterly sticky thread right here:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg-g4/544443-common-issues-solutions.html

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Based on my own first question, I just looked into my battery overview

Sorry for the Danish Language guys, but please see the screenshots below. Do you agree that something is very wrong. I am at the office and my phone is connected to WIFI. I just charged the phone a bit a few hours back.

In the battery overview the process Mediaserver has used 12 % of my Battery.


If I click the process, Android shows me that since my phone was lightly charged 2 hours ago, this process has uploaded 37 MB and downloaded almost 3 GB data.


If I look at the mobile data overview it shows me 3 GB of data has been used by Android OS (Remember I wiped the phone last night)


Would you agree on this interpretation:
I have been in my office all afternoon with wifi enabled on the phone (my pc has streamed Tour de France, hence no drops in Internet . Still it seems that my phone has burned 3 GB of MOBILE data in the background through the process Android OS - Mediaserver.

I dont need to worry anymore because my extra purchased data plan has been used up and I am now blocked by my carrier.

Jesus christ. What can I do? It is not easy to test, since every test will cost me 10 dollars for an extra data package from my carrier.

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Hi belodion,

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I did study the LG G4 sticky thread and it was particularly interesting to read the battery drainage threads.

However, I have yet to see, anyone else facing a problem with several GB per day background data use from Android OS. I do not have a Google Wear device, but I will look into the Google Fit solution.

 

[anon(782252)]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Hi belodion,

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I did study the LG G4 sticky thread and it was particularly interesting to read the battery drainage threads.

However, I have yet to see, anyone else facing a problem with several GB per day background data use from Android OS. I do not have a Google Wear device, but I will look into the Google Fit solution.

Have you restricted background data from any apps to see if it stops the use? You can't do anything with Android OS specifically but you can restrict other Google apps that may actually be the problem.

 

[sswitzer]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Have you restricted background data from any apps to see if it stops the use? You can't do anything with Android OS specifically but you can restrict other Google apps that may actually be the problem.

That's a brilliant suggestion! A good way to keep data from running out of control.

Still it seems that my phone has burned 3 GB of MOBILE data in the background through the process Android OS - Mediaserver.

Aha, based on that I bet you need to change your Media Server settings. Settings -> Wireless Networks -> Share & connect -> Media server. What do your settings look like? I have "Content sharing" off, and I'm wondering if you have it turned on.

 

[TNCattleDog]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Sounds like something may be trying to sync data from one of your cloud accounts.
Do you use gooogle pictures, amazon prime music, google play music, etc and have their apps set to download their data back to your phone?

David

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Have you restricted background data from any apps to see if it stops the use? You can't do anything with Android OS specifically but you can restrict other Google apps that may actually be the problem.

Hi Tourbound129,

Thanks for your comments. What would be the strategy for restricting background usage. Just do it for all apps? My challenge is that testing will cost me a 10 dollar data package

Since the wipe yesterday only few apps have made it to the mobile data list

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

That's a brilliant suggestion! A good way to keep data from running out of control.



Aha, based on that I bet you need to change your Media Server settings. Settings -> Wireless Networks -> Share & connect -> Media server. What do your settings look like? I have "Content sharing" off, and I'm wondering if you have it turned on.

Thanks for your idea. I really appreciate it. Unfortunatelly, I guess my settings are similar to yours?

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Sounds like something may be trying to sync data from one of your cloud accounts.
Do you use gooogle pictures, amazon prime music, google play music, etc and have their apps set to download their data back to your phone?

David

Hi David,
Sync would also be my idea, since the amount of data is insanely high. My phone has used 3 GB mobile data and 58 GB Wifi data. In 24 hours!



But where to start. I use Dropbox. I dont use other clous service, but I am unsure how to know whether I am using Google Services (think I tried Music once). Any ideas?

Since the phone is recently reset, there shouldn't be 60 GB of data to sync from the phone to some cloud service. Hence I guess it ought to be download, or? My storage shows 19 GB used of 32 GB. Where is all this data going?

 

[sswitzer]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Thanks for your idea. I really appreciate it. Unfortunatelly, I guess my settings are similar to yours?
View attachment 187597

Darned... I thought for sure that was the problem.

Do you have tethering on?

 

[sswitzer]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Have you seen this thread? http://androidforums.com/threads/holy-smokes-high-data-usage-by-android-os-solved.490265/ For those folks Google Backup was the culprit.

 

[RedOctobyr]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Sounds like something may be trying to sync data from one of your cloud accounts.
Do you use gooogle pictures, amazon prime music, google play music, etc and have their apps set to download their data back to your phone?

David

I was quite baffled by your problem, I must say. But this explanation could make a lot of sense.

If Google Drive, Google Photos, etc, keep trying to synchronize (download) huge amounts of data, even after a reset, that could explain it.

When you reset, are you also immediately restoring all your apps? That is, do you need to diagnose ALL your apps, our just Google/LG apps?

I would look very closely at anything that relates to a service that is storing a large amount of data for you in the cloud. Check for settings that control whether the app of allowed to sync using mobile data, in addition to WiFi. And set them back to WiFi-only.

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Darned... I thought for sure that was the problem.

Do you have tethering on?

Sorry no tethering.

I have nothing listed in Settings - Personal - Cloud.
I have 6 apps in Settings - Personal - Accounts and Sync: Dropbox, Email, Evernote, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn

I checked the Google Apps and it seems that:
1) I am using Google Music. I have 25 tracks in my account. I have "Download via Wifi only" enabled.
2) The Google Photos app lists my Google Account in settings, but when I go into "Auto Backup" everything is greyed out and the first setting "Active Account" says "No account enabled. I also checked photos online via PC and it is empty
3) Google Drive has "Auto Add Photos" disabled. And "Transfer files via Wifi only" enabled

 

[sswitzer]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

The guys at http://androidforums.com/threads/holy-smokes-high-data-usage-by-android-os-solved.490265/ who say they solved this exact same problem are pretty sure google backup was the problem.

I have it on, but im guessing it can lose its mind.

 

[anon(782252)]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Have you seen this thread? http://androidforums.com/threads/holy-smokes-high-data-usage-by-android-os-solved.490265/ For those folks Google Backup was the culprit.

I'll 2nd checking this. Go to Settings-General-Backup and reset- is backup my data selected? If so maybe try unchecking it.

 

[anon(782252)]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Hi Tourbound129,

Thanks for your comments. What would be the strategy for restricting background usage. Just do it for all apps? My challenge is that testing will cost me a 10 dollar data package

Since the wipe yesterday only few apps have made it to the mobile data list
View attachment 187595View attachment 187594View attachment 187596

Well restricting mobile background data won't increase data consumption only decrease it. Doesn't look like you have any app issues but sometimes Android OS can be a catch all for some of the Google services.

I've seen no negatives to having background data off on the apps I use.

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Have you seen this thread? CANNOT REPOST URL For those folks Google Backup was the culprit.

Thanks for the link. I did see the thread. Unfortunatelly, it did not help me. Since my wipe 24 h ago I have had the Backup and Reset - Back up my data to Google Servers disabled.

The thread dates back a few years and the users report up to 1 GB of data. Some users in the thread are noting that Youtube data counts as Andriod OS. I didn't use youtube for the previous 24 hours since the wipe and my phone is reporting 60 GB on WIFI and 3 GB on Mobile. Which would equal a crazy amount of HD streaming (say 3 full Bluray quality movie streams).

I would really like to know what is going on!

 

[allanolsendk]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

Sorry for delays. It seems as a new user I am somehow restricted ->
"Thank you for posting! Your post will not be visible until a moderator has approved it for posting."

 

[anon(782252)]

Re: LG G4 Data Drain from Android OS

You can also select Limit mobile data and set a low limit until you get this figured out. Once the limit is hit, mobile data will turn off.