Huge ATT Data usage, Mail Exchange Account

[davekro]

Hello all, (newbie here)
First, sorry for the length, but we have literally exhausted ourselves and options researching how to fix this. So I want to advise ahead, what we have already done/tried and the details of info I have found on the issue for clearest trouble shooting. ATT (phone and at stores) claims complete ignorance of this issue, so are of no use. You guys are our last hope... We appreciate ANY ideas that may help!

My wife changed (from iOS) to an LG G Pro 3 months ago (running 4.1.2). She works in an office with a 'Mail Exchange' account.
Her (iPhone's) data usage history was well under 300MB until the first month of the new LG when her data usage went a little over 300MB, so I changed her to the next data plan of 3GB. Two weeks into month two, huge data spikes started happening at all hours. Her work had changed their WiFi password, unannounced, so we figured that might have been the culprit (not on WIFI at work). But even after she was aware to verify she was on WiFi while at work, the data issues continue. (The phone connects at home to WiFi w/o issue. )
Sept. 28 started the huge downloads and we were text notified by ATT of 65%, 85%, 95% of #GB) plan in two days! We limped along on ATT auto added 1GB for the rest of month. I spent a full day plus Googling this issue and found some known issues. That is how I found Android Central. This place seems to be the go-to place for Android fixes and help (thank you). Issues and things to check I have read:

1) I found that Data Usage listed by App, had the default Mail App the major culprit with 2+ GB
2) Some said Exchange Mail Accounts can cause this problem
a) That it may be be downloading all mail (with attachments) on server (not just new) each time it 'gets mail'
b) her IT dept at work has been useless
3) That the default Android Mail App is also the issue
4) One person said something about his entire (huge) Gallery of pics being sent for some reason over and over. (I do not think this applies to us)
5) PlayStore changing itself and all APPS from never update to auto update, each time there was a new version of PlayStore released so updates happen on non wifi time too.
a) Last month I did go in and change Playstore App (when at ver 4.3.1.1) to: 'Do Not Auto update'. Today I checked and yep, current version got auto updated to ver 4.4.1.1 (ignoring the setting in the App!). So I went back in to PlayStore and changed to: 'Do NOT Auto Update', but that seems a waste of effort since Google ignores the settings and auto updates Playstore and ALL apps automatically overriding your settings! Frack
6) It said to turn off 'Data Packets.' I could find nothing on the phone (or Google) about Data Packets. Might they related to this issue? What are these and how do I turn them off?

Background:
Data usage history (iPhone 4): April .22GB, May .25GB, June .19GB, July .24GB, Aug .28GB, Sept .36GB*
* I show as GB because we are now monitoring data usage by day in the +/- 1GB/ day or two (
My wife changed from IOS to get a bigger screen (LG G Pro which we love). She lives/works in a PC environment, so that seemed fine for her to leave IOS. I've always had Macs and went with iPhone when we finally went to Smartphones 3-4 years ago. I want to leave iOS too, but have to figure a way to sync my old Mac Entourage email and calendar over to Android. This data issue and Googles ignoring customer setttings does NOT instill confidence in leaving Apple to get away from iOS limitations. :-\

 

[Golfdriver97]

Hello all, (newbie here)
First, sorry for the length, but we have literally exhausted ourselves and options researching how to fix this. So I want to advise ahead, what we have already done/tried and the details of info I have found on the issue for clearest trouble shooting. ATT (phone and at stores) claims complete ignorance of this issue, so are of no use. You guys are our last hope... We appreciate ANY ideas that may help!

My wife changed (from iOS) to an LG G Pro 3 months ago (running 4.1.2). She works in an office with a 'Mail Exchange' account.
Her (iPhone's) data usage history was well under 300MB until the first month of the new LG when her data usage went a little over 300MB, so I changed her to the next data plan of 3GB. Two weeks into month two, huge data spikes started happening at all hours. Her work had changed their WiFi password, unannounced, so we figured that might have been the culprit (not on WIFI at work). But even after she was aware to verify she was on WiFi while at work, the data issues continue. (The phone connects at home to WiFi w/o issue. )
Sept. 28 started the huge downloads and we were text notified by ATT of 65%, 85%, 95% of #GB) plan in two days! We limped along on ATT auto added 1GB for the rest of month. I spent a full day plus Googling this issue and found some known issues. That is how I found Android Central. This place seems to be the go-to place for Android fixes and help (thank you). Issues and things to check I have read:

1) I found that Data Usage listed by App, had the default Mail App the major culprit with 2+ GB
2) Some said Exchange Mail Accounts can cause this problem
a) That it may be be downloading all mail (with attachments) on server (not just new) each time it 'gets mail'
b) her IT dept at work has been useless
3) That the default Android Mail App is also the issue
4) One person said something about his entire (huge) Gallery of pics being sent for some reason over and over. (I do not think this applies to us)
5) PlayStore changing itself and all APPS from never update to auto update, each time there was a new version of PlayStore released so updates happen on non wifi time too.
a) Last month I did go in and change Playstore App (when at ver 4.3.1.1) to: 'Do Not Auto update'. Today I checked and yep, current version got auto updated to ver 4.4.1.1 (ignoring the setting in the App!). So I went back in to PlayStore and changed to: 'Do NOT Auto Update', but that seems a waste of effort since Google ignores the settings and auto updates Playstore and ALL apps automatically overriding your settings! Frack
6) It said to turn off 'Data Packets.' I could find nothing on the phone (or Google) about Data Packets. Might they related to this issue? What are these and how do I turn them off?

Background:
Data usage history (iPhone 4): April .22GB, May .25GB, June .19GB, July .24GB, Aug .28GB, Sept .36GB*
* I show as GB because we are now monitoring data usage by day in the +/- 1GB/ day or two (
My wife changed from IOS to get a bigger screen (LG G Pro which we love). She lives/works in a PC environment, so that seemed fine for her to leave IOS. I've always had Macs and went with iPhone when we finally went to Smartphones 3-4 years ago. I want to leave iOS too, but have to figure a way to sync my old Mac Entourage email and calendar over to Android. This data issue and Googles ignoring customer setttings does NOT instill confidence in leaving Apple to get away from iOS limitations. :-\

Welcome to the forums.
First, try this. Go into settings>apps>click menu>click reset app preferences. That might fix the Play ignoring your setting the update only over wifi setting.

Does she use any particular email at work? It may be possible to disable the Email Exchange but still have (example) Yahoo up and running. I would use a separate app.

Hope those help even though it isn't much.

 

[davekro]

Gold,
Thanks for the reply.
When she gets home I'll try " settings>apps>click menu>click reset app preferences." Do you (or others) not have the problem of PlayStore auto updating when it is set not to? I am new to this OS, but my research made it sound like it was a universal problem. That no one is able to disable PS from auto updating. I would love to be mistaken!

My (limited) understand is that she has to be connected to the mail server because she is the exec admin to the CEO, so not only has to monitor hed server based mail, but her bosses as well. Might there be other Apps for her phone to work with a server running MS Exchange? I just don't work i that world of exchange servers so have never dealt with them.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Gold,
Thanks for the reply.
When she gets home I'll try " settings>apps>click menu>click reset app preferences." Do you (or others) not have the problem of PlayStore auto updating when it is set not to? I am new to this OS, but my research made it sound like it was a universal problem. That no one is able to disable PS from auto updating. I would love to be mistaken!

My (limited) understand is that she has to be connected to the mail server because she is the exec admin to the CEO, so not only has to monitor hed server based mail, but her bosses as well. Might there be other Apps for her phone to work with a server running MS Exchange? I just don't work i that world of exchange servers so have never dealt with them.

I don't have problems myself, I just know that path I told you sometimes helps Play issues.
Also try opening Play and click menu-settings. Auto update should be there.

As for email clients, I am unfamiliar with those, as I hate getting emails on my phone.

From a Sprint Moto X using AC forums app

 

[davekro]

"Also try opening Play and click menu-settings. Auto update should be there."
I an VERY familiar with Playstore settings as I have to keep goin back there to verify it is where I set it at "DON'T download anything , ever!!!! " setting.
Thanks for responding.

 

[davekro]

WE MAY HAVE FOUND THE PROBLEM ! !
My wife realized she had an email (to me with Comcast ISP**) stuck in her Mail Exchange outbox. It had 7 pictures totaling 20MB ! (holy crap, Batman). Way over Comcast's data limit. But why would it keep trying? And why would it 'book' the data if it was not received? Maybe just trying to send counts I guess.

Anyway, Folks on this thread had three different ideas to delete the offending email:
1) Airplane mode (easiest): Put your phone into airplane mode and you will be able to open the email in your Outbox....after you open it you can delete it!!!!
2) Or perhaps, do Settings > Applications > Manage applications, find the e-mail app, and select Clear data. That should clear out the stuck e-mail.
3) It sounds to me that you should delete the email acct and then set it back up again and I am sure that will clear this issue. Only takes mins to set up an email acct again.

I tried (1) but with Airplane mode on, I was unable to delete the email. Is it really on the server?? Well I was able to 'Edit' the email and delete the 7 pictures. Then I turned Airplane mode off, and the email promptly was sent. Woooo Hooo. We now remember that last month, she was at a friends new home and took lots of pics and emailed many to me. These must have gotten stuck too! She had no clue about data limits on sending large files via email. She sure does NOW ! !

The way I learned about data limits, is my Mac via Comcast would just say undeleverable or I'd notice a message did not send in my out box, so I learned to limit to ≈ 10mb. But on a smartphone, you do not see your sent and other mail folders on the screen, so easy to not realize the problem.

** 01-27-2012 Comcast's limit is actually 15MB, but to allow room for headers, etc. the actual limit is closer to 10-12MB.

 

[Golfdriver97]

WE MAY HAVE FOUND THE PROBLEM ! !
My wife realized she had an email (to me with Comcast ISP**) stuck in her Mail Exchange outbox. It had 7 pictures totaling 20MB ! (holy crap, Batman). Way over Comcast's data limit. But why would it keep trying? And why would it 'book' the data if it was not received? Maybe just trying to send counts I guess.

Anyway, Folks on this thread had three different ideas to delete the offending email:
1) Airplane mode (easiest): Put your phone into airplane mode and you will be able to open the email in your Outbox....after you open it you can delete it!!!!
2) Or perhaps, do Settings > Applications > Manage applications, find the e-mail app, and select Clear data. That should clear out the stuck e-mail.
3) It sounds to me that you should delete the email acct and then set it back up again and I am sure that will clear this issue. Only takes mins to set up an email acct again.

I tried (1) but with Airplane mode on, I was unable to delete the email. Is it really on the server?? Well I was able to 'Edit' the email and delete the 7 pictures. Then I turned Airplane mode off, and the email promptly was sent. Woooo Hooo. We now remember that last month, she was at a friends new home and took lots of pics and emailed many to me. These must have gotten stuck too! She had no clue about data limits on sending large files via email. She sure does NOW ! !

The way I learned about data limits, is my Mac via Comcast would just say undeleverable or I'd notice a message did not send in my out box, so I learned to limit to ≈ 10mb. But on a smartphone, you do not see your sent and other mail folders on the screen, so easy to not realize the problem.

** 01-27-2012 Comcast's limit is actually 15MB, but to allow room for headers, etc. the actual limit is closer to 10-12MB.

Thanks for posting the follow up. Hopefully that fixes it.
See you around the forums.

From a Sprint Moto X using AC forums app

 

[davekro]

Thanks Golfdriver97 for the help. I'll see you back next time when I hit a wall. Or better yet, if I ditch my iPhone and convert to ANdroid like my wife.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Thanks Golfdriver97 for the help. I'll see you back next time when I hit a wall. Or better yet, if I ditch my iPhone and convert to ANdroid like my wife.

I will give whatever problem my best shot.
See you in the forums.

From a Sprint Moto X using AC forums app