Mobile Data OFF but using mobile data?

[James Harwood1]

I have Mobile data set to OFF and the Data enabled box (under Mobile network settings) deselected but my 'phone is still using data!!! Does anyone understand what is happening? The usage statistics suggest Maps, Google Services and Android OS are the worst culprits. I'm on PAYG and do not want to pay for data, I'm happy to just use WiFi.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Where are you seeing the persistent usage? In the Settings>Data Usage menu? Dumb question, but you're not looking at wi-fi data usage, right? Can you post a screenshot?

 

[UJ95x]

Welcome to Android Central
If you go to your settings and look at data usage, you can select the apps that are using the most data and disable background data. Then they will only use it when you're actually within the app itself.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running Slim Bean 4.3

 

[James Harwood1]

I am looking at Settings>Data Usage menu. Is that showing wi-fi data usage? My real problem is that I have PAYG and my balance dropped down much more that I thought it should. I contacted my telephone company "Three" in the UK and they said the charges were due to data but they can't give me an itemised account as they don't do this on PAYG. I wonder if there is a problem with their system recording usage incorrectly but I'm new to smart 'phones and can't discount I've made an mistake. In the short term I've asked them to completely disable mobile data from my SIM card and hopefully if something goes wrong it will give a clue. I will monitor my balance daily and if it drops due to data I willl know they have a problem (and all their customers).

 

[B. Diddy]

In Settings>Data Usage​, if you press the menu button again, you'll see a checkbox for "Show Wi-Fi usage." Is that checked?

 

[James Harwood1]

Does this mean background data is used even if I've set Mobile data off? I have disabled background data for the major apps a short while ago. I also got all data disabled by the telephone company as a safety net. My mobile is only recording less than 10 Mb usage per month, this is nowhere near enough to account for the charges, so I think there's some other problem.

It's not checked.

 

[patruns]

The top of the data usage screen should show 2 tabs.. mobile and wi-fi. Which one is currently displayed?

 

[James Harwood1]

Sorry I don't quite understand. I've got:-
Data Usage
Mobile data OFF

No tabs as such.

Just notice on the Menu I don't have 'Restrict background data' box ticked. But Mobile data is OFF.

 

[patruns]

You should see this screen on your Nexus 5.

 

[foxbat121]

If you don't check the Show WiFi usage box, there is no tab.

You should see this screen on your Nexus 5.

View attachment 104244

 

[James Harwood1]

That's right, I have a screen like the 2nd one. It shows a similar graph and a comment "19-26 Jan: about 7.42MB used...." which on my PAYG would cost me 8 pence! So this can't be why they are charging so much, about ?6:00.

 

[B. Diddy]

What do you mean by "a screen like the 2nd one"? The screenshots above are the same--foxbat121 just quoted patruns. Do you mean to say that your screen just doesn't show a Wi-Fi tab?

At this point, if your phone really is not showing much mobile data used, and you're being charged for too much, I think you have to talk to your provider, and show them your stats. Maybe there's some usage fee or something that isn't entirely obvious.

 

[James Harwood1]

Oh sorry, I didn't notice they were the same, but I read the comment "If you don't check the Show WiFi usage box, there is no tab" and blindly assumed the second screen had no tab. I've noticed that I can drag the white vertical bars to change the reporting period. When I do this I find there's no data usage after 26th January, which is presumably when I swithced off mobile data. When I contacted my provider they said I had a lot of data usage in Janurary (although my mobile records only 7.42MB. I've updated the bigger data using apps to specify 'Restrict background data'. I had this set on my wife's Samsung Note 3 (the Nexus is so much better, and half the price) and since I did it her mobile has recorded zero data.

I'm sure my my balance has dropped over the last day or two even though the data usage was a few weeks back. So, I am going to log onto my account daily and monitor my account, it's tedious but needs to be done. I've asked my carrier to switch off mobile data. If I find unexpected costs I will contact them. Unfortunately they do not itemise costs on PAYG so it's difficult to montitor. I very stongly suspect they have a glitch in their accounting process. I will try and narrow down the next occurrence and then follow it up assertively. If there is a problem it could be affecting a very large number of people.

Thank-you for everyone who has offerred help. I can't see what more you can do. If I find out anymore I will post here, otherwise if it all goes well from now I will try and remember to note it in a few weeks time.

 

[B. Diddy]

Have you tried installing the Three app from Google Play? I'm guessing this is the service you use--it might let you monitor your usage a bit more closely, and allow you to compare what your phone is reporting and what their system is counting.

 

[James Harwood1]

It gives me a lovely 'Catch 22' situation! "The app version of My3 currently only works on the Three network. Do you want to switch off Wi-Fi ...".

Seems to me it's designed to get you to use the Three network and spend a fortune on data charges. So thanks for the thought but it doesn't help.

(I wonder if some companies design their apps to ship a lot of data and get a kickback from the 'phone companies?)

 

[B. Diddy]

Right, but it may help troubleshoot your data issues. Whenever you need to be on mobile data, make sure the Three app is running as well. Then you can compare how much mobile data your phone says it's using with how much the official Three app says you're using.

 

[James Harwood1]

Three do not give any usage information for PAYG, just the account balance.

 

[B. Diddy]

On one of the sample screenshots, there's a section that says "Allowance Remaining." Seems like that would tell you how much more mobile data you have left in your quota for the month.

 

[James Harwood1]

It doesn't show, but does on my wife's mobile. I believe this is because the free allowance expires after one month. Interestingly the only difference between the settings on the two telephones is that in addition to setting 'mobile data off' I also specified 'Restrict background data' on a number of the apps that showed up as using high volumes of data. e.g. Youtube, Maps, Android OS. It would seem that 'Mobile data' Off doesn't stop the background activity. I will monitor for about a month and post if I discover anything.

 

[Harry Arendt]

Re: Mobile Data OFF but using mobile data? My experience to date.

i have a Samsung Note 3 on Verizon. I recently became interested in the distinction of Wifi versus mobile data. My daughter got a new IPhone 6, due to issues with the initialization she got all her stuff except her rather large collection of music was left on the ICloud. We got her the Iphone 6 plus with 64gig so she could have all her music on the device. I had her connect to our high speed wifi and download the music. Sadly the IPhone used the mobil system instead and blew thru our shared 10gig in a few hours late at night. When I called verizon they reversed the charges. Intrigued, I decided last weeekend to disable mobile data altogether and rely on only wifi for a few days. And lo and behold I was still getting charges! I called support and they were somewhat stumped but admitted that disconnected does not really mean disconnected and that the phone will still use the towers. However they said that the modbile data usage meter that you are looking at does not distinguish between paid and unpaid data usage. They claim that the data usage I was seeeing would be unpaid. I am going to continue to have mobile data disabled for 1 week to test the theory and then call them back.