Reducing bandwidth usage

Interesting about the FACEBOOK use being a large memory use... We are also using the Verizon MIFI unit but with a grandfathered 3GB dataplan. We just barely make it each month just checking in with the kids, paying bills, and some limited search on the internet. I am usually on FACEBOOK at least once a day checking in...

We are really getting the itch to do some downstreaming of TV programs so will probably go with the MILLENICOM MIFI 20GB data plan using Verizon one of these days. I tried downstreaming a TV program a couple of times and used up almost 1GB of my data plan real quick haha...

I hear folks using the JET PACK and having good luck doing the TV programs over the internet...

Roy Ken

Unless you are streaming or downloading videos and music it's tough to go over the 5GB limit. My wife and I are heavy internet users and the only time we went over was when she decided to buy several movies off off the iTunes site.

Facebook and other sites where there are pop up or side ads (some with video or motion graphics) will use bandwidth. So using the mobile version of the website, if available, will help reduce bandwidth use.

Apps are using your data.

I did not have a data plan on my iPhone. Just talk and text. Data was extra. I NEVER used the internet on my phone or anything related to data. I started getting 'huge' added bills for data.

My bill listed ALL the data usage, unrecognizable to me. I called the phone company and tried to get them deducted.

Here is what I found out, they were all data from my apps. Not just updating, running every day whether I used them or not.

99% of the apps you put on your phone use daily data when you are NOT using them.

You can not use the phone function to block them from using it either. So as I added apps my not free data kept piling up!

Those of you on the data package don't get an itemized list. From what my itemized bill looked like, if you have apps on your phone they are probably using well over a 1/3 of your data plan.

I think the phone companies are well aware of this also.******shooting that 99% of customers pay for a data plan, don't get an itemized data bill so they never know that the apps are eating their data.

Apps such as? Are you sure you didn't open them and leave them running in background? Some examples of apps sucking up your data would be helpful.....

rockhillmanor wrote:
Apps are using your data.

I did not have a data plan on my iPhone. Just talk and text. Data was extra. I NEVER used the internet on my phone or anything related to data. I started getting 'huge' added bills for data.

My bill listed ALL the data usage, unrecognizable to me. I called the phone company and tried to get them deducted.

Here is what I found out, they were all data from my apps. Not just updating, running every day whether I used them or not.

99% of the apps you put on your phone use daily data when you are NOT using them.

You can not use the phone function to block them from using it either. So as I added apps my not free data kept piling up!

Those of you on the data package don't get an itemized list. From what my itemized bill looked like, if you have apps on your phone they are probably using well over a 1/3 of your data plan.

I think the phone companies are well aware of this also.******shooting that 99% of customers pay for a data plan, don't get an itemized data bill so they never know that the apps are eating their data.

google earth/maps will use a lot of data running in the background unless i specifically turn them off on my 4S iPhone with the latest OS.

I'm using "Cricket Wireless Broadband" and have a 5 GB monthly limit, after which my 2Mb/s connection would be throttled back to ~75 Kb/s.

When I first started using Cricket, I would exceed the 5 GB limit in about 10 days.

I was already using Firefox so I downloaded and installed AdBlock Plus and was very pleasantly surprised when I found my data usage had been substantially reduced; I seldom reach my limit in a month.

A little digging revealed that 80% of my downloaded data was those pesky ads.

paulcardoza wrote:

Apps such as? Are you sure you didn't open them and leave them running in background? Some examples of apps sucking up your data would be helpful.....

rockhillmanor wrote:
Apps are using your data.

I did not have a data plan on my iPhone. Just talk and text. Data was extra. I NEVER used the internet on my phone or anything related to data. I started getting 'huge' added bills for data.

My bill listed ALL the data usage, unrecognizable to me. I called the phone company and tried to get them deducted.

Here is what I found out, they were all data from my apps. Not just updating, running every day whether I used them or not.

99% of the apps you put on your phone use daily data when you are NOT using them.

You can not use the phone function to block them from using it either. So as I added apps my not free data kept piling up!

Those of you on the data package don't get an itemized list. From what my itemized bill looked like, if you have apps on your phone they are probably using well over a 1/3 of your data plan.

I think the phone companies are well aware of this also.******shooting that 99% of customers pay for a data plan, don't get an itemized data bill so they never know that the apps are eating their data.

Nope we went thru all that with the phone company and everything all shut off. Shut off the function in the iPhone where 'some' of the apps appear where you can cancel their ability to access also. Still kept getting pages of data usage. Shut the internet function and tracker off and I was told they access and bill for that app data when you use the phone function.I ditched the iPhone.

Have to admit because I was pretty much the lone ranger NOT having a data usage plan and pursued these charges it came apparent ATT knows about this and did do a dance with me about the apps being ALLOWED access.

I had very few apps when all this happened but I'll list them for you. They did say that all apps have access to update etc at will and DO and often as shown on my bill.

They kept accusing me of being a gamer by the amount of data used. Yea right at my age, full timer, driving a MH I have time or even have a thought of being a gamer.:R:B

Just saying I found out they do eat data and believe that surely isn't fair to those that have limited data plans and these apps keep using them up on you in the background, forcing you to buy the bigger plan because YOU think you are using the data....hmmmm sounds like a plan for the provider doesn't it? :B

The bills are in my storage unit up north or I'd post them for you all, but many times it was 10 pages of data charges and some were REAL big usage. I kept on ATT and they finally dropped the charges after several months of staying on them. For those of you that don't get billed for them it is A LOT OF DATA usage.


Here's the APPS I had on the phone:
weather alert, fox news, every trail, bing music
angry birds, taking larry, gps tracker, find iphone, iemoji, tuneinradio, instamapper, roadahead, angry birds rio, holy bible, fruitninja, oh ranger, murphyusa, pilot travel centers,talking ben chuzzle, temple run.

Not really sure what all they could update on the Bible though!:B

Does anyone know if you can even buy a plan with no data anymore?

Since there appears to be some confusion, I'm talking about usage on my laptop - not a smartphone.

Not about your question, but, Verizon will allow you to increase or decrease your data usage amount every month if you do it before your month is up. They back date the usage to the beginning. I have done this numerous times.

Are you sure Verizon will let you decrease your data plan before the end of the billing cycle?

We tried that once and were told we could only increase the plan, not decrease it. So now we start out with a very small plan and increase it when we get the 90% usage warning.