topic Re: Recurring night data charges in Get Support

Recurring night data charges

lisawillott — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 01:47:49 GMT

I have wifi set-up at home and for the past week or so have been having recurring data charges at around the same time 9:15 and 9:30. If I go on my phone at this time it should be using my wifi so I can't figure out how it's using my data. I can get by with a super cheap plan because I'm usually on wifi, but my data's getting eaten up lately. Anybody have any ideas?

Re: Recurring night data charges

esjliv — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 02:12:00 GMT

Where are you seeing this usage @lisawillott ?

When looking at the Data Usage Details, make sure you are choosing the DOWNLOAD option and move that into an excel format to have a look. The overview/snapshot that shows for Data in this area is (or was anyhow) just wrong.

Note, data shows up in the usage details section 6-12 hours after it has been used.

Re: Recurring night data charges

will13am — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 02:47:11 GMT

@lisawillott , by chance are you using an iPhone and have WiFi assist on? As the name implies, cellular data can be called upon to assist WiFi in certain situations. It is best to have WiFi assist turned off just in case. If you are using an android device, cellular data will only work if WiFi disconnects.

Re: Recurring night data charges

lisawillott — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 03:13:22 GMT

Good thought, but I don't have it turned on.

Re: Recurring night data charges

7611 — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 03:37:17 GMT

Hi, I am having a similar issue with my data usage. My account shows data being used almost every day in the morning two times. The amount is different every day but I also am almost always using my wifi. I would like to know if there is anyway to know what the source of this data is.

Re: Recurring night data charges

softech — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 03:41:25 GMT

@7611 first, data usage does not update constantly. PM only update in batch around twice a day. So, the amount of data showed on an entry does not mean you used the data at that particular time. Instead, it is a total of the data used between the timestamp of the previous one and that particular one.

And, to get the accurate reading, use Incognito mode to login to My Account

Re: Recurring night data charges

BKNS27 — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 05:37:27 GMT

@lisawillott

You can turn on Airplane mode while sleeping then turn it back off in the morning.

Keep in mind that the data usage is very small so I wouldn't worry about it.

Re: Recurring night data charges

darlicious — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 06:18:39 GMT

@lisawillott @7611

Public mobile updates your data usage in two 12 hour blocks of time twice daily. This used to occur shortly after midnight eastern however in the new self-serve accounts that time stamp is pretty random.

But they will update very close in time together. Depending on your schedule you can tell the time period of your usage as usually one will include the 8 hours of sleep most people get and time on home Wi-Fi so it's usage is much lower than the 12-hour period that you're not sleeping and possibly not at home especially on weekdays.