Data Usage - iPhone - Cellular Data - System Services

[DBG]

Hey everyone 

This is the 2nd month with Public Mobile account, with an iPhone and though I have switched off everything in Cellular (No Wifi Assist, no applications other than iMessage, which is set to SMS mode) & we have really good Wifi in the house - on the public portal  it shows consistently "System Services" of 4-6mb a day.

We only send plain text messages, no images, and so that isn't using that much data.  Our Wifi is good, and we only use that for browsing.

Does anyone have an explanation of what is "System Services"?  For a 30 day plan, 6mb a day is 180 MB, which is 72% of the 250MB plan without sending a single message or using any data intentionally.

It's an iPhone 6S with iOS 15.

[Phil_Adelphus]

"Most of the system services you cannot turn off individually,"

Agreed. I think the idea is to turn off the apps that might trigger any of those services.  Easier to turn off cellular data altogether but if you need it on for part of the day then having turned off individual apps you don't want using data behind the scenes might be helpful, presumably.

[Camera4617]

Most of the system services you cannot turn off individually, so it will be either turning off cell data completely or not. Many people are confused by this, but even if you are home, in order to preserve battery and for some other reasons, iPhone will actually disconnect from wifi and use cell data if needed for some of the services in meantime. That is not much, but it does add up as the OP said. One thing that I've noticed lately (as I'm on 250MB plan) is that iphones to some 'software update' even all my settings for any update is off, so that's really giving me hard time. Having said all above, PM has nothing to do with this and why your phone is using data. This is more phone issue rather than provider's (PM)

[Phil_Adelphus]

This is a section from System Services in my iPhone.  Apple suggests individually turning off cellular in settings for all the apps you don't want doing anything except on wifi. Some of the things on my list I have no idea why it's going there!

[dust2dust]

Well that's what I do. I only turn on cellular data when I'm out and about and wish to use the internet for whatever reason. I'm not one of those with all the socials and all the notifications and feel I need to have the internet on all the time. You don't airplane mode. Just turn off cell data. Unless you are one of those that needs constant updates from the internet.

[DBG]

Thanks, If I get what you're advising, I should put the phone in airplane mode,  toggle off cellular on the apple home screen, or toggle off Settings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data (Off) at night until I need cellular data on again.  Is that correct?

[dust2dust]

In a temporary fashion yes. But then it would return it. There's a procedure to see that effect. Again, do you leave cellular data on all the time? Your usage details says just Data. Your phone is saying System Services. That's what's likely taking the small amount of data. Turn off data.

[DBG]

Thanks, to be clear, are you saying that Public Mobile takes data as a cache and it counts towards my data?  Because it is clear to me from the image above that it is counting towards my data.

[dust2dust]

Do you leave the cellular data on all the time? It says Data on the usage details. I guess it says System Services on your phone.
If you leave the data on all the time then the provider takes a small amount as a buffer. But it should return that back unless some is used.

[Phil_Adelphus]

@DBG have you tapped on System Services in the list of apps allowed to use cellular in your iPhone settings?  It tells you what Apple has been doing in the background.  Do you actually turn off cellular data?

[kb_mv]

@DBG That is just a system cache not a daily usage for nothing. As an aside MMS, though it uses data, does not count towards your data limit.