Data usage increasing while mobile date turned off!

[thunderhawk]

My plan just renewed today, which means i have a new 1024 MB of data for this month. My phone's mobile data has been turned off since yesterday. This afternoon i was checking my PM self serve page and noticed that my data usage was at 3mb. I didn't really think much of it. This evening i checked again, and it's gone up to 9mb used.

How is PM's data usage counter showing 9mb of used data when i haven't even turned on my mobile data today?!?!

I haven't made any calls/text/mms or turned on mobile data. Using Samsung S9+.

Is PM's data usage counter rigged? That's my only explanation. Would appreciate some feedback.

[ZenStarwalker]

I have the same issue. Been happening for about 3 months now. Turn off data only using wifi, then I barely use data, just messenger when I'm on the go and i get a text from PM saying 75% data used in 24 hours. Check my phones data usage, under 300mb, which makes sense uploading a few selfies and firing off about 20 messages.

 

 

I get 1024mb over month plus they upgraded me to 2gb because of data issues already. Check this out! Got this yesterday and my plan was only 2 days into recycle time. As you can see in the screen shot

[thunderhawk]

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@LovesToPM wrote:

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My only regret is not joining Public Mobile sooner.

Like others have said, data usage isn't displayed in real time.

By your own account, the phone's counter says 300kb of data used.
And overall data usage went from 9mb to 9.2mb. It all sounds good.

1 GB should be plenty enough to check emails, use gps, etc.

And the best part is no overage fees.

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Good to know, thanks!

Yes, i can confirm that there is a buffer of around 5.2mb that is added to your usage when data is on, and is removed when data is off for a while, in my case, data usage went down to 4mb after the buffer was released overnight.

I'm feeling much better and confident about PM now, thanks guys..

[LovesToPM]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

My phone stayed off all night, when i woke up today, my data usage had gone from 9mb back down to 3.757mb. Weird!

I turned my phone back on, Wifi on, mobile data off, no increase in data usage after a few hours. Then turned on mobile data for about an hour, whick background data disabled, and didn't use my phone at all. Phone's counter says I used around 300kb of data, PM's counter says i used 5.4mb, 9.2mb in total usage.

I just started using PM, so i am scrutinizing the service to determine if its really worth saving $20 over my other carrier. I usually don't use more than 1gb of data, so i assumed i'll be good with PM's $25 plan, but so far the data counter is not inspiring any confidence.

Do any of you regret switching to PM?

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My only regret is not joining Public Mobile sooner.

Like others have said, data usage isn't displayed in real time.

By your own account, the phone's counter says 300kb of data used.
And overall data usage went from 9mb to 9.2mb. It all sounds good.

1 GB should be plenty enough to check emails, use gps, etc.

And the best part is no overage fees.

[Anonymous]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

Thank you all for the replies. The buffer hypothesis seems the most likely explanation. I'll put my doubts aside for now and see how things go.

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I have my phone set up to check 3 email boxes. I cleared them on my main computer. Turned on data. Bam. Something like 5 odd mb's added to what was there. Turned off data. Flipped in and out of airplane mode. Looked at the counter and it was back down to about 80 kb added in reality.

There could of course be other things on the phone that might like seeing some internet action but the emails are the only ones I really knew about.

[thunderhawk]

Thank you all for the replies. The buffer hypothesis seems the most likely explanation. I'll put my doubts aside for now and see how things go.

[JaimeLaPizza]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

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@JaimeLaPizza wrote:

I certainly do not regret switching to PM so far (but it's been only two weeks !  ).  You say your cumulative data use went down at some point.  How does that show in your "usage history", are there "negative MB" ?  

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Good question 😄
Usage history didn't show any data "Web" usage until now actually. So far it only shows the 3mb used.

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Hum, I think this shows that @Anonymous may very well be right when he/she said a couple of replies above: 'What you're seeing is a little data buffer that the system holds. It should get reset when you turn data off. It *would* get reset if you flip in and out of airplane mode. It seems to reset perhaps overnight when it lets go of the buffer.'

[thunderhawk]

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@JaimeLaPizza wrote:

I certainly do not regret switching to PM so far (but it's been only two weeks !  ).  You say your cumulative data use went down at some point.  How does that show in your "usage history", are there "negative MB" ?  

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Good question 😄
Usage history didn't show any data "Web" usage until now actually. So far it only shows the 3mb used.

[sunflowershine]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

My plan just renewed today, which means i have a new 1024 MB of data for this month. My phone's mobile data has been turned off since yesterday. This afternoon i was checking my PM self serve page and noticed that my data usage was at 3mb. I didn't really think much of it. This evening i checked again, and it's gone up to 9mb used.

How is PM's data usage counter showing 9mb of used data when i haven't even turned on my mobile data today?!?!

I haven't made any calls/text/mms or turned on mobile data. Using Samsung S9+.

Is PM's data usage counter rigged? That's my only explanation. Would appreciate some feedback.

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@thunderhawk I have the same problem when I have the add-on data. The Moderator told me to close the application set up with using wifi only. But I have to manually turn on the app set up when I have to use the app under my data on. I decided to change the from APNs to eith Koodo or Telus SP. When I need data, I will switch it back to PM. 

[Pizzaeh]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

My phone stayed off all night, when i woke up today, my data usage had gone from 9mb back down to 3.757mb. Weird!

I turned my phone back on, Wifi on, mobile data off, no increase in data usage after a few hours. Then turned on mobile data for about an hour, whick background data disabled, and didn't use my phone at all. Phone's counter says I used around 300kb of data, PM's counter says i used 5.4mb, 9.2mb in total usage.

I just started using PM, so i am scrutinizing the service to determine if its really worth saving $20 over my other carrier. I usually don't use more than 1gb of data, so i assumed i'll be good with PM's $25 plan, but so far the data counter is not inspiring any confidence.

Do any of you regret switching to PM?

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Regret, he11 don't we all have regrets?!?  Oh the data you mean, N O, not for the data portion of the plan.  Works well, fast enough for checking emails, GPS/maps, looking stuff up on the internet.  All this on the Telus network.

[Anonymous]

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@JaimeLaPizza wrote:

I certainly do not regret switching to PM so far (but it's been only two weeks !  ).  You say your cumulative data use went down at some point.  How does that show in your "usage history", are there "negative MB" ?  

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I only get the little 200mb add-on. When I saw that it would adjust back down to real consumption I stopped caring. I just works. It will sort itself out. Nothing to port out over.

I seem to recall it's like 5.236 mb or something. It's so small it doesn't matter. Even with only the 200mb.

[JaimeLaPizza]

I certainly do not regret switching to PM so far (but it's been only two weeks !  ).  You say your cumulative data use went down at some point.  How does that show in your "usage history", are there "negative MB" ?  

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

My phone stayed off all night, when i woke up today, my data usage had gone from 9mb back down to 3.757mb. Weird!

I turned my phone back on, Wifi on, mobile data off, no increase in data usage after a few hours. Then turned on mobile data for about an hour, whick background data disabled, and didn't use my phone at all. Phone's counter says I used around 300kb of data, PM's counter says i used 5.4mb, 9.2mb in total usage.

I just started using PM, so i am scrutinizing the service to determine if its really worth saving $20 over my other carrier. I usually don't use more than 1gb of data, so i assumed i'll be good with PM's $25 plan, but so far the data counter is not inspiring any confidence.

Do any of you regret switching to PM?

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Not. At. All.

What you're seeing is a little data buffer that the system holds. It should get reset when you turn data off. It *would* get reset if you flip in and out of airplane mode. It seems to reset perhaps overnight when it lets go of the buffer.

[thunderhawk]

My phone stayed off all night, when i woke up today, my data usage had gone from 9mb back down to 3.757mb. Weird!

I turned my phone back on, Wifi on, mobile data off, no increase in data usage after a few hours. Then turned on mobile data for about an hour, whick background data disabled, and didn't use my phone at all. Phone's counter says I used around 300kb of data, PM's counter says i used 5.4mb, 9.2mb in total usage.

I just started using PM, so i am scrutinizing the service to determine if its really worth saving $20 over my other carrier. I usually don't use more than 1gb of data, so i assumed i'll be good with PM's $25 plan, but so far the data counter is not inspiring any confidence.

Do any of you regret switching to PM?

[computergeek541]

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@slash407 wrote:

it would suprise me if PM (as with all providers) take liberties and charge alittle more than they really should. But another issue could be that ur sending media files through text and those dont count towards ur total but they do show as "data" in the usage, u can ignore that. Kinda bush league but what can u do

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MMS data usage will show in your phone's data usage counter.  Since MMS data usage doesn't count towards your total, how is that a factor in saying that Public Mobile counts incorrectly?  If that usage hasn't been added to the the data usage total, why would someone care?

[computergeek541]

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@stonechucker wrote:

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@mimmo wrote:

@stonechucker  didn't you recently do some testing the other day? 

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@mimmo,  I believe it was @computergeek541 who was experimenting.

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I too, as some others.have, has seen the data counter start at roughly 5MB at the start of a renewal date.  I just ignored it. 

This renewal, it started at 0MB, but that could be because I deliberately used up all my data. What I did notice during renewal was how the counter reset at midnight but that data service was not restored until 30 minutes later.

[stonechucker]

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@mimmo wrote:

@stonechucker  didn't you recently do some testing the other day? 

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@mimmo,  I believe it was @computergeek541 who was experimenting.

[geopublic]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

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@Triguy wrote:

Some of your apps may be trying to access data.  You could try switching to airplane mode to prevent any data usage.

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New phone, the only apps installed are Google's (gmail/youtube/etc)

I'm going to turn the phone off and look for any changes to my data usage tomorrow.

Thanks for the replies.

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@thunderhawk The PM countrers are very accurate. Please note that if you are checking your usage online via selfserve the info is delayed.

[thunderhawk]

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@Triguy wrote:

Some of your apps may be trying to access data.  You could try switching to airplane mode to prevent any data usage.

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New phone, the only apps installed are Google's (gmail/youtube/etc)

I'm going to turn the phone off and look for any changes to my data usage tomorrow.

Thanks for the replies.

[Triguy]

Some of your apps may be trying to access data.  You could try switching to airplane mode to prevent any data usage.

[thunderhawk]

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@CellGirl wrote:

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@thunderhawk wrote:

Just the default home screen weather widget.

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you checked that weather app's data settings?

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The only settings available are unit (C/F), refresh rate, and current location. No options for data usage.

[CellGirl]

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@thunderhawk wrote:

Just the default home screen weather widget.

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you checked that weather app's data settings?

[thunderhawk]

Just the default home screen weather widget.

[mimmo]

@stonechucker  didn't you recently do some testing the other day? 

[CellGirl]

@thunderhawk 

sometimes weather apps use mobile data.. any chance of that on your phone?

[thunderhawk]

Phone has the latest updates and security patches. Wifi was on all day. I even have 'data saver' enabled to limit background data use.

Maybe i 'll just turn my phone off..

[JaimeLaPizza]

On this thread, people (PM customers) mention this is happening at renewal time...

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Self-Serve/Phantom-data-usage/td-p/213400

[srlawren]

@thunderhawk could be that your OS has a bug that lets a little data usage through even with mobile data switched off.