Data usage much higher than iPhone cellular data report

[novae]

Hi all- I just signed up with PM a couple weeks ago for 1GB of data a month but I noticed self serve is reporting I've used 667MB while my iPhone's cellular data report is only at 101MB.

FWIW I reset my iphone data statistics the day I switched over to PM and there seems to be a gigantic 567MB line in my self-serve usage data from just a few days ago which definitely isn't reflected in my iphone usage stats. I don't know what that could even be since I'm pretty diligent in making sure apps aren't using precious data and am pretty sure I was at home that day.

Tried searching and there seem to be a lot of threads on data usage discrepencies but am not really sure how to get to the bottom of this and could use a pointer.

Thanks!

[srlawren]

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@Theear wrote:

So this just happened to me. Got the 75% usage warning text but I only see 300~mb of usage on my iPhone settings > Cellular. I have data disabled for everything except safari and maps. Had my stats reset on the day I got my account... this is not good. 

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@Theear the only counter that counts is the one on your self-serve account

[CalgaryBen]

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@Theear wrote:

So this just happened to me. Got the 75% usage warning text but I only see 300~mb of usage on my iPhone settings > Cellular. I have data disabled for everything except safari and maps. Had my stats reset on the day I got my account... this is not good. 

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@Theear does the data usage counter on the Overview page of your self-serve account actually reflect ~75% of the total allotment?  Worth checking as I have been getting the 75% usage SMS after I reach around 50% now, for the last 6+ months... for me it looks like a PM bug which started to happen after a data add-on expired.

[Anonymous]

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@Theear wrote:

So this just happened to me. Got the 75% usage warning text but I only see 300~mb of usage on my iPhone settings > Cellular. I have data disabled for everything except safari and maps. Had my stats reset on the day I got my account... this is not good. 

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What is the date range of the ~300mb on the phone?

When did you renew?

[Theear]

So this just happened to me. Got the 75% usage warning text but I only see 300~mb of usage on my iPhone settings > Cellular. I have data disabled for everything except safari and maps. Had my stats reset on the day I got my account... this is not good. 

[computergeek541]

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@slash407 wrote:

PM also takes into account ur mms messages, not sure if iphone does

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MMS usage does not show up as part of your data usage in Public Mobile self-serve and does not get added to your total data used.

[CalgaryBen]

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@slash407 wrote:

PM also takes into account ur mms messages, not sure if iphone does

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No, Public Mobile 100% does not consider MMS as data usage.  The iPhone also does not count MMS as part of data consumption.

That's why MMS is configured to use a proxy, so that it's not metered as regular data.

Also, you can use MMS without a data plan.

[novae]

@krazykiwi Oh sorry I misunderstood but yeah I saw the big data entry in the whole Usage History.

@CalgaryBen That's brutal if an update continues if switching away from wifi! Noted! My Settings > Cellular > System Services says it's only at 31.9MB.

Thanks everyone in the thread for the thoughts and suggestions. I agree that phone-reported usage can't be relied upon (though I've done my best to be careful with it), but if PM says there are 0.5GB transfers happening that my phone isn't reporting, and I can't figure out what it is or how to stop it, then there's no point paying for a data plan when half of it is spent on mysterious ghost downloads

I'll try getting in touch with the mods via the link @Alex888 provided and see if they've any ideas.

Cheers

[CalgaryBen]

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@novae wrote:

I noticed self serve is reporting I've used 667MB while my iPhone's cellular data report is only at 101MB.

Hi @novae, what do you see under Settings -> Cellular -> System Services?  Is there much usage there?  It sounds like you've reviewed all the apps in Settings -> Cellular ... Like you, I try to disable cellular data for apps that I feel don't really need it.  Some possible killers are things like the App Store (I've started an "Update All" for apps while in WiFi, and then forgotten this was happening, and then stepped out of the house and chewed up lots of cellular data).

For me, the iPhone meter is pretty good, and I review data usage by everything about once or twice a month just to make sure everything is within expectations.

[will13am]

I don't know what to say.  This topic is brought up from time to time.  At the end of the day, the usage tracker is legal tender.  Phone data tracking can be notoriously inaccurate due to accidental resets, interval setting changes, etc.  I have had times where resets and interval changes affected by own tracking.  I use the datawitness app which is pretty representative of the offical tracker when all the settings are done right.  After 38 days into my current cycle, the data tracker says I have used 3486 Mbtyes.  Data witness says I have used 3476.  I would say the app is in agreement. 

[Alex888 · Accepted solution]

@novae I would contact a moderator about it, you can send them a private message here: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

Response time is between a few hours and 2 days.

[krazykiwi]

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@novae wrote:

Thanks for the replies @Dunkgirl, @krazykiwi. 

When going to "view my usage" it shows I've used 665MB of my 1024MB data limit. 

To my knowledge my iPhone doesn't automatically reset data usage stats on any cycle so I reset it manually on the day my PM SIM was activated so it didn't count any old data. It shows I've used 101MB since my last reset on Feb 16 2019.

Wifi assist data is off. I keep most apps' cellular data switched off as well. No updates on my phone, but auto update settings says it has to be connected to wi-fi for that.

Self-serve and my phone usage were super close up until a few days ago, but then I got hit with the 567MB (feb 26) that my phone doesn't have in its stats so I don't know where to start resolving it 😛

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Sorry, when i mentioned to check your usage, i meant to check each account of data usage and see if it is reasonably accurate. This is not definitive but may help. But now I am guessing that is what you have done and found on Feb 26?

[novae]

Thanks for the replies @Dunkgirl, @krazykiwi. 

When going to "view my usage" it shows I've used 665MB of my 1024MB data limit. 

To my knowledge my iPhone doesn't automatically reset data usage stats on any cycle so I reset it manually on the day my PM SIM was activated so it didn't count any old data. It shows I've used 101MB since my last reset on Feb 16 2019.

Wifi assist data is off. I keep most apps' cellular data switched off as well. No updates on my phone, but auto update settings says it has to be connected to wi-fi for that.

Self-serve and my phone usage were super close up until a few days ago, but then I got hit with the 567MB (feb 26) that my phone doesn't have in its stats so I don't know where to start resolving it 😛

[krazykiwi]

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@novae wrote:

Hi all- I just signed up with PM a couple weeks ago for 1GB of data a month but I noticed self serve is reporting I've used 667MB while my iPhone's cellular data report is only at 101MB.

FWIW I reset my iphone data statistics the day I switched over to PM and there seems to be a gigantic 567MB line in my self-serve usage data from just a few days ago which definitely isn't reflected in my iphone usage stats. I don't know what that could even be since I'm pretty diligent in making sure apps aren't using precious data and am pretty sure I was at home that day.

Tried searching and there seem to be a lot of threads on data usage discrepencies but am not really sure how to get to the bottom of this and could use a pointer.

Thanks!

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In your self serve account on the overview page you can click "view my usage". How does that compare to what you think you have used?

If either response to your particular request leads to the resolution of your issue , please help other community members by marking that post as the solution. Thank You

[Dunkgirl]

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@novae wrote:

Hi all- I just signed up with PM a couple weeks ago for 1GB of data a month but I noticed self serve is reporting I've used 667MB while my iPhone's cellular data report is only at 101MB.

FWIW I reset my iphone data statistics the day I switched over to PM and there seems to be a gigantic 567MB line in my self-serve usage data from just a few days ago which definitely isn't reflected in my iphone usage stats. I don't know what that could even be since I'm pretty diligent in making sure apps aren't using precious data and am pretty sure I was at home that day.

Tried searching and there seem to be a lot of threads on data usage discrepencies but am not really sure how to get to the bottom of this and could use a pointer.

Thanks!

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Every data discrepancy in the end is not PM's fault. There is some reason this happened. Maybe an operating system update. Are you sure your built in data tracker is going by the correct 30 or 90 day cycle? Built in data trackers are based on month, which PM is not, so those dates often mix up the data trackers.