Mobile Data working while turned off

[joelmackenzie]

Hey there, 

I think this may be a bug with my phone (Pixel 3a, Android 10), but maybe it has something to do with Public Moblie.

I'm on the $15 plan with only 250MB of data, so I keep data turned off most of the time so as to not use it up unintentially. But from time to time, while Mobile Data is turned off and I'm out of range of any wifi, I'll start getting notifications from messaging apps and email.  I am able to send messages as well while Mobile data is turned off.  I tried turning it on and then back off again, but was still able to send and recieve messages through apps like facebook and Google Hangouts. Airplane mode seemed to be the only thing that would stop it.  After rebooting the problem seems to go away for a while, but, for some unknown reason, it'll happen again later. 

I was also able to confirm that it was indeed mobile data being used as the meter in Android went up and I see roughly the same amount of usage on the Public Mobile website. 

Does this happen to anyone else? Is there a way to make sure that absolutly no mobile data is used while it is turned off?

[gpixel]

@joelmackenzie 

if you would like, you could downgrade the software to 9 idk... Google has made it very easy to do so. it's just plug and play and choose the OS version you would like. there are some instructions to follow but, basically enable "usb debugging" on your device and go to this website. you will also need to plug the USB into your computer and download drivers

https://developers.google.com/android/images

scroll down to your device. choose the version and click "flash"

android 12 is coming out in a few weeks. just wait it out first. maybe try using this method I just showed you instead of the OTA update

[softech]

@joelmackenzie   you might want to post at xda-developers or Reddit , you will likely get more device support from there

https://forum.xda-developers.com/c/google-pixel-3.8236/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel3/

[joelmackenzie]

One thread I was on said people started noticing this after upgrading to Android 10. 

[gpixel]

@darlicious 

I think the issue is more towards the cheaper versions. 

@joelmackenzie 

just buy the pixel 6 when it comes out.. or maybe android 12 in October will fix that issue

[darlicious]

@Anonymous 

Let's grab a drink in the lounge.....

Edit: oops!

[Anonymous]

 @darlicious : Hey hi! Well?... sliced and diced and back to the land of consciousness? How'd it go today?

[softech]

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@darlicious wrote:

@joelmackenzie 

I have to reactivate an account in the next 5 days or so that acts as a data account (@gpixel you know the one!😉) So I will do some testing by putting that SIM card in my pixel 3 and see if I have similar data leakage and compare with my neighbour who is also struggling with strange data behaviour with same model pixel as mine.

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.. make sure your have updated it to Android 11.  So far the couple phones with the issues seem to be all Android 11

[darlicious]

@joelmackenzie 

I have to reactivate an account in the next 5 days or so that acts as a data account (@gpixel you know the one!😉) So I will do some testing by putting that SIM card in my pixel 3 and see if I have similar data leakage and compare with my neighbour who is also struggling with strange data behaviour with same model pixel as mine.

[joelmackenzie]

@softech I've posted on another thread that talked about the issue, but no one knew what caused it.

I've started another thread: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/126430229/mobile-data-connected-while-mobile-data-disab...

[softech]

@joelmackenzie   honest, when I was on the thread, I was wondering if you are one of them who posted the issue.. LoL

I would probably open a new thread on Google Forum again, even paste the link of that original thread and see if you can get any attention.  Maybe also mentioned you talked to Pixel support

[joelmackenzie]

Yes, "mobile data always active" has been disabled for a long time.

@softech, Yes!  I think that is exactly what is happening for me and my wife's phones.  Thank you!  I was able to follow those instructions and got the same result.  I wonder why it's now locked, it's not resolved and is a real problem.  What's up with that? 

I'm going to pass that along to the support person I've been dealing with and see what they say.

This seems to definitely be an issue with the phone and not Public Mobile.   

[gpixel]

@joelmackenzie 

do you have "developer options" enabled? there's a setting in there - "mobile data always active" disable that option and restart

[softech]

@joelmackenzie   there was no solution.. but someone posted in the Google forum about the same thing on Pixel 4 with Android 11:

send/recieve mms without data bug - Google Pixel Community

[joelmackenzie]

@darlicious, You make a great point, but it's not really the amount of data that I'm concerned about.  My mobile data has been turned off since before the time period that screenshot displays.  Other than MMS messages, I expected everything else to show zero usage.

This problem is very intermittent.  Some months there's much more usage than others while data is turned off.  I have two phones with this problem (Pixel 3a, Pixel 4a).  Pixel support has no idea what's going on.

[darlicious]

@joelmackenzie 

Approximately 5mb is the pm buffer that gets reset nightly or by toggling airplane mode on/off. The other 2mb is probably MMS that your phone is metering but isn't on your overview data counter. The 12.2mb in your OS cannot be restricted it's just what your OS uses when mobile data is available to your phone. Google play services will use some in your Android services.There is also a weird little program/app or something or other that can use data in your photo app that can't be turned off....I can't remember what it's called but it has an obscure name. Maybe @gpixel  can remember it from a whole other thread by another user trying to figure out what was using data when his mobile data was off.

So in the end we're investigating about 0.7mb of unexplained data usage....is it really worth this much exploratory frustration? Just saying.....

[joelmackenzie]

I do have "send & receive MMS messages when data is off" turned on.  The data usage for MMS message does show up when I check the usage on my phone, but Public Mobile does not count this usage, so I'm not concerned with that.

I have "mobile data always active" turned off.

I see that other apps are using data while it is turned off.  This screenshot displays the data usage during the period starting Aug 27.  I turned off my mobile data a few days before the start of this period and have not turned it on at all, yet Android displays usage by several apps, 20MB in all.  Public Mobile is showing that I've used 13MB.  All while mobile data was turned off.

[softech]

@joelmackenzie  do you have such option?  "send & receive MMS messages when data is off"  

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/40311i767FA7E8116A16ED/imag...

and check if you have this in the developer option:

"mobile data always active".

[darlicious]

@joelmackenzie 

Do you get usage in your OS app of 130mb? Do you have MMS being counted in your phone's data tracker that far exceeds normal MMS data usage amounts (this does not count against your actual mobile data).

Your APN settings should not make any difference as long as they work. My moto g7+ and Samsung A3 have different APN settings. There's no sim card in my pixel 3 at the moment but will be next week... 

Edit:

Neither of these phones even have the MMSC proxy line in their APN settings?!!

[joelmackenzie]

The settings are the same on both phones, but differ from the Public Mobile web page (https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/nb/get-help/articles/set-up-data-on-an-android-phone)

APN Setting differences:

Setting	On my phones	On Public Mobile page
Name	Mobile Internet	Public Mobile
APN	sp.mb.com	sp.mb.com
Proxy	Not set
Port	Not set
Username	Not set
Password	Not set
Server	Not set
MMSC proxy*		74.49.0.18
MMSC	http://aliasredirect.net/proxy/mb/mmsc	http://aliasredirect.net/proxy/mb/mmsc
MMS proxy	mmscproxy.mobility.ca
MMS port	8799	80
MCC	302	302
MNC	220	220
Authentication type	Not set
APN type	default,mms,supl,hipri,fota,ia
APN protocol	IPv4
APN roaming protocol	IPv4
APN enable/disable	APN enabled
Bearer	Unspecified
MVNO type	GID
MVNO value	4D4F

*Not listed on my phones

Both phones are up to date (android 11)

I did try a factory reset without restoring from a backup.  Pixel support suggested that as well, but were unable to list specific settings that could cause this issue.

I did turn the "Mobile data always active" setting off.

[Anonymous]

 @joelmackenzie : Did you turn the failover option to off in Developer options? It's called "Mobile data always active" on my phone.

If your data is working then don't worry about the APN's. That part's done.

[softech]

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@joelmackenzie wrote:

but the settings both my phones are different than that, but the same as each other. 

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How different are the 2 APN settings? can you post screenshots on both?

APN will assure mobile data works but it should have no effect to control Mobile Data on or off.

It does sound to me a device issue more than a carrier issue.   

Is the phone up to date in terms of OS?

Did you try to factory reset?  Maybe try on one phone, start fresh and see how it goes.  If you are going with factory reset, I suggest NOT to install thing back from the backup on Google.  Try to install the app fresh.  I suspect it might be some app or setting issue so I wouldn't use the backup set to setup the phone after the factory reset

[joelmackenzie]

This issue is still happening for me on two phones connected to Public Mobile: Pixel 3a and Pixel 4a.

I've been emailing with Pixel support for a while now. (27 emails).  They say they've never heard of this happening before and have no idea what's going on.  

It seems like a problem on the phone, but I'm trying to explore every possibility.  Public Mobile's APN settings are here: https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/nb/get-help/articles/set-up-data-on-an-android-phone, but the settings both my phones are different than that, but the same as each other. 

Are these set from the SIM card?

Why would mine be different?

Everything seems to be working fine, except turning off mobile data sometimes has no effect.  I'd like to understand more about the APN settings.  Should I change mine to match that web page?

[Anonymous]

My experience and observation of the buffer is that it gets taken when cell data gets turned on. Turn off cell data, flip in/out of airplane mode...no buffer.

[Nezgar]

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@caneng wrote:

UPDATE: my data usage has been reset to 0 so that is not an issue.  Still confused why I am using mobile data when it is set off on my phone.  

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I've found that "disabling data" on android doesn't actually truly disconnect the data connection at the network level as far as the self-serve overview page is concerned. Putting the phone in airplane mode however truly disconnects it, and makes that 5MB buffer subtract on what self-serve reports. Turn off airplane mode, and you see +5MB.

[caneng]

UPDATE: my data usage has been reset to 0 so that is not an issue.  Still confused why I am using mobile data when it is set off on my phone.  

[JK8]

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@caneng wrote:

I have a similar problem on my iPhone7.  I have mobile data turned off, all my apps have mobile data turned off and WIFI assist is also off.  I only have the 250MB data so I don't use it unless I have to.  

I also noticed that when my 30 day cycle was up today, my usage in mins was reset to 0 but my 250 MB data still says that I used 5 MB of data... that does not seem correct?

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That data is a buffer that happens every time you turn your phone on/off or toggle mobile data. It does not count towards your data allotment.

[caneng]

I have a similar problem on my iPhone7.  I have mobile data turned off, all my apps have mobile data turned off and WIFI assist is also off.  I only have the 250MB data so I don't use it unless I have to.  

I also noticed that when my 30 day cycle was up today, my usage in mins was reset to 0 but my 250 MB data still says that I used 5 MB of data... that does not seem correct?

[computergeek541]

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@joelmackenzie wrote:

That's what I thought too. The only reason I asked is because I saw a post on another forum that suggested that bad APN settings could cause that to happen. I don't know much about it, so thought I'd ask. 

Is there somewhere I can see what my settings should be?  I found some here 

But they are different than what I have. 

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Bad APN settings could only make data not work. They can't make it so that your phone uses data when it is disabled.

[joelmackenzie]

That's what I thought too. The only reason I asked is because I saw a post on another forum that suggested that bad APN settings could cause that to happen. I don't know much about it, so thought I'd ask. 

Is there somewhere I can see what my settings should be?  I found some here 

But they are different than what I have. 

[computergeek541]

@joelmackenzie 

This isn't a Public Mobile issue. Public Mobile can't make your phone override the settings. If the phone is not following the instructions that you have given it, this is all about the settings and the software (and a possible software bug) of the phone device.